Dear Colleagues,
The University of Wisconsin System (UWS) recently concluded its Web Conferencing RFP Project, and will not be renewing its contract with Blackboard Collaborate. The web conferencing tool will no longer be available to any UWS institution, including UW-Madison, after June 30, 2021. UW System has sent a Letter of Intent to negotiate a contract with Zoom for all UWS institutions going forward.
Fortunately, UW-Madison already has an enterprise contract with Zoom, and the tool is integrated with our learning management system, Canvas. UW-Madison implemented Zoom last fall, which was informed by feedback from faculty governance and a survey of 800 instructors. The majority of feedback was in support of Zoom over other web conferencing tools (including Blackboard Collaborate) due to its usability and accessibility.