• Introduction
• Authority
• Services Designated for Instruction at UWM
• Non-Credit Offerings
• Accessibility
• FERPA, Privacy and Security
• Using Unapproved Teaching and Learning Technology
• Contact 

Introduction

This guidance applies to:

• For-credit instruction (online, hybrid/hyflex, in-person).
• Non-credit offerings delivered by UWM units (e.g., outreach, certificates, public webinars, bootcamps).
• Employee training (staff, student-employees, graduate assistants), including compliance training.

Accessibility and compliance obligations, business processes, and support & training are built around UWM’s enterprise platforms. Using them first keeps identity, security, and records management navigable for UWM's departments and business units.

Authority

• US Government 34 CFR PART 99: Family Educational Rights and and Privacy Act - Mandates the protection of confidential student data. 
• US Americans with Disability Act - Mandates all materials published for use by UWM's students meet federal accessibility standards.
• Board of Regent Policy Document 25-3: Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources - Calls for use of university-managed services for university business.
• Board of Regent Policy Document 25-5: Information Technology: Information Security - Mandates information security practices where university data are kept in university-managed services.
• UW System Administrative Policy 1031 Information Security: Data Classification - Classifies the degree of security to be used for student and instructional data.
• UW System Administrative Policy 655: Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile Applications - Defines the responsibility of the faculty and staff of the Universities of Wisconsin for enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act mandate.
• UW-Milwaukee Faculty Document No. 3504: Recommendation of the Academic Policy Committee (APC) on Policies for Online and Hybrid Courses - Calls for use of the university Learning Management System for online and hybrid courses
• UW-Milwaukee Faculty Document No. 3490: Online Contingency Options in the Event of Cancellation of In-Person Classes - Calls for use of the university LMS for continuity of operations of all courses.

Federal laws and these policies with authority rooted in Wisconsin law build a framework where student information and the intellectual property of both instructors and the Universities of Wisconsin must be stored in university-managed systems with adequate security.

The framework also establishes the mandate that all courses use the Digital Learning Environment (with Canvas LMS as the hub) at-minimum for continuity of operations. As a result, instructors must offer courses at UWM using the Learning Management System and services connected to it. where the services are managed by the university, or meet third-party security, accessibility, and legal standards. 

User support centers (the UWM Help Desk, the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Classroom Services, others) are unable to offer support, training and guidance for instructional service not managed by UWM or the Universities of Wisconsin.

Services Designated for Instruction at UWM

UWM’s business processes for accessibility, support/training, assignment, tracking, reporting, and retention are built around these systems; using them enables consistent training, design, and consistent support.

• Canvas as the course hub, grades, submissions and communications.
  • All required course activity should originate in Canvas (link out via Modules/Assignments or external tools (LTIs) as needed).
  • Do not make consumer tools (textbook publisher platforms, other Learning Management Systems) the primary site of record for graded work or official communications.
• Use Kaltura (a.k.a. My Media, MediaSpace) for recorded instructional media & captions.
  • You may also capture with Zoom or Microsoft 365 (Teams/OneDrive/SharePoint), but publish key instructional assets to Kaltura for long-term access and captions.
  • Keep the canonical copy in Kaltura to support accessibility, continuity, and records retention.
• Use Zoom as the primary tool for live class meetings. Only use Microsoft Teams when business needs require it.
  • Always link/launch meetings from Canvas to preserve SSO, roster alignment, and records linkage.
• Use OneDrive integrated with Canvas for document collaboration
  • Use the OneDrive navigation link in your Canvas course or attach files through Canvas to preserve SSO, roster awareness, and records linkage.
  • Avoid ad-hoc sharing outside Canvas for graded or otherwise official coursework.
• When possible use Workday Learning for employee training.
  • Assign and track all formal/mandatory training in Workday Learning; this is the transcript of record.
  • Deliver sessions/materials via Zoom or Microsoft Teams as needed, but record assignment and completion in Workday.

Relying on Canvas, Kaltura, Zoom, Microsoft 365, and Workday aligns instruction and training with UWM’s accessibility and compliance obligations. Using a purpose-supported service makes training, data gathering and reporting, and records management possible. 

Non-Credit Offerings

This guidance also applies to non-credit instructional offerings delivered by UWM units. Choose university-managed and approved platforms, launch learning from the Learning Management System (Canvas or another system approved for use through UWM IT Procurement), and meet accessibility, security, and records obligations like any other UWM program. Where non-credit participants are employees, assign and track progress in Workday Learning.

Accessibility

All courses must provide accessible web & mobile content (WCAG 2.1 AA) for our students and other course participants, regardless of credit status. UWM’s support, training and remediation workflows are built with services designated for instruction in-mind. Use instructional services to minimize risk and remediation overhead. Use UDOIT to scan Canvas sites and address issues.

As all tools and services must be accessible by-law, a tool that cannot meet accessibility obligations cannot be required for class. Instructors must provide an equally effective accessible alternative or route it for review before use.

FERPA, Privacy and Security

Keep grades, assignment submissions, and identifiable student work in Canvas or in external tools which are approved. Acceptable Use policy and Information Security policy both require protecting student data, and intellectual property. Using approved, managed systems aligns with this principle and simplifies incident response, academic processes, and records management.

Using Unapproved Teaching and Learning Technology

Review the list of approved tools first. If something else is needed or a different tool is required, submit a UWM IT Procurement request. 

All educational technology tools must be approved prior to use in a course including textbook publisher platforms and courseware. A tool that is not approved cannot be required for class. Unapproved or inaccessible systems found may be restricted or disabled until reviews are completed or necessary remediation is completed.

Contact 

The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) administers the Digital Learning Environment as bundle of enterprise services in-partnership with University Information Technology Services (UITS) and Campus Technology Support (CTS). 

Contact CETL with questions about this guidance.