Crisis or Catalyst? Turning a Migration Challenge Into an Opportunity for Innovation

Wednesday, March 11, 2026 | 10:15AM–11:15AM ET | Ballroom A-C (Exhibit Hall)
Session Type: Poster Session
Delivery Format: Poster
Implement and migrate to a new LMS in four months? Sure. Develop and launch a course that will be taken by every first-year student in only three weeks? Why not? As institutions modernize their digital learning environments, academic technology teams are increasingly challenged to support innovation while managing large-scale transitions. This was the case at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt), where, in the final weeks of a rapid campus-wide LMS migration, the team managing the project faced an unexpected, high-stakes challenge: help the College’s largest academic department adopt the new system for a completely redesigned version of its signature first-year course—enrolling more than 400 students and co-taught by 12 instructors. This session tells the story of how the MassArt academic technology team leveraged transparent communication, shared decision-making, and an iterative design process to rapidly develop a unified course site that balanced flexibility for faculty with consistency for students—without compromising the larger migration project. Participants will leave with practical strategies (and moral support) for managing last-minute instructional design needs during large-scale technology transitions, and for turning high-pressure moments into opportunities to strengthen partnerships and advance teaching and learning goals across their institutions.

Presenters

  • Justin Lauzon

    Associate Director, Educational Technology, Massachusetts College of Art and Design

  • Meg Young

    Director, Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Resources & Downloads

  • Poster for Crisis or Catalyst NERCOMP Annual 2026

    Updated on 3/10/2026