When are we moving to Blackboard 6? 

Blackboard 6 should be ready for Summer I 2004. We will update you when:

• We finalize procedures for requesting Blackboard 6 courses for Summer or Fall.
• We schedule additional training sessions (see our Workshop Calendar for current schedule)

Who will be managing Blackboard 6? 

Blackboard 6 will be managed CUNY-wide by a central office. Information will be sent from the local campuses to the central office regularly. Instructional Technology staff here at BMCC will be the main point of contact for any Blackboard-related issues.

How will I access Blackboard 6? 

Whether an instructor or student, attending DL or web-enhanced classes, everyone will access Blackboard 6 through the CUNY Portal (www.cuny.edu). At the CUNY home page, look for the Log-in button in the left-hand navigation bar. You may have to create an ID for yourself if this is your first time using the portal. After you log in, a link to Blackboard will bring you to all of your courses (link not available until beginning of May).

How can I get a course on Blackboard 6 for Summer 04 or Fall 04?

You will probably send your request with semester, course and section number to Instructional Technology/Tom Lew. Procedures for future semesters will be decided over the summer. As soon as we finalize the procedures for Summer 04 and Fall 04 we will let you know by email; please do not send any requests yet.

Please note that your new Blackboard course will be blank (see next question). 

How can I copy an old Blackboard 5.5 course over to my new Blackboard 6 course(s)?

All Fall 03 and Spring 04 courses will be moved onto the Blackboard 6 server. On Blackboard 6, go into your old course, Control Panel, Course Options. Click on Course Copy, then Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course.

How can I copy course materials from one Blackboard 6 course to another?

Go into the original course, Control Panel, Course Options. Click on Course Copy, then Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course. This will now make it easier for those who have multiple sections of a course.

How can I make a back-up of my course since the current plan is to keep courses on the server for only one year?

In Control Panel, Course Options, choose Export Course and/or Archive Course.

Export Course: This creates a file that contains the content of the course, but without any student interactions. Export Course is useful when course materials will be reused at a later time to teach a new set of students.

Archive Course: This creates a file that contains all the content and user interactions. Archive Course is useful to maintain a record of a course after it has been taught.

Both options create a single .zip file that you will need to copy onto your hard drive, CD, or other medium. This .zip file can only be used by going into a blank Blackboard course and choosing Import Package.

How can I enroll or drop students in my Blackboard course? 

All adding and removing of students will be done at the central office. The current procedure is for BMCC to send updated enrollments overnight to the central office. Any problems with student enrollment should be brought to Instructional Technology.

How do I get user names and passwords for my students? 

Remember than everyone, including students, will access Blackboard 6 through the CUNY portal. Your students will need to create a userid and password on the portal.

If I or my students forget the password, where can we find it?

You will need to use the "forgot password" link on the CUNY Portal.

What's all this I hear about having to use BMCC email addresses?

The CUNY Portal will automatically assign the official BMCC email address to BMCC students, faculty and staff. If you forget your Portal password, a temporary password will be sent to your BMCC email address.

Faculty and staff who want to forward their BMCC email to another email address must check with the Help Desk.

Students who want to use a non-BMCC email must change their information on Panther.

If I am using Blackboard for something other than a course, what should I do? 

You will be able to create something like a course, called an "organization". It will look and feel, and have much the same functionality, as a course. However, organizations will not be available until the fall semester or later.

How can I contact Instructional Technology, Title III or Distance Learning?