2025 HEERF Software Tools Transition
Overview
During the COVID-19 pandemic, CSUN leveraged funding from the Federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) to license several technology platforms to support remote instruction. These agreements continued through the 2023-24 academic year, after which HEERF funding ended. With support from the Office of the Provost, the University extended funding for these tools through the 2024-25 academic year, providing the campus community additional time to transition to alternative solutions.
Based on discussions over the past two years with the Dean's Council, the Academic Technology Committee (ATC), and other governance groups, beginning summer of 2025, University funding will no longer be available to support Canvas Studio, Pronto, Hypothesis, and H5P. As a result, these solutions will no longer be supported as detailed below.
Important Action Needed
Faculty and staff using Canvas Studio, Pronto, Hypothesis, and/or H5P are encouraged to plan now, in coordination with their college technical support staff and the Faculty Technology Center (FTC), to transition to alternatives before Summer 2025. Resources, training, and support are available to help the campus through this transition. Faculty and staff should review the information and resources below to plan their transition and access personalized support.
Software Not Being Renewed
The following campus-wide software licenses are set to expire and will not be renewed:
Canvas Studio - License expires June 2025
Canvas Studio is one of two educational video platforms available to the CSUN community. We recommend transitioning to our primary platform, Panopto, which offers many of the same features. More information can be found on the Canvas Studio Transition page.
Pronto - License expires June 2025
Pronto is a messaging and collaboration tool that has supported communication between students and instructors. We are evaluating Microsoft Teams and Zoom Chat as alternatives, as these platforms provide similar messaging capabilities and are available to all CSUN users. For additional information, visit the Pronto Transition page.
Hypothesis - License expires June 2025
Hypothesis, a collaborative annotation tool, will no longer be available after the license expires. Faculty looking for alternative solutions can explore the use of discussion boards in Canvas, Zoom whiteboards, and Google Docs for collaborative activities. For guidance, please refer to the Hypothesis Transition page.
H5P - License expires August 2025
H5P, a tool used to create interactive content, will not be renewed. We recommend using Canvas' built-in quiz features or Panopto's interactive video tools as potential replacements. For more information on transitioning from H5P, see the H5P Transition page.
Software Approved for Renewal
Equatio
Equatio, which supports creating accessible math and scientific content has been approved for continued funding and campus-wide use FY25/26.
Software Undergoing Renewal Review
GoReact
GoReact, which supports video assessment and feedback, is under consideration for renewal for FY25/26. A final funding decision may not be known until Summer 2025, therefore, we recommend GoReact users also familiarize themselves with Panopto as a comparable solution.
Information Sessions
The Faculty Technology Center will host recurring information sessions to keep the campus community informed of the transition progress and provide a space for questions and answers. Additional workshops focused on specific tools will also be available.
Please check the FTC Workshop Calendar for upcoming dates and registration details.
Contact Information
If you have any questions or need personalized support during this transition, please contact the Faculty Technology Center. Our team is here to support you and ensure a smooth transition to new tools and resources.