10 July 2026
Sign-on letter from Curtin University staff: We urgently need clarity and resources to manage LMS transition

For the attention of:

Prof Mark Ogden, Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic

David Menarry, Chief Operating Officer

10 July 2026

Dear colleagues,

We are writing as staff members from across Curtin University to voice our concern over the poor management of the transition of the university’s Learning Management System (LMS) from Blackboard to Canvas. This failure of planning by senior management has now led to an impossibly short time frame for implementing this transition.

We are aware that affected staff have been raising concerns about senior management’s failure to adequately plan for and resource an orderly transition throughout 2025 and 2026, including raising a formal dispute about this issue last year. The migration of the first tranche of unit materials has already begun, and the end-of-year deadline for the full completion of the transition is rapidly approaching. Yet staff are still in a state of uncertainty as to how the transition will be managed in practice.

In the context of already intense workload pressures, we need certainty on the amount of work and training necessary to complete this transition, and for this to be clearly factored into our workload allocation and resourcing levels. Our students also need clear advice on the impact this transition will have on their learning experience.

Workload allocation

• What are the exact requirements for each relevant cohort of staff to carry out this transition?

• How have these requirements been calculated, and by whom?

• How many hours of additional work do these requirements amount to?

• What is the process by which our workload allocation and resourcing levels will be amended to accommodate this extra work?

• Is this process standardised across the university or left to the discretion of each school?

• What additional resources will be put in place to support the relevant frontline teams such as Learning and Teaching, Information Technology, Student Support and others?

Training provision

• What are the training requirements necessary for each relevant cohort of staff?

• Does this training cover both handling the migration to Canvas, and becoming operationally proficient in the use of Canvas?

• How have the specific hours required for training been factored into workload allocation?

• What training requirements, remuneration and allowances are being set in place for sessional academic staff?

Advice to students

• What impact will this migration have on students who are subject to Further Assessment/Deferred Assessment?

• What advice will be provided to existing and prospective students regarding potential impacts this may have on their learning experience at Curtin University?

• When will this advice be conveyed to students?

Given the time pressures we face, we require your detailed replies to the above questions by COB Friday 24 July 2026.

INITIAL SIGNATORIES

Anne-Marie Murray

Digital Learning Coordinator, Learning Innovation and Teaching Excellence Centre (LITEC)

Barbara Whelan

Manager, Assessment and Curriculum Evolution

Tim Rich

Discipline Lead, Politics and History, Humanities

Courtney Babb

Senior Lecturer, School of Design and Built Environment

Sian Flynne

Business Manager, School of Accounting, Economics and Finance

Katie Fielding

Senior Student Conduct Coordinator, Office of the Academic Registrar

Paul Sutherland

Sessional Academic, Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry, Humanities

Hannah Carson

Student Conduct Coordinator, Office of the Academic Registrar

Bethany Clark

Research Assistant, Molecular and Life Sciences

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30
signatures
28 verified
  1. Iain Murray, Professor, Curtin University
  2. Lauren Breen, Professor and Discipline Lead, Curtin University, Perth
  3. Clare Dawson, Admin, Accounting, Economics & Finance, Curtin University
  4. Rod Ogilvie Rod Ogilvie, Associate professor, Curtin University Bentley WA, Perth
  5. Eric Parkin, Senior Data Scientist, Curtin University, Perth
  6. Dr Phil Chilton, academic, MCASI
  7. Shannon Wood, Fieldwork Officer, Curtin University, Bentley
  8. Cindy A Smith, Senior Lecturer, Curtin University
  9. Adrianne Evans, Associate Lecturer, Curtin University, Perth
  10. Sarai Mannolini-Winwood, Academic, Curtin University, Denmark
  11. Emily Poulton, Associate Lecturere, Curtin University
  12. Ruhul Salim, Curtin University, Shelley
  13. Ash Jenkins, Research Services Consultant, Curtin University, Bentley
  14. Bethany Clark, Research Assistant, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley
  15. Kally Whitehead, SOLT, Curtin University, Vic Park
  16. Frank Bear, Lecturer, Curtin University, Bentley Campus, Perth
  17. Caitlin Lee, Coordinator, Learning and Integrity, Curtin University
  18. David Cooper, Senior Lecturer, Curtin University, Perth
  19. Imari Morris, Teaching Support Officer, Curtin University
  20. Kathryne Ford, Lecturer and co-DLT, Curtin University
  21. Kirsten Holmes, Professor, Curtin University, Bentley
  22. Ross Graham, Senior Lecturer, Curtin University, Bentley
  23. Jenny Dolzadelli, Senior lecturer, Curtin University, Perth
  24. Paul gardner, Senior Lecturer, School of Education, Curtin University, Perth
  25. Sonnette Dykman, Teaching Support Officer, Curtin University, Perth
  26. Harriet, Lecturer, Curtin University, Perth
  27. Sarah Evamy, Manager, Teaching Enhancement Team, LITEC, Curtin University, Perth
  28. Daniel McKeating, Major Coordinator, Advertising & Design, Curtin University, Perth
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