Trunk and TUSK play an critical role in supporting teaching and learning at Tufts. However, these systems are aging, and Tufts is missing important opportunities to collaborate with other institutions. We need an alternative that is more modern, more sustainable, and better-suited to faculty and student needs. After more than a year of careful research, Educational Technology Services selected Canvas by Instructure as our new LMS in late 2016.
Why Canvas?
Canvas is a best-in-class, open source LMS with an intuitive interface, a robust feature set, and excellent vendor support. Many of Tufts’ local peer institutions – including Boston College, Harvard University, Brown University, and Emerson College – have adopted Canvas, providing an opportunity for us to work with our colleagues on suggesting and creating new tools and features.
When am I moving to Canvas?
We are in the second year of a gradual, three-year rollout of Canvas. Faculty play a key part in our implementation of Canvas and we are working with instructors, deans, and academic staff to configure Canvas for individual schools and programs.
- The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine will begin using Canvas in 2019 for clinical and pre-clinical courses.
- The following schools and programs transitioned to Canvas in Summer and Fall 2018:
- The School of Arts & Sciences
- The School of Engineering
- The School of Dental Medicine
- Tufts Summer Session
- The following schools and programs transitioned to Canvas in Fall 2017:
- Fletcher School
- Friedman School (on campus and online programs)
- School of the Museum of Fine Arts
- The Gordon Institute (MSEM program)
Implementation dates for other Tufts schools and programs will be announced as they are determined. See a tentative project timeline.
When will Trunk and TUSK be retired?
We understand that many instructors have a wealth of teaching materials in Trunk and TUSK. We are exploring the best tools and procedures to migrate files, assignments, assessments, and other materials from our current systems to Canvas. When your school or program makes the switch, we will provide an easy way to move your materials from Trunk or TUSK to Canvas and help you with every step of the process.
How can I learn more?
We will update this website with answers to frequently asked questions, implementation details, and other project news. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to us at canvas@tufts.edu.