Piazza changing model August 1

Piazza has been a popular free tool for online discussions. However, starting Aug. 1, premium features like polls, statistics, and class locking capabilities will only be available with a paid instructor or department license. Based on a review of Piazza’s new terms of service and pricing models, a review of alternative technologies, and feedback from faculty, UIC has decided to not offer Piazza as a centrally managed tool for university-wide use. 

UIC instructors can still use the free version of piazza.com in classes with fewer than 25 students with technical support provided by Piazza and the Piazza integration with Blackboard will continue to work. Please see the Piazza support page for more information on the license model.

If you need to use a tool that UIC doesn’t have an enterprise solution for, CATE staff recommends exploring departmental options or free tools to help reduce the extra fees that students may experience with a required student purchase/vendor-based system. Visit the CATE website for a review of some of these tools.

For questions about teaching tools, contact the Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence (CATE) staff at teaching@uic.edu