The IT Governance review board for instructional technologies.

Supporting Innovation

About ETAC

The Educational Technology Advisory Council (ETAC) is the advisory body to IT Directors on educational technology system recommendations and changes, unless said changes are determined to be critical decisions that require review by the IT Gov Committee and CIO. For critical votes, a quorum of ETAC members must be present. All other votes will be taken by members who are present.

Approved brightspace integrations Ed Tech updates IT Gov IT TLS

Upcoming Topics

Brightspace integrations will be reviewed by the council and topics will be added. See you in September.

Major Meeting Updates / Outcomes

Brightspace Course Data Management Plan

Team discussed upcoming changes to Brightspace, focusing on the creation of training materials and support resources. Additionally, the team discussed planning for upcoming Brightspace course purges.

Online Course Accessibility Strategies

The group discussed strategies for improving accessibility in online courses.

LTI Tool Updates and Approvals

Two tool updates were approved: the conditional approval of Macmillan Achieve, which is pending final ITS security review, and the planned version update for ReadSpeaker in Brightspace, which will involve minor backend changes.

Brightspace Training Site Changes

Beginning in May 2026, training and program sites will be separated from regular sandbox sites. Departments wanting to run training courses will need to submit an application to the provost’s office for approval, which will determine their access to training sites in the LMS.

Council Administration

Meeting Notes

October 23 ETAC Notes || December 23 ETAC Notes. || February 24 ETAC Notes || March 24 ETAC Notes
April 24 ETAC Notes || September 24 ETAC Notes || October 24 ETAC Notes || November 24 ETAC Notes
February 25 ETAC Notes || March 25 ETAC Notes || April 25 ETAC Notes || September 25 ETAC Notes || October 25 ETAC Notes || December 25 ETAC Notes

ETAC Chair (25-27): Alicia Vaandering, Library, Assistant Professor

Members (Italicized are non-voting members)

  • Abbot, Sophia, ATL, Faculty Development Specialist
  • Coyne, Robert, Physics, Associate Teaching Professor
  • Fariello, Gabriele, IT, CIO
  • Gray, Kevin, IT TLS, Project Leader & Brightspace System Administrator
  • Harper, Allison, Kinesiology, Teaching Professor
  • Hervé, Jean-Yves, Computer Science, Associate Professor
  • Kogut, Stephen, Pharmacy, Professor
  • Larson, Sarah, Nutrition & Food Sciences, Associate Teaching Professor
  • Lavan, Christopher, ATL, Associate Vice Provost
  • Lester, Ian, Pharmacy, Manager of Technology Services
  • McGwin, Jim, Business, Adjunct Professor
  • McGough, Ellen, Physical Therapy, Professor
  • Peno, Kathy, Education, Professor
  • Portman-Daley, Joannah, ATL, Associate Director of Online Education and Instructional Technology
  • Rogers, Michelle, IT TLS, Director of IT Teaching and Learning Services
  • Ramsdell, Paige, Disability Services, Assistant Dean
  • Sharpes-Smith, Heather, Executive Director, URI Online
  • Vaandering, Alicia, Library, Assistant Professor
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