diff --git a/lms/static/coffee/src/instructor_dashboard/instructor_dashboard.coffee b/lms/static/coffee/src/instructor_dashboard/instructor_dashboard.coffee
index 4459e407df..1235feaceb 100644
--- a/lms/static/coffee/src/instructor_dashboard/instructor_dashboard.coffee
+++ b/lms/static/coffee/src/instructor_dashboard/instructor_dashboard.coffee
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ setup_instructor_dashboard = (idash_content) =>
       e.preventDefault()
 
       # deactivate all link & section styles
-      idash_content.find(".#{CSS_INSTRUCTOR_NAV}").children().removeClass CSS_ACTIVE_SECTION
+      idash_content.find(".#{CSS_INSTRUCTOR_NAV} li").children().removeClass CSS_ACTIVE_SECTION
       idash_content.find(".#{CSS_IDASH_SECTION}").removeClass CSS_ACTIVE_SECTION
 
       # discover section paired to link
diff --git a/lms/static/sass/course/instructor/_instructor.scss b/lms/static/sass/course/instructor/_instructor.scss
index d0a9ed59fe..03211f7b45 100644
--- a/lms/static/sass/course/instructor/_instructor.scss
+++ b/lms/static/sass/course/instructor/_instructor.scss
@@ -173,11 +173,14 @@
 
   .wrapper-msg {
     margin-bottom: ($baseline*1.5);
-    padding: ($baseline/2) $baseline;
 
     .msg {
       margin-bottom: 0;
     }
+
+    .note {
+      margin: 0;
+    }
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/lms/static/sass/course/instructor/_instructor_2.scss b/lms/static/sass/course/instructor/_instructor_2.scss
index 924de892c9..35a984c6e8 100644
--- a/lms/static/sass/course/instructor/_instructor_2.scss
+++ b/lms/static/sass/course/instructor/_instructor_2.scss
@@ -34,6 +34,11 @@
   }
 
   // system feedback - messages
+
+  .wrapper-msg {
+    margin-bottom: ($baseline*1.5);
+  }
+
   .msg {
     border-radius: 1px;
     padding: $baseline/2 $baseline*0.75;
@@ -43,6 +48,10 @@
     .copy {
       font-weight: 600;
     }
+
+    &.is-shown {
+      display: block;
+    }
   }
 
   // TYPE: warning
@@ -51,6 +60,10 @@
     background: tint($warning-color,95%);
     display: none;
     color: $warning-color;
+
+    &.is-shown {
+      display: block;
+    }
   }
 
   // TYPE: confirm
@@ -59,6 +72,10 @@
     background: tint($confirm-color,95%);
     display: none;
     color: $confirm-color;
+
+    &.is-shown {
+      display: block;
+    }
   }
 
   // TYPE: confirm
@@ -69,6 +86,10 @@
     .copy {
       color: $error-color;
     }
+
+    &.is-shown {
+      display: block;
+    }
   }
 
   // inline copy
@@ -110,6 +131,11 @@ section.instructor-dashboard-content-2 {
   //   border: 1px solid blue;
   // }
 
+  .wrap-instructor-info {
+    display: inline;
+    top: 0;
+  }
+
   .request-response-error {
     margin: 0;
     padding-bottom: ($baseline);
@@ -141,8 +167,10 @@ section.instructor-dashboard-content-2 {
 
   h1 {
     @extend .top-header;
+    display: inline-block;
     padding-bottom: 0;
     border-bottom: 0;
+    margin-bottom: ($baseline*.75);
   }
 
   input[type="button"] {
@@ -163,20 +191,29 @@ section.instructor-dashboard-content-2 {
   }
 
   .instructor-nav {
-    padding-bottom: 1em;
+    @extend %ui-no-list;
+    border-top: 1px solid $gray-l3;
+    border-bottom: 1px solid $gray-l3;
 
-    border-bottom: 1px solid #C8C8C8;
-    a {
-      margin-right: 1.2em;
-    }
+    .nav-item {
+      @extend %t-copy-base;
+      display: inline-block;
+      margin: ($baseline/2) $baseline;
 
-    .active-section {
-      color: #551A8B;
+      a {
+        display: block;
+        text-transform: uppercase;
+
+        &.active-section {
+          color: $black;
+        }
+      }
     }
   }
 
   section.idash-section {
     display: none;
+    margin-top: ($baseline*1.5);
     // background-color: #0f0;
 
