Purdue begins phased implementation of Simple Syllabus in Brightspace 

Following Purdue’s selection of Simple Syllabus as its system‑wide syllabus management tool, the University is conducting a phased implementation with a full launch for Fall 2026 courses, when all syllabi will be posted by instructors using the new tool. The implementation emphasizes instructor input, flexibility, and support as all Purdue campuses transition to a shared platform for creating, managing, and sharing course syllabi.   

Simple Syllabus will be integrated directly within the Brightspace learning management system and is intended to support instructors by streamlining syllabus creation and updates while preserving their control over course content, structure, and tone. The platform will help reduce duplicated effort related to institutional information and student- versus public-facing viewing. It also offers flexibility in design while providing a built-in accessibility checker.   

Internal development and/or review processes for syllabi will not be affected by the implementation this summer, which will proceed in stages to allow time for feedback, training, and refinement. (Summer Session instructors in West Lafayette and Indianapolis will continue to post their public-facing versions to Course Insights. All fall 2026 syllabi will be posted via Simple Syllabus).   

May 2026: Technical integration of Simple Syllabus with Brightspace and development of training materials.   

June 2026: Pilot of Purdue “sandbox” and training.  

July 2026: Refinement of training materials and instructor support resources from the pilot. For West Lafayette and Indianapolis courses, Course Insights will be viewable and editable for Summer 2026 and prior sessions; however, Fall 2026 syllabi must be posted via Simple Syllabus.

August 2026: Full launch for Fall 2026 courses, with ongoing support available to instructors. All public-facing syllabi components required by Indiana HEA 1001 will need to be posted using Simple Syllabus. The same document, but with additional student-facing information provided by the instructor, is shared with students via Brightspace.  

Throughout the rollout, Purdue will offer training, documentation, and campus-based support.  

For technical questions, contact Purdue University Information Technology. For questions about the Simple Syllabus implementation on your campus, contact:  

Purdue West Lafayette and Indianapolis: Innovative Learning, InnovativeLearningTeam@purdue.edu  

Purdue Fort Wayne: Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching, celt@pfw.edu  

Purdue Northwest: Center for the Faculty Excellence, cfe@pnw.edu