The Learning Management System (LMS) is the most used teaching and learning tool at Carleton University. All students use it on a daily basis during the academic year to access courses materials and information, communicate, submit assignments and participate in assessments. While instructors are not required to use the LMS to enhance face-to-face teaching, it has become a very important part of teaching practice and plays a particular critical role in the delivery of online and hybrid courses.
With the significant role that it plays in supporting Carleton’s teaching and learning community, it is important that decisions made around the LMS, its evolution and growth be made carefully and with the support and input of Carleton’s teaching and learning community, with consideration to the university’s strategic plans – Defining Dreams and the Carleton Academic Plan.
Terms of Reference
The LMS Advisory Group provides oversight, direction and guidance to the development and evolution of the LMS at Carleton University. Its responsibilities include:
- LMS policy and principles: developing, clarifying and communicating the institutional use of the LMS
- LMS enhancement and prioritization: identifying and selecting which initiatives to fund and how much to spend
- LMS architecture and infrastructure: defining integration and standardization requirements
- Functional application needs: specifying the academic need for community purchased or internally developed LMS applications and add-ons
- LMS settings: examining and selecting appropriate LMS settings for roles and tools.
Specific examples of the above include, but are not limited to: developing policy on the frequency and timing of system outages, the evaluation of plugins, the criteria for selecting enhancements, template settings, priority of enhancement integration, how certain tools behave, the maximum storage space available per course, and training and support requirements.
Guiding Principles
- The committee will guide the strategic directions and priorities of the LMS as they relate to the academic direction of the university and ensure strategic alignment with Defining Dreams, Carleton Academic Planning, etc.
- The committee will ensure that the strategic focus, the sharing of plans and intent will fit into and complement the Carleton University strategic planning process.
- The committee will take a mid to long-term view of LMS investments and the potential to impact and influence the academic direction of the university. The goal is to ensure that balance is achieved between academic and administrative initiatives, and between short and long term projects.
- The committee will encourage broad participation and engagement from the community through transparency, strategy and dialogue. The LMSSC will deal with matters of policy, funding, projects, additional functionality and information as it relates to the ongoing development of the LMS.
Reporting Structure
The LMS Advisory Committee reports to the Provost, Vice-President Academic and provides regular updates to the Academic Computing Committee (ACC) and to the Information Systems Steering Committee (ISSC).
Membership
Chair – Associate Vice-President (Teaching and Learning)
- 1 representative from the Faculty of Business
- 1 representative from the Faculty of Engineering and Design
- 1 representative from the Faculty of Arts and Social Science
- 1 representative from the Faculty of Public Affairs
- 1 representative from the Faculty of Science
- 1 undergraduate student
- 1 Teaching Assistant
- 1 representative from the Library
- 1 representative from the Educational Development Centre
- 1 representative from ITS – CIO
Frequency of Meetings
Quarterly or as required.