Courses in the regular curriculum are scheduled through WashU Course Listings (WUCRSL). But, sometimes courses are needed for purposes outside the regular curriculum.
Courses outside the regular curriculum are referred to as Organizations and Non-SIS Courses. A Non-SIS Course is a course that isn’t part of the regular curriculum, but delivers required content to students. By contrast, an Organization is a student- or faculty-centric group used primarily for teaching and learning activities outside the regular curriculum.
Organization Alternatives
An LMS, like Canvas, might seem the logical location to house organizations for collaboration. However, a different option, like Office 365 or Teams, might be a better fit for your organization.
For example, Canvas requires participants to have SIS IDs. While students and faculty have SIS IDs, most non-academic staff do not. So, if your organization is primarily for staff, another alternative might be better.
Use the tools below to help you decide the best alternatives for your organization, whether it existed in Blackboard or you’re looking to create a new one.
Organization Wizard
Presents a short series of questions and recommends a software alternative for your organization based on the answers you provide.
Alternatives matrix
Lists software alternatives with the defining features of each software and any special considerations you should take into account.
Features Comparison
Lists features commonly desired for organizations and shows which organizational software tools support the features.