Key aspects of the NET+ Instructure Canvas SAG include:
- Broad representation: The group represents the collective interests of over 170 diverse research and higher education institutions subscribing to the NET+ Instructure Canvas service. Current membership includes leaders and technologists drawn from these participating institutions, ensuring a wide range of perspectives.
- Unified foundation: All participating institutions operate under the standardized NET+ contract terms and pricing structure, creating a common baseline and shared interest in the service’s success and evolution.
- Deep provider commitment & strategic engagement: Instructure demonstrates strong, sustained investment in the NET+ partnership, exemplified by the March 2025 in-person SAG meeting at their headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah. Senior leaders—including the CEO and executives across product, technology, customer success, and academic strategy—engaged directly with the group. Discussions covered strategic pillars, technology modernization, customer discovery, Canvas roadmap priorities, accessibility, and the future of higher education in North America. This high-level involvement underscores the value Instructure places on the R&E community’s feedback and the NET+ partnership.
- Strong provider engagement with product development and ideation: Instructure engages the SAG as a true co-creation partner, involving members early in the ideation process to shape roadmap priorities, participate in design discussions, and influence feature development. This approach ensures Canvas evolves with direct input from the R&E community’s lived experiences and strategic needs.
NET+ Instructure Canvas SAG in action
The March gathering at Instructure headquarters further illustrated how the SAG model extends beyond strategic dialogue to active design collaboration. Karin Roberts, director of teaching and learning systems at the University of Washington and chair of the service advisory group, reflected on the experience:
“The meeting provided an engaging and productive exchange about customer experience and university priorities with Instructure’s executive and product leaders,” Roberts shared. “What stood out was how actively the company listened and responded to the feedback from the group.”
One of the most impactful moments was the facilitated accessibility design exercise, where SAG members began developing potential solutions with Instructure together.
“That session moved us beyond discussion and into co-creation,” she added. “Over its lifetime, the Advisory Group has fostered transparency and collaboration not only among institutions but between campuses and vendor representatives. That has delivered huge value to participating schools.”
(Left: Instructure CEO Steve Daly provides the service advisory group with an update on the company. Right: SAG Chair, Karin Roberts, and group members work on an accessibility design exercise.)
A Two-Way Street for Success
The collaboration facilitated by the NET+ Instructure Canvas SAG yields benefits for both community members and the group itself:
- Actionable Feedback Loop: Instructure gains invaluable, consolidated insights directly from a broad segment of its core R&E user base, informing product development and service improvements, a process allowing institutions to see their feedback acknowledged and prioritized.
- Mutual Trust & Partnership: Facilitated by Internet2’s neutral stewardship, the regular, structured interaction builds trust and fosters a healthy, productive relationship between Instructure and the R&E community.
- Strategic Alignment & Advocacy: The SAG actively advocates for community needs, influencing priorities like the accessibility enhancements discussed in detail at the March 2025 meeting. This effort and intentionality ensure Canvas evolves in ways that support the mission of higher education.
- Community Voice Amplified: The SAG also provides a powerful, collective voice, ensuring the unique requirements and strategic priorities of the R&E sector are clearly communicated and understood at the highest levels within Instructure.
Conclusion
The NET+ Instructure Canvas Service Advisory Group is more than just a meeting forum; it is a strategic partnership engine. It demonstrates conclusively that when service providers, research and higher education institutions, and the Internet2 NET+ team work together within the SAG framework, they amplify each other’s strengths. This model ensures the R&E community’s voice is heard, shapes impactful developments, and delivers lasting value to the program’s over 170 institutions.
To explore how your institution can benefit from the NET+ Instructure Canvas program or get involved with the Service Advisory Group, visit the Program Wiki or contact the NET+ team at netplus@internet2.edu.