After many years of use, UToledo’s contract with Class Collaborate (formerly Blackboard Collaborate Ultra) will expire at the end of Spring 2026. Faculty should begin transitioning from Class Collaborate to Microsoft Teams for web conferencing and live course sessions.
- As of Summer 2026, links to Class Collaborate and its recordings will no longer be available within Blackboard.
- Faculty and students will be able to access Microsoft Teams directly within Blackboard for all video conferencing needs.
- Blackboard will continue to function as usual. Only the Class Collaborate integration will be removed.
Instructors teaching in Blackboard Learn Ultra have access to link Teams Classes with Blackboard, which provides a space for public and private channel discussions as well as real-time video meetings. Instructors can schedule both individual and recurring Teams meetings directly in Blackboard. Students can join directly from Blackboard.
Quick Start Guides:
What if I have Collab recordings I want to save?
For existing users of Class Collaborate, we recommend downloading Collaborate recordings and uploading to our secure, cloud-based video storage solution, Echo360. Echo will allow you to organize your video library and directly share videos in your Blackboard course.
Quick Start Guides:
- Downloading Collab Recordings and Uploading to Echo360
- Embedding Echo Videos in Blackboard Ultra Courses
In-depth Guides:
- If you have saved recordings in Class Collaborate that will be needed for future use, you can download them before the end of the Spring 2026 term, and upload them to Echo360 for future reference and direct linking capability in Blackboard.
- Support for any stored recordings in Collab will end at the close of the Spring 2026 semester. It is recommended you save any desired recordings prior to the close of the semester.
- After Spring 2026, archived recordings may be retrieved by submitting a request to [email protected]. Please include course alphanumeric, term, and date of the desired recording(s).
Why are we making this change?
- UToledo Online has decided to streamline our tools for both budgetary and functionality considerations. Compared to Collab, Teams provides a more robust and feature-rich experience for both instructors and students and is already contracted as part of Microsoft Suite.
- Class Technologies, the company that acquired Collaborate, is shifting its focus to its primary product, Class. This would require the University, faculty, and students to transition toand learna new system that duplicates what we can already do with Teams.
- As Teams is already widely used across the University, most colleagues will find there’s minimal learning curve. It offers a consistent, accessible experience across different devices and directly integrates in Blackboard, making it an ideal replacement for Collaborate.