Blackboard Ultra Transition Timeline & Support
We have been informed by Anthology (owner of Blackboard) that Blackboard Original, which most faculty currently use, will no longer be available as of December 2026. We are being asked to switch to Blackboard Ultra by the end of 2026 with no option to remain on Original.
To support the transition to Ultra, the Centre for Innovation and Teaching Excellence (CITE) proposes the following phased timeline:
June – August 2025
- Development of faculty support materials
- Ongoing communication with Anthology
October – November 2025
- Faculty orientation sessions to Ultra
February – March 2026
- Program or school-specific Ultra orientation
- Chairs and Coordinators will be contacted
April – May 2026
- Individual program or school training and support
- CITE will open calendars for booking
May – August 2026
- One-on-one support for faculty switching courses to Ultra
- CITE calendars remain open for bookings
September 2026
- All Fall courses must be on Ultra
- Ensures minimal disruption for faculty and students
December 2026 - End of Life for Original Course View
- Read-only access will remain for Original courses from the past five years (these can still be copied forward into Ultra).
Some of the new features of Ultra are:
- Built in grid organization & drag and drop functionality
- All settings for Test and Assignments included in the creation step
- Auto-launch Respondus Lockdown Browser
- Improved Interface Design in Blackboard App
We are hoping with this timeline and support that the switch from Original to Ultra will be as smooth as possible and enhance teaching and learning at MHC. More information will be shared through email and On Campus. If you would like an Ultra training course or have any other questions, please reach out to anyone on the CITE team or at teaching@mhc.ab.ca
Blackboard Ultra Training Guides
Join us for an introduction to Blackboard Ultra, a modern and user-friendly upgrade to our current learning management system, featuring a sleek interface, enhanced communication tools, and details on upcoming training opportunities.