Pima Community College

Tony Sovak

Dr. Tony Sovak is an innovative academic leader with extensive experience in enhancing online education through strategic use of technology and data analytics. Expert in Brightspace D2L, specializing in faculty development and the promotion of effective online teaching methodologies.

Dr. Sovak is currently serving as the Director of LMS & eLearning Quality at Pima Community College. He holds a Ph.D. in English from Stony Brook University and leverages his expertise in instructional design and digital pedagogy to drive online education's quality enhancement.

Through this article, Dr. Tony Sovak outlines the importance of implementing a course purge policy for the D2L Brightspace Learning Management System (LMS). The policy mandates the regular removal of outdated course content, specifically targeting materials from courses taught over three years ago. This annual process not only helps maintain system efficiency and data integrity but also ensures compliance with Arizona state laws regarding information management in public institutions.

Course Purge Policy

As part of the information assurance plan, the Learning Management System team must regularly purge old course content from D2L Brightspace to maintain system efficiency and ensure data integrity. The following guidelines outline the process and expectations for faculty regarding the purge of courses in the LMS.

“The purge policy is not just about removing old content; it also ensures compliance with Arizona state laws regarding information management for public institutions.”

Purge Timeline

All content and materials from courses taught over three years ago are eligible to be purged after the end of each fall semester. Please refer to college-wide emails for specific terms that will be purged. This regular process not only ensures that outdated content is removed annually but also helps us stay compliant with Arizona state laws regarding information management for public institutions.

Exemptions

Sandbox, Development and Master Courses: These course types are not associated with a specific semester and are not subject to purging. Faculty can continue to use these courses for ongoing development and content management.

Faculty Responsibilities

Faculty members are responsible for ensuring that any content they wish to retain from affected courses is copied or exported before the purge date.

Steps to Retain Course Content:

1. Copy Course Components:

• Use the Import/Export/Copy Course Components tool within D2L to copy the materials into a newer course shell or a designated instructor development course.

• If you do not have a sandbox course, you can request one here.

2. Export Course Components:

• Alternatively, you can use the Import/Export/Copy Course Components tool to export your course materials to your local computer for archiving.

• The exported content will be saved as a zipped file, which can later be imported into a new course shell if needed.