FAQs - Blackboard

As an Instructor, what are the benefits for implementing Blackboard in my class?

Blackboard is a course management system that gives CMU faculty Web-based resources to post syllabi and other course information, offer a discussion board and chat rooms, maintain a gradebook, offer quizzes and stream video. This content is accessible to students and faculty members anytime anywhere an internet connection is available.

Where is Blackboard located?

Blackboard can be accessed by clicking the Blackboard link within the CMU Portal or at: http://blackboard.cmich.edu.

How do I log into Blackboard?

Blackboard authenticates using the same Global ID and Password as E-mail. If you forgot your password and set up a security question and answer for your account, you can reset your password at: https://myaccount.cmich.edu. If you need a password and have not set up a security question and answer, you must contact the Help Desk at (989) 774-3662.

What do I need in order to successfully use Blackboard?

Although the web browser you are currently using to access this page is the basic software needed to access Blackboard, other programs may be necessary dependent upon the types of files that are used within your course. If you have problems accessing content within a Blackboard course, please contact the Help Desk at (989) 774-3662.

When is a course created?

Courses are created well before the beginning of each semester. Each CMU class will automatically have a Blackboard course created and is uniquely identified by the course reference number.

When are students added to courses?

Blackboard enrollment updates will happen 4 times a day beginning on May 18, 2009.

This means that new enrollees in courses will be updated from the registration system (Student Life Cycle Management) to the Blackboard system every 6 hours.

Why wouldn't a specific student be able to access a course?

Typically, if all students within a class are unable to view a specific course, the instructor has not made the course available to students. If the majority of a class can view the course but a small sample of students cannot, one of the following most likely applies:

  • The student is not properly registered for the class
  • The student was dropped from a course for not paying the tuition bill
  • The student is at a website other than: blackboard.cmich.edu

If a student is certain none of the above apply, it is recommended to contact the Help Desk at (989) 774-3662 for further investigation.

How do I set a course to Available?

Simply log into the course and go to Control Panel > Settings > Course Availability and set Make Course Available to Yes.

When is a course removed?

Courses from previous semesters are periodically purged from Blackboard throughout the year. More information about the course purge policy can be found at http://www.cmich.edu/Bb__CMU/Policies.htm

Can I use the package import feature?

Yes. The import package feature allows Instructors to insert course information from an older course. The Instructor wl first need to open the old course and use the export course feature to save the necessary content to the local machine or separate storage device before using the import package feature for the new course. See Exporting Course Content at http://www.cmich.edu/Bb__CMU/Faculty_Tutorials.htm

When are students removed from courses?

Individuals are removed from a Blackboard course when they are no longer registered for the course in the Student Life Cycle Management system.  This is a process that runs 4 times per day.

How does an Instructor make a course available to students?

When a course is first created in Blackboard, students will not be able to view the class until the Instructor sets the course to "available" in the Course Control Panel. See Managing Course Availability at http://www.cmich.edu/Bb__CMU/Faculty_Tutorials.htm

Do Instructors have the ability to create new courses?

By design, Blackboard generates a course for each CMU class. Due to the limited server space, Instructors do not have the ability to create new courses for testing purposes. However, if an Instructor is teaching multiple sections of the same course, they may request a Combined Course Shell by contacting the Help Desk at (989) 774-3662.

Can Instructors create new Blackboard accounts?

Instructors do not have the ability to create Blackboard accounts. By default, all student and Instructor accounts necessary to access Blackboard are created by CMU's Campus Management system. If an instructor would like a test account to view a course as a student, they may request one through the Help Desk at (989) 774-3662.

When would an Instructor need to enroll a user into a course?

Due to the fact that Blackboard only enrolls the primary Instructor for each course, there may be times when an Instructor needs to enroll a second Instructor (such as a Grad Assistant). The Instructor can do so by using the Enroll User feature within the Course Control Panel.

Should I, as an Instructor, enroll students in my courses?

No. Students will automatically be enrolled in a Blackboard course after proper registration for the class and system updates have occured.

When would an Instructor need to remove a user from a course?

Instructors may only remove those users from a Blackboard course that they themselves have enrolled. For instance, if an Instructor enrolls a Grad Assistant, then the Instructor can remove the Grad Assistant from the course. Instructors may temporarily remove students who are legitimately registered in the course, but they will be automatically reinstated when the next Blackboard update runs.

Where can I go to find additional assistance for Blackboard?

Student and Instructor guides can be found at: http://blackboard.cmich.edu

Where can I get information on Blackboard outages or other major system news?

Information can be found at: http://blackboard.cmich.edu