Course Administration and Communication Index

This is the main Index for information about Blackboard Ultra course administration and communication tools

The Answers pages below contain information about specific Blackboard Ultra features and settings, including guides on how to locate and set up course tools, and troubleshooting information for common problems.

Ideas pages (listed at the bottom) contain overviews and discussions on more general online teaching and learning questions, and suggestions about how to select the best instructional tools and/or policies to meet your goals.

Course Administration and Communication Pathfinders
- Blackboard - Start of Semester Frequently Asked Questions (SOS-FAQ) — This page answers frequently asked questions about setting up Blackboard courses for the start of a new semester, and can serve as a rough timeline and/or checklist of things to do to get your new course ready for the semester.
- New Course Basics — This is a beginning guide to the basics of adding content to an empty Blackboard Ultra course, written for instructors who are new to Blackboard Ultra (or who need a bare-bones refresher).
- Course Setup Checklist — Type or paste something here to turn it into an excerpt.This page guides instructors through setting up the essential features of their Blackboard Ultra course. It is designed to encourage best practices for course setup that can save you work later in the semester.
Adding Users to Your Course
Blackboard Merge Course Enrollments Request — Multiple course sections can be merged into a single Blackboard shell to facilitate sharing course materials with students enrolled in different sections.
Course Announcements — Announcements are internal notifications within Blackboard courses that display as a pop-up for all enrolled users the next time they log in; copies can also be sent to all users via email. Use announcements to share important, time-sensitive information.
Course Availability — Course availability is determined by two factors. (1) The term/duration, set by the system administrator, determines whether the course is considered “current” in the Blackboard system. (2) The course Open/Closed status, controlled by the instructor, determines whether students can access a current course.
Course Calendar — Add your course schedule, office hours, assignment due dates, or other important events to the course calendar display for all users enrolled in the course.
Course Image and Banner
Course Messages — Messages can be used communicate with individuals, groups, or all users enrolled in a course via email. Copies of course messages and email replies are also stored in the Blackboard course.
Course Navigation — The menu bars on the top and left-hand side in Blackboard Ultra course view are how users navigate between the main areas of the course. Unlike in original course view, these menus are not editable, and will have the same items and appearance in all Blackboard Ultra courses.
Course Settings — Instructors and TAs can use the course settings to manage student course access, and customize permissions for certain student information and communication tools within the course.
Student Preview — Student Preview is used to test course content in Blackboard and ensure that course materials and assessments are functioning correctly.