Blackboard

Blackboard is the University's Learning Management System (LMS). It allows faculty to deliver course content, assignments and activities to their students electronically in both face-to-face and distance courses.
Faculty gain access to their Blackboard courses 42 days prior to the start of the term.
Students have access to courses 7 days prior to the start of the term.

Articles (45)

Pinned Article Blackboard Services Availability

Blackboard publishes the most current services availability

Accessing & Participating in a Class on Blackboard Collaborate (Students)

Blackboard Collaborate is a real-time video conferencing tool that can be used to hold classes online. Collaborate Ultra is browser-based, and therefore does not require any separate downloads or applications to use. Blackboard recommends either Firefox or Chrome with Collaborate Ultra, but users have found that it works best in the Chrome browser.

Adding a Web Link to Blackboard (Faculty)

This article includes directions to share links to websites in a Blackboard course.

Adding Content to Blackboard: Syllabus or Other (Faculty)

This article provides steps to upload a file to your Blackboard course shell. Nearly any file type can be posted to Blackboard, but students must have the applicable software installed to view it.

Adding Content to your Blackboard Promotion Portfolio (Faculty)

Once you have set up a Blackboard portfolio, you can add documents to it as evidence of your achievements. This article outlines the steps to add materials to your Blackboard portfolio.

Adding Test Exceptions (Faculty)

When setting up their exams and quizzes in Blackboard, instructors have the option to allow exceptions to specific groups of students. Instructors can use these exceptions to provide an accommodation for a student with a disability, a language or technology difference, or another issue requiring alternate access to the exam.

Adding Tutors to a Blackboard Course Shell (Faculty)

How to add CAE tutors to Blackboard courses

Adding Users to a Blackboard Course Shell (Faculty)

All students or instructors who are officially assigned to a course in Jenzabar will be enrolled in the Blackboard course automatically. However, from time to time it may be necessary to add a user in your Blackboard course.

Attending a Meeting on Blackboard Collaborate (Faculty/Staff)

Blackboard Collaborate is a real-time video conferencing tool that lets you add files, share applications, and use a virtual whiteboard. In January 2018, USJ upgraded its Blackboard Collaborate environment to the newest version, called Blackboard Collaborate Ultra. Unlike the previous version, Collaborate Ultra is browser-based, and therefore does not require any separate downloads or applications to use. This guide will cover the basics to schedule and hold a meeting on Collaborate.

Blackboard Login Issues

Cannot Login to Blackboard

Blackboard Organizations (faculty, staff)

In preparation for an upcoming upgrade to Blackboard, there is a hold on requests for new Blackboard organizations at this time.

Blackboard Student Preview Mode (Faculty)

Blackboard has a feature that allows instructors to “preview” their course from a student perspective. This is a useful tool to ensure that your course functions as expected, as well as support students who contact you with course issues.

Cannot see Old Course information in Blackboard

How to access old (previously completed) courses in Blackboard.

Configuring Your Notifications from Blackboard

Blackboard’s Alerts and Notifications let students and instructors know whenever there is activity in a course. You can receive email notifications when something new is posted in a course, when a student has submitted an assignment or similar. Students can receive notifications when you post items in the course or when something is due or overdue.

Copying Your Blackboard Course (Faculty)

After you have developed a Blackboard course, it is possible to reuse the content from term to term by copying it into a
new section of your course. The Course Copy function allows you to copy your content forward to a new section
without carrying over enrollments and student work.

Creating a Test in Blackboard (Faculty)

Blackboard’s Tests tool allows you to create and deploy tests electronically from your Blackboard course shell.

Creating Assignments in Blackboard (Faculty)

The Assignment tool within Blackboard allows instructors to collect assignment submissions from students. It also allows faculty to annotate and grade documents without ever leaving Blackboard, or download all assignments in a single step to grade offline.

Creating Discussion Board Threads (Students)

Discussion Boards allow communication and discussion among classmates about a particular topic. Each topic of discussion is known as a "forum" and your initial post is a "thread." Once you post a thread, other students are able to read your thread and post replies.

Creating Your Blackboard Portfolio (Faculty)

Blackboard’s Portfolio tool allows you to collect and organize work you have completed over time, as a means to demonstrate achievement.

Deleting Blackboard Collaborate Recordings (Faculty)

Deleting unused Blackboard Collaborate recordings will help reduce our overall storage quota. This guide outlines the steps for faculty to delete Blackboard Collaborate recordings that are no longer needed.

Deleting Blackboard Collaborate Recordings (Staff)

Deleting unused Blackboard Collaborate recordings will help reduce our overall storage quota. This guide outlines the steps for staff to delete Blackboard Collaborate recordings that are no longer needed.

