Requesting New Software Tools

All UM System campuses offer a selection of academic tools to use with your courses. However, if you desire to use a tool not currently available, you can submit a request to have a tool added to our selection.

Before submitting a request

• Review the available tools. If you would like assistance with finding a tool that meets your needs, please email teachingtools@umsystem.edu and consult with our team.
• Requests should include the purpose of the tool and any specific functionality to be utilized.
• Throughout the request process, Academic Technology will work closely with the vendor and the requester. There is an expectation that the requester will take an active role in the approval process, including functionality testing. 

Note: While requested applications/tools may have passed compliance at the campus-level, a separate UM System IT compliance review needs to be initiated if the application/tool will be integrated into Canvas or Zoom.  

Requesting a new tool

Overall estimated turnaround time for this process: up to 4-5 months

Estimated times can vary for each request, depending on the IT Compliance process, procurement review, vendor responsiveness, and the results of testing.

Requested tools can be any of the following: 

• Courseware
• Publisher/AutoAccess Canvas integrations
• Zoom applications

When requesting a new tool, you will be asked to provide: 

• A desired implementation timeline
• The functionality the tool will provide
• The funding that will pay for the tool
• The courses/departments that will use the tool
• Log in and authentication information (for instance, will it be connected to a user's SSO?)
• Vendor technical contact
• Vendor web site

The process

Overall estimated turnaround time for this process: up to 4-5 months

Estimated times can vary for each request, depending on the IT Compliance process, procurement review, vendor responsiveness, and the results of testing.

1. Submit Request 
   Estimated time: 1 week
   The faculty member (or local IT Support) submits the tool request via the Request an Academic Technology form. An Academic Technology team member will reach out to the requester for more information. If it is a course or department level installation, your campus IT compliance team will also be notified of the request.
2. Installation Review 
   Estimated time: 2-3 weeks
   The Academic Technology team confirms campus regulations (funding source, student pay, etc.), and will review the tool's documentation. They will also ensure that the tool meets integration requirements (LTI 1.3, installation location, scoped, etc.).  
3. IT Compliance & Security Review 
   Estimated time: up to three months
   The UM System IT Compliance review process evaluates accessibility, FERPA compliance and security. If the tool has been approved on the campus-level, please provide the documentation so it can be included in the accessibility review.
4. Installation 
   Estimated time: up to 1 month (1-3 weeks for step 1, 1 week for step 2)  
   Once the tool passes the UM System IT compliance, meets integration requirements, and the tool's integration documentation has been reviewed by the Academic technology team: 
   1. The Academic Technology Team works with the vendor to install and test the integration in a test environment 
   2. The integration will be installed according to the provided schedule/prior to the start of the next term to minimize disruption to users