     &.active-section {
@@ -560,14 +597,14 @@ section.instructor-dashboard-content-2 {
     float: left;
     clear: both;
     margin-top: 25px;
-  
+
     .metrics-left {
       position: relative;
       width: 30%;
       height: 640px;
       float: left;
       margin-right: 2.5%;
-    
+
       svg {
         width: 100%;
       }
@@ -579,33 +616,33 @@ section.instructor-dashboard-content-2 {
       float: left;
       margin-left: 2.5%;
       margin-bottom: 25px;
-	    
+
       svg {
         width: 100%;
       }
     }
-          
+
     svg {
       .stacked-bar {
         cursor: pointer;
       }
     }
-	
+
     .metrics-tooltip {
       width: 250px;
       background-color: lightgray;
       padding: 3px;
     }
-	
+
     .metrics-overlay {
-      position: absolute; 
-      top: 0; 
-      right: 0; 
-      bottom: 0; 
-      left: 0; 
-      background-color: rgba(255,255,255, .75); 
+      position: absolute;
+      top: 0;
+      right: 0;
+      bottom: 0;
+      left: 0;
+      background-color: rgba(255,255,255, .75);
       display: none;
-	    
+
       .metrics-overlay-content-wrapper {
         position: relative;
         display: block;
@@ -616,23 +653,23 @@ section.instructor-dashboard-content-2 {
         border: 1px solid #000;
         border-radius: 25px;
         padding: 2.5%;
-              
+
         .metrics-overlay-title {
           display: block;
           height: 50px;
           margin-bottom: 10px;
           font-weight: bold;
         }
-              
+
         .metrics-overlay-content {
           width: 100%;
           height: 370px;
           overflow: auto;
           border: 1px solid #000;
-              
+
           table {
             width: 100%;
-                  
+
             .header {
               background-color: #ddd;
             }
@@ -641,18 +678,18 @@ section.instructor-dashboard-content-2 {
             }
           }
         }
-        
+
         .overflow-message {
           padding-top: 20px;
         }
-              
+
         .download-csv {
           position: absolute;
           display: none;
           right: 2%;
           bottom: 2%;
         }
-              
+
         .close-button {
           position: absolute;
           right: 1.5%;
@@ -661,27 +698,27 @@ section.instructor-dashboard-content-2 {
         }
       }
     }
-	
+
     .stacked-bar-graph-legend {
       fill: white;
     }
-	
+
     p.loading {
       padding-top: 100px;
       text-align: center;
     }
-	
+
     p.nothing {
       padding-top: 25px;
     }
-	
+
     h3.attention {
       padding: 10px;
       border: 1px solid #999;
       border-radius: 5px;
       margin-top: 25px;
     }
-	
+
     input#graph_reload {
       display: none;
     }
diff --git a/lms/templates/courseware/instructor_dashboard.html b/lms/templates/courseware/instructor_dashboard.html
index 8b1f1f9585..c20da8d477 100644
--- a/lms/templates/courseware/instructor_dashboard.html
+++ b/lms/templates/courseware/instructor_dashboard.html
@@ -127,14 +127,12 @@ function goto( mode)
       %endif
       <a class="instructor-info-action beta-button" href="${ standard_dashboard_url }">${_("Back To Standard Dashboard")}</a>
     </div>
-    
+
     <h1>${_("Instructor Dashboard")}</h1>
 
-    <div class="wrapper-msg urgency-low warning">
-      <div class="msg"
-        <p>${_("You are using the legacy instructor dashboard, which will be going away in the near future. Please use the Standard Dashboard. If it is missing functionality, please let us know.")}
-        <a href="${ standard_dashboard_url }">${_("Return to the Standard Dashboard")}  <i class="icon-angle-right"></i></a></p>
-      </div>
+    <div class="wrapper-msg urgency-low msg-warning is-shown">
+        <p>${_("You are using the legacy instructor dashboard, which we will retire in the near future.")} <a href="${ standard_dashboard_url }">${_("Return to the Standard Dashboard")} <i class="icon-double-angle-right"></i></a></p>
+          <p class="note">${_("If the Standard Dashboard is missing functionality, please let us know.")}</p>
     </div>
 
     <h2 class="navbar">[ <a href="#" onclick="goto('Grades');" class="${modeflag.get('Grades')}">Grades</a> |
diff --git a/lms/templates/instructor/instructor_dashboard_2/instructor_dashboard_2.html b/lms/templates/instructor/instructor_dashboard_2/instructor_dashboard_2.html
index b2281d712a..1fbab858e3 100644
--- a/lms/templates/instructor/instructor_dashboard_2/instructor_dashboard_2.html
+++ b/lms/templates/instructor/instructor_dashboard_2/instructor_dashboard_2.html
@@ -65,21 +65,18 @@
     </div>
 
   <h1>${_("Instructor Dashboard")}</h1>
-  <hr />
-    <div class="wrapper-msg urgency-low warning">
-      <div class="msg"
+    <div class="wrapper-msg urgency-low msg-warning is-shown">
         <p>${_("We've changed the look and feel of the Instructor Dashboard. During this transition time, you can still access the old Instructor Dashboard by clicking the 'Revert to Legacy Dashboard' button in the top right hand corner.")}</p>
-      </div>
     </div>
 
   ## links which are tied to idash-sections below.
   ## the links are activated and handled in instructor_dashboard.coffee
   ## when the javascript loads, it clicks on the first section
-  <h2 class="instructor-nav">
+  <ul class="instructor-nav">
     % for section_data in sections:
-      <a href="" data-section="${ section_data['section_key'] }">${_(section_data['section_display_name'])}</a>
+      <li class="nav-item"><a href="" data-section="${ section_data['section_key'] }">${_(section_data['section_display_name'])}</a></li>
     % endfor
-  </h2>
+  </ul>
 
   ## each section corresponds to a section_data sub-dictionary provided by the view
   ## to keep this short, sections can be pulled out into their own files