Parker University Selects Blackboard Learn to Replace Current LMS

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Parker University has selected Blackboard Learn^™  to replace its current learning management system (LMS) following a three-month evaluation of four commercial and open source platforms, Blackboard Inc. announced today. The selection was driven by the university's need to have an LMS that could support its ongoing growth in programs and students.

In the evaluation, a committee composed of faculty and administrators rated Blackboard Learn among the highest options for teaching and learning, with the latest version's end-user functionality and the availability of training resources being two of the determining factors.

"Transitioning our LMS to Blackboard Learn was a strategic decision," said Dr. Gery Hochanadel, provost at Parker University. "We realized it was the best fit for us and that it could meet the changing needs of our institution. We needed an LMS with the depth of functionality to support our university's rapid growth."

Recognizing the soaring job outlook in healthcare, the long-time chiropractic college recently expanded its academic offerings to complement the chiropractic degree. Parker added an associate's degree in radiologic technology, a bachelor's degree in health information management and an MBA in healthcare management. Along with adding new programs, Parker University is expanding online course offerings as a means to increase enrollment without straining physical space resources.

Blackboard's ability to host the LMS was cited as another important factor in the evaluation process—Parker University will move to the Blackboard Managed Hosting^SM service in order to free up resources and ensure around the clock monitoring of system uptime. With the burden of hosting an LMS shifted to Blackboard, university staff can focus solely on creating excellent courses on the Blackboard Learn platform.

Parker University will start new online programs on the Blackboard Learn platform in January and will move existing traditional and blended courses to the platform next summer. The LMS will also be used to provide supplemental material for continuing education courses.

For more information about Blackboard Learn, please visit http://www.blackboard.com/Platforms/Learn/Overview.aspx.

About Blackboard Inc.
Blackboard Inc. is a global leader in enterprise technology and innovative solutions that improve the experience of millions of students and learners around the world every day. Blackboard's solutions allow thousands of higher education, K-12, professional, corporate, and government organizations to extend teaching and learning online, facilitate campus commerce and security, and communicate more effectively with their communities. Founded in 1997, Blackboard is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

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SOURCE Blackboard Inc.