Get ready to say goodbye to Bridges—Roger Williams University’s current learning management system. Beginning in Fall 2025, RWU will transition to a new platform: Brightspace.
This shift will occur gradually over the next few semesters, giving both students and faculty ample time to adjust. The goal is to ensure a smooth transition and help everyone become comfortable with the new system before Bridges is phased out completely.
During a Student Senate meeting on Monday, April 14, Provost Everett discussed the change, explaining that the decision was driven by Bridges’ outdated nature. While Bridges was developed specifically for RWU, it no longer meets the needs of a modern academic environment. Becky Spritz, the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs, added via email that “The transition to a new Learning Management System is designed to provide a better learning platform for students and faculty.”
In contrast, Brightspace is a widely used and continuously updated system, already implemented by schools such as the University of Rhode Island and several SUNY institutions. In fact, RWU’s Extension School (formerly University College) has been using Brightspace for some time. If you’ve taken an online course through the Extension School, you may already have experience with the system. Since Brightspace is more continuously updated, it also comes with a connect app, Pulse. Spritz stated that Pulse and Brightspace included “easy-to-use features, and more resources for students requiring learning accommodations.”
A small group of faculty members will undergo extensive training during the summer. Stephanie Hijazi, an Instructional Designer and Trainer involved in the Brightspace project, shared via email that “more training opportunities will be available throughout the pilot phases (Winter/Spring 2026), including hands-on sandbox environments where faculty can test the system and start building their courses in preparation for the full rollout in Fall 2026.”
Students will also have opportunities to learn about Brightspace through various training options. Incoming first-year students, who are new to RWU, will be automatically enrolled in a digital literacy course that includes a section on using Brightspace to help them get oriented, as Hijazi noted.
For both faculty and students, there will be just-in-time knowledge base articles and a new 24/7 chat/email and text-based help line that provides quick answers and support whenever needed.
In addition to the resources provided by RWU, Brightspace offers various helpful videos to get you started. Students can explore Brightspace’s YouTube, which features a Learner’s playlist (LINK), and offers tutorials on everything from navigating course content to taking quizzes. Faculty members can access the Brightspace YouTube as well and watch the Instructor playlist (LINK), which covers everything from basic setup to more advanced tools like quizzes, discussion boards, and rubrics.
The transition from Bridges to Brightspace will begin in Fall 2025 and continue over subsequent semesters. During this period, courses will gradually shift to the new platform, allowing students and faculty sufficient time to adjust. Brightspace will become the primary learning management system at Roger Williams University in Fall 2026, at which point Bridges will no longer be available.
For more information on the transition and a comparison of Bridges to Brightspace, check out RWU’s Brightspace Hub (LINK). This website is in progress and will be updated as the project evolves.
