November 2025 Updates

Brightspace Updates

Note

All Brightspace updates are effective as of November 27th, 2025.

Send Email Copy When Publishing Announcements

Instructors can now send a copy of any new or updated announcement to everyone in the Classlist using the new Send Email Copy checkbox, which appears on the announcement creation and editing screen.

When selected, the announcement is emailed to all users upon publishing, even for scheduled posts, through their official U of A email, regardless of Brightspace notification settings.

A screenshot of the Brightspace announcement editor. The checkbox labeled “Send email copy,” is highlighted with a red box.

Update to Bulk Edit Feature in Grades

The bulk edit tool in Grades now includes a checkbox to Exclude from Final Grade Calculation. This enhancement expands the bulk edit feature, allowing instructors to exclude multiple grade items at once. Previously, this was only possible by editing each item individually.

A screenshot of the Brightspace “Bulk Edit Items and Categories page. A new column on the far right, highlighted with a red box, shows the “Exclude from Final Grade Calculation” checkboxes for each item.

Note

This option is available only in courses using the Points grading system. Courses using Weighted or Formula grading can continue excluding items by assigning a weight of 0.

Assignments: Message Added for Missing Evaluators

Assignments using Advanced Assessment now display a message when a submission has no evaluator assigned, making it easier for instructors to identify and resolve issues quickly, especially in courses with large enrollments or multiple sections.

Previously, if an evaluator became unenrolled, it was challenging to track affected submissions, leaving learner work unevaluated and leading to confusion and preventable errors.

Progress Bar Improvements

Brightspace has updated progress bar indicators across several tools to improve visual consistency and support accessibility. These changes provide clearer feedback during file uploads and offer more reliable support for screen readers and assistive technologies.

Find the updated progress bar in the following areas:

Quizzes – Add Existing Question
Import Quiz Questions – Upload a file
Manage Groups – Export progress bar
Content Upload File – Upload a file

A screenshot of the Brightspace “Add a File” window. A file upload is shown at 100% with a green progress bar.

Brightspace HTML Editor: Updated WIRIS Equation Editor

The equation editor used in the Brightspace Editor (WIRIS) has been updated to version 7.24.0. This release does not introduce new features, but it includes important WIRIS defect fixes to improve stability and overall performance.