Our New LMS: A Journey of 2800 Voices 

14:30 PM | Thursday, 12 February 2026

The LMS Implementation Project is moving forward at full speed! Following our naming competition launched in September 2025, we are excited to share an update on the progress made and what the future looks like for our digital learning environment.

The “Naming Our LMS” Journey

The quest to find a name that resonates with the NWU spirit was a success. We received a staggering 2,800 suggestions from staff and students across all campuses. To promote and encourage participation, we hosted four weeks of high-energy lucky draws. These sessions were hosted live and featured special guest appearances by prominent NWU figures, including Professor Linda du Plessis, Professor Mpho Chaka, Mr. Andile Swartbooi and Dr. Kea Seshoka. We are also proud to have rewarded 20 lucky stakeholders, a R500 Takealot voucher each, as a means of thanking them for their participation.

The Shortlisting Process

• The Initial Sort: 2,800 entries were refined to 130 names based on specific criteria
• The Review: The Steerco and Project Team narrowed these down to a Top 20.
• The Community’s Choice: Staff and students voted for their “top 3” preferred name suggestions.

Following the above-mentioned process, the preferred name has been identified and is currently undergoing the final official approval protocols. We look forward to revealing the identify of our new LMS very soon!

Looking Ahead: The Rollout Roadmap

Our Steerco has officially approved a phased-in implementation approach to ensure a smooth transition for everyone. 

Brightspace Bound: Our Journey to a New Digital Era Begins!

12:00 PM | Monday, 04 August 2025

We are thrilled to share some exciting news! Following our recent announcement about the selection of Brightspace as our new Learning Management System (LMS), we are pleased to confirm that we have officially signed the contract with D2L. This marks a significant milestone in our journey toward a more dynamic and engaging digital learning environment.

With the contract now in place, our project team is moving full steam ahead into the next phase. This includes:

• Establishing Governance: We are in the process of setting up the appropriate governance structures to guide the project and ensure it aligns with the expectations of our university community.
• Meeting with Brightspace Implementation team: Regular meetings and ongoing workshops have been scheduled with the Brightspace implementation team to leverage their expertise and determine the most suitable approach for the university. These engagements aim to align a realistic and context-sensitive project plan, considering current challenges within the NWU environment. This collaborative planning will form the foundation for training, system integration, and data migration activities.

Our New LMS Needs a Name

We believe this is a collaborative journey, and what better way to start than by giving our new LMS a name that truly represents our NWU community. We will be launching a competition soon to find a creative and inspiring name for our new platform. Be on the lookout for more details on how you can get involved and submit your ideas!

You are Part of the Journey

Your involvement is key to the success of this project. We are committed to keeping you informed every step of the way; you can therefore expect to hear from us with regular updates. We will notify you when it is time for your involvement, whether through participation in training or testing.

Remember, this is more than just a system change; it is an evolution of how we teach, learn and collaborate. Thank you once again for your support and enthusiasm. We look forward to taking this journey with all of you!

Professor Linda du Plessis

Vice-Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Teaching & Learning

New LMS Project Update: Building the Foundation

14:30 PM | Tuesday, 11 November 2025

The New LMS Project Team is pleased to share an update on the preparatory work underway for the transition to our new Learning Management System (LMS). Our primary focus is currently on the critical foundational steps that will ensure a smooth rollout:

• Partnership & Configuration: We are actively liaising with D2L Brightspace to align on configuration, implementation timelines and technical requirements.
• Team Readiness: Initial training for key support and technical teams have commenced, equipping them to assist with the technical and pedagogical aspects of the system.
• Needs Analysis: Liaison with faculties regarding content preparation for use in new LMS.
• Technical Integration & Quality Assurance: Significant effort is being dedicated to integration and testing with our existing institutional systems to ensure seamless operation.
• Data Migration Strategy: We are exploring the processes for the migration of data from our current system to Brightspace.

Looking Ahead

This preparatory work is in anticipation of the first pilot phase, which is scheduled to begin in the Second Semester of 2026.

No action from stakeholders required as yet!

We want to assure our lecturers and students that no action or involvement is required from you at this stage. Our current activities are internal to the project and technical support teams. We will provide ample notice and detailed information, well in advance, if any participation or action is required.

We appreciate your continued interest and will provide further progress updates as we move closer to the pilot phase.