Unizin Extends Partnership with Instructure, Keeps Canvas as its Foundational Learning Management Platform

AUSTIN and SALT LAKE CITY – May 5, 2020 – Today, Unizin, a consortium of 13 leading universities, announced they have extended their partnership with Instructure, makers of the Canvas Learning Management Platform, for an additional five years.

“Unizin recognizes Canvas as the top learning management platform in today’s market because of its unrivaled interoperability, innovative capabilities, and open standards,” said Michael Hofherr, Unizin Board of Directors President; Vice President and CIO, The Ohio State University. “We chose Canvas as the foundation for the Unizin service six years ago because of its commitment to open standards, unparalleled pace of innovation, and consistent delivery of positive learning experiences to faculty and students. Those pivotal qualities are stronger than ever today as we renew our partnership.”

Unizin provides existing Canvas customers an opportunity to enhance the educational experience they offer by extending content, applications, and data capabilities that are openly distributed, shared, and created through the consortium. The consortium models ways for institutions to collaborate and innovate, with a focus on integrating the entire learning ecosystem—content, technology, data, and professional services.

“Now, more than ever, institutions are changing their approach to education and Unizin leads the way in modeling how educators should collaborate within and between institutions,” said Melissa Loble, Chief Customer Experience Officer at Instructure. “Canvas has always believed that openness and community collaboration are key to educational progress and we are proud to partner with Unizin to support innovation in education.”

Unizin members receive access to Canvas as part of the extended Unizin Data Platform (UDP) that spans from research services to content to analytics services. The Unizin partners renewed their agreement with Canvas because of its proven commitment to open standards and its unparalleled collaboration and innovation in the educational technology community. These values align well with Unizin's commitment to both speed in execution and open standards that can help further universities' missions over time.