SS 9729 for Nearpod Premium Renewal RFx# 3150006840

February 4, 2026
University of Mississippi Medical Center
Heidi Hutchings Shoemake
Division of Information Systems, Jackson Medical Mall
2500 North State Street
Jackson, MS 39216
RE: Sole Source Letter for Nearpod
Unique Functionality Unavailable from Other Products or Sources
Nearpod provides a real-time, instructor-led instructional delivery and formative assessment platform
that uniquely combines synchronous and asynchronous active learning, live instructional control,
embedded interactive content, and immediate learner response data within a single, unified
environment. Unlike learning management systems (such as Canvas) or static instructional tools,
Nearpod enables faculty to control the pacing of instruction while simultaneously requiring and
capturing individual learner interaction during live or recorded instruction. Nearpod's functionality
uniquely includes:
* Instructor-led delivery that synchronizes interactive content directly to learners' devices
* Real-time formative assessments embedded during instruction (e.g., polls, open responses,
interactive activities)
* Immediate visibility into learner understanding that allows instructors to adjust instruction in
the moment
* Consistent accessibility and engagement features designed for diverse instructional modalities,
including distance education and clinical education environments
No other instructional tool combines live instructional control, real-time interaction, formative
assessment, accessibility, and data capture at the level required to support regular and substantive
interaction as defined in distance education standards.
Business Objectives Met Exclusively Through This Unique Functionality
Nearpod enables the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) to meet essential academic and
clinical education objectives that cannot be fully achieved through Canvas or static instructional tools
alone, while directly supporting compliance with SACSCOC Standards 8.2 (Student Outcomes), 8.3
(Academic Assessment), 8.4 (Academic Improvement), and 10.6 (Distance Education).

Nearpod's real-time, interactive, and formative assessment capabilities allow faculty to:
* Ensure regular and substantive interaction between instructors and learners
* Monitor learner understanding during instruction
* Adjust teaching immediately to address gaps in comprehension
These capabilities are explicit expectations under SACSCOC's distance education policy, which requires
instructional technologies to be appropriate to program objectives, support active engagement, and
provide assessment experiences equivalent to face-to-face instruction
Nearpod also provides UMMC with a standardized and accessible instructional platform that supports
consistent active learning practices across its diverse schools, programs, and delivery modalities. This
reduces reliance on fragmented, instructor-selected tools while generating engagement and
participation data that support academic assessment, continuous improvement initiatives, and
accreditation documentation and institutional accountability
This functionality further aligns with Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) academic
guidelines, which require distance education offerings to be mission-aligned, adequately resourced, and
supported by mechanisms for evaluating instructional effectiveness.
As an academic medical center offering high-stakes clinical and professional programs, UMMC requires
Nearpod's unique capabilities to ensure high-quality, equitable, and compliant instructional experiences
that support learner readiness, patient safety, and institutional accountability.
Exclusive Availability from the Manufacturer
Nearpod is a proprietary, manufacturer-developed instructional delivery and assessment platform and is
available only directly from Nearpod (a Renaissance company). The software, content framework, and
data systems are proprietary and not distributed through third-party resellers that could offer
competitive or substitute pricing.
Because Nearpod's unique functionality is developed, maintained, and licensed exclusively by the
manufacturer, there are no authorized resellers or alternative sources capable of providing the same
product or equivalent functionality required by UMMC.

For these reasons, Nearpod meets the requirements for sole source procurement under UMMC policy,
as it is the only product capable of meeting UMMC's documented instructional, accreditation, and
compliance requirements.
For more information about Renaissance software and services, please contact Michael Hurst, Vice
President, Proposal Solutions and State Partnerships, at (800) 338-4204 or proposals@renaissance.com
for more information.
Sincerely,
Ted Wolf
Chief Financial Officer
Renaissance Learning, Inc.