Enabling Menu Items in Your Blackboard Course (Faculty)

As you build your Blackboard course, you have the option to limit the availability of certain sections to students. This allows you to load content into your course before allowing students to access it.

Exporting or Archiving Your Blackboard Course (Faculty)

If you would like to save a copy of your Blackboard course for your own records, Blackboard offers instructors two options to back up a course: Export and Archive.

Find, View, and Submit Your Blackboard Assignments (Students)

Knowing where to find assignments in your Blackboard course shell, and how to submit them, is important, yet simple to do!

Getting Started with Blackboard Collaborate Ultra as a Course Instructor (Faculty)

Blackboard Collaborate Ultra is a web conferencing tool built right into your Blackboard course. Faculty can use it to host virtual class meetings, office hours, study sessions and more.

Grading with Blackboard's Grade Center (Faculty)

Each Blackboard course includes a Grade Center that allows instructors to track student progress throughout the course. The Grade Center is a flexible tool that allows you to calculate running grades, add weights, provide feedback, drop lowest grades and more.

Hosting Meetings on Blackboard Collaborate (Faculty/Staff)

Blackboard Collaborate is a real-time video conferencing tool that lets you add files, share applications, and use a virtual whiteboard. In January 2018, USJ upgraded its Blackboard Collaborate environment to the newest version, called Blackboard Collaborate Ultra. Unlike the previous version, Collaborate Ultra is browser-based, and therefore does not require any separate downloads or applications to use. This guide will cover the basics to schedule and hold a meeting on Collaborate.

How to Login to Blackboard and Access Your Course (Students)

Students have access to courses 7 days prior to the start of the term. Students must be officially registered for a course in order to be assigned to a course in Blackboard.

Managing Your Course View (Faculty, Students)

If you have been a student or faculty member at USJ for a while, you are likely to see a long list of courses on your Blackboard homepage. While you can’t delete them, you can hide them or rearrange the list so you have only what you need. You may want to do this once a semester to show only the current semester’s courses.

My Blackboard Assignment will not submit, it is still loading

Troubleshooting for issues uploading assignments in Blackboard.

Opening Office Files in Edge Results In A 404 Error

An update to Microsoft Edge has enabled the ability to open Office files within a browser tab, but there is an issue with this functionality not working with files uploaded into Blackboard. This article will describe how to disable that new feature in Edge.

Removing Users from a Blackboard Course Shell (Faculty)

All students or instructors who are officially assigned to a course in Jenzabar will be enrolled in the Blackboard course automatically. However, from time to time it may be necessary to remove a user in your Blackboard course.

Replying to Discussion Board Threads (Students)

Once a thread has been posted under the "forum", or topic of discussion, students are able to create replies. This allows for communication and discussion among classmates on a particular topic related to the course.

Sending an Email to Students through Blackboard (Faculty)

It is possible to send emails from within the Blackboard system. Messages are delivered to the student’s USJ email address, and you will receive a copy for your records. If the student replies to the email, the reply will go to your USJ email address.

Sending Emails from Blackboard (Students)

Blackboard Email allows you to send emails to your professor, individual users or to groups of users. It makes communication easy and simple. You can send an email on Blackboard from within a course or under “send Blackboard email” right on the Blackboard home page.

Submitting Your Blackboard P&T or Non-Tenure Track Promotion Portfolio (Faculty)

If you have created your Promotion and Tenure Portfolio in Blackboard, this article outlines the steps to submit it by sharing it to the Promotion and Tenure 2019-2020 Blackboard organization.

Taking Attendance in Blackboard (faculty)

Faculty are encouraged to track in-person attendance with the Blackboard attendance tool. This article outlines the steps for tracking attendance in Blackboard.

Unable to locate Blackboard course (Faculty)

Faculty have access to their Blackboard courses starting 42 days before the term. Faculty must be listed as the instructor of record in Jenzabar in order to gain access to a course. New faculty must complete their system access form as well.

Unable to locate Blackboard course (Students)

Can't find your course in Blackboard? This guide outlines the steps to locate your Blackboard course shell.

Upgrade to Blackboard Base Navigation (Summer 2024)

Information on the upgrade to Blackboard Base Navigation (July 31, 2024).

Using the Blackboard Course Calendar (Faculty)

The Course Calendar can help students stay on task throughout the term. Instructors add entries, which are visible to students in the course. If you use due dates in your Blackboard assignments and discussions, these will be added to the calendar automatically. You can also add entries for field trips, office hours or more.

Viewing your Grades on Blackboard (Students)

On the My Grades page, you can view all the coursework and grades for the course you're in.

What is SafeAssign?

Need to understand more about SafeAssign