Faculty FAQs

I. For new faculty

I can’t find the Blackboard system. Where do I go online?
There are two easy ways to navigate to the Blackboard Login Page.

Option One: Select the Blackboard button (see red arrow below), from the left-most column on the inside.uthscsa.edu web page.	Option Two: Select the Blackboard link (see red arrow below) from the bottom of the www.uthscsa.edu web page.

Do I need a special username and password to get to my online courses?
No. Your UT Health Science Center domain user name and your Blackboard login (we call it the "domain user name") are the same. Similarly, your password is the same for any UTHSCSA web sites where you need to identify yourself to the system (we call this "authentication"). That means any changes you make to your UT Health Science Center password will be reflected in your Blackboard online course login. When you change your password for DOMAIN (for faculty and staff, your E-mail account) you’ll need to use that same new password the next time you log into Blackboard. If you just changed the password, you might need to give the system a few minutes to "catch up" to your change as it updates your data record throughout the system.

What if I don’t know (or forget) my username or password?
If you have problems with your password and need to have it reset, call the IMS Service Desk at 210-567-7777, option 4 or click here for the UTHSCSA Domain Password Resetting Tool.

If you cannot recall your username, you will need to report in person to the [designated Computer Support location] for additional assistance.

II. Preparing an online course

I’ve never taught an online class, or I have used a different online system, and I need help learning how to get around. What should I do?
Faculty have several options: We agree that often experience is the best teacher and you can learn a lot just by exploring and trying things out or by connecting with a more experienced faculty member. We suggest you contact a member of the Online and Blended Learning Team for an informal consultation. The OBL team developed a practice course open to all faculty and staff to explore Blackboard and other tools available at the HSC. Call 210-567-7777, option 4 to request enrollment in this course if it’s not already listed in your available courses. We also provide links to internet tutorials to help you learn quickly in a zero-risk environment. Check out the faculty tutorials to get started (archived faculty tutorials for CE 8).

If you wish to be an INSTRUCTOR in a course, and you have never taught with BbLearn before, then you must complete at least a one hour Blackboard FUNDAMENTALS workshop. See the Faculty Development page for a listing of days/times.

Is there a cost for using Blackboard?

There is no cost for official Bb courses, defined as courses created through the REGISTRAR with an official course number, for which the student receives credit.
Unofficial or CE courses incur a $500 initial set up fee, and a $250 yearly maintenance fee. CE courses incur a variable user enrollment fee dependent upon the length and complexity of the course. (minimum $25 per user for one hour course; enrollment rate increases to $100.00 for users enrolled in a semester long course).
Each unofficial or official course is allowed up to four (4) hours of free instructional designer and information technology design services. Additional hours can be charged up to $60 per hour.

How do I request a new online course to be created?
New online courses need a "course shell" which can be blank or can contain a copy of a previously taught online course. To request a course shell, complete and submit the electronic New Course Request Form (Official), including required signatures. Submit this form to Blackboard Support using the contact information provided on the form. For unofficial courses, complete and submit the New Course Request Form (Unofficial).

How can I view what my "Students" see?
BBLearn courses, set the Edit mode to OFF to get a student prespective (note, as Instructor you will still see the control panel, but students will not); set it back to ON to edit content as Instructor. Click the "Student" tab. This will allow you to see what your students see. You are actually viewing as the "Demo Student."

What browsers work with Blackboard?
See Browser Settings for use with Blackboard sheet. For a list the most up to date Blackboard supported browsers and operating system, click here.

How do I make sure my desktop or laptop computer will work with the online classes?
For recommended computer settings, refer to the Top 10 Blackboard Instructors Technical Tips.

III. Adding/removing participants in online courses

How can I COMPRESS images in my PowerPoint presentation to make the files size smaller
It is recommended images be compressed before uploading presentation into Blackboard. Instructions can be found at Compress Presentation.

Why does the file size matter?
File size is very important, it can mean the difference between a fast load and a very slow load times. A slow load time can be frustrating to the user experience. Here is a diagram to visually help you see the differences in file sizes and load times: Diagram.

III. Adding/removing participants in online courses

How do I enroll students in my online course?
Students are automatically enrolled in official (registrar based) online courses when they register for your class. There will be a 24-48 hour delay from the time the students register to the time they appear on your Blackboard enrollment.

What do I do if a student reports that she/he cannot access my course?
Typically this is due to an issue with the registration process before the semester’s official census date, when student records are updated continuously in the Registrar’s office. First, advise the student to contact the Registrar’s office for additional information and or to clear all holds. Once registration issues are resolved, there may be a delay of a day or more. This happens because of a temporary mismatch between the Registrar’s records and the online course enrollments; The Blackboard system will automatically update enrollment lists overnight, and the situation will be resolved. However, if you determine that your student’s access is not related to registration issues, advise the student to contact the IMS Service Desk at 210-567-7777, option 4 for assistance.

How can I remove students from my course?
Add/Drops before the official census date- There is no need for you to take action in this case. When a student officially drops a course, the Registrar’s office updates the student’s enrollment data and passes this information to the Blackboard system. Each day’s Blackboard updates are automatically performed overnight, so you should see that the student’s access to your course is removed within a day or two.

How do I connect materials from textbook publishers to my online course?
The access policy for supplemental materials supplied by textbook publishers varies. Check the terms of purchase/ terms of use for any items you purchased, or contact the publisher through its official web site to learn more. The simplest way to refer students to the publisher’s web site is to insert a link for it as one of your course resources.

How do I add additional instructors?
Complete and submit the Blackboard-User Access Form. All instructors must complete at least a one hour Blackboard FUNDAMENTALS course or show previous experience as an instructor in a Blackboard course.

IV. Working with Blackboard online courses

How do I interact with student groups and individuals in my online course?
To communicate efficiently with one student, a group, or all students at once, you can send a message via the course mail tool. You can use the discussion tool to create a new discussion topic or reply to posted messages. Your discussion comments are visible or invisible to students based on the settings you designate when the topic is created. To communicate with all students at once without using the mail tool, you can also use the announcement tool or make an entry in the online course calendar. See the "Blackboard Fundamentals" guide book for instructors for detailed instructions for using these features.

My students can’t see their grades. What do I do?
As the instructor, you can release grades to students by changing a setting in your course grade center (click the chevron and select show/hide to users). If you determine that the settings are correctly entered, contact the IMS Service Desk at 210-567-7777, option 4 for additional assistance.

What if some documents cannot be downloaded in my online class?
In Internet Explorer when you try to download files in Blackboard, you may see the Information Bar (a pale yellow bar just above the page content and below the toolbar). The bar may display a warning that a file has been blocked from downloading. To disable the File Download Block (Internet Explorer), see instructions below. NOTE: UT Health Science Center does NOT recommend disabling the File Download Block.

Click the Tools menu (in the menu bar)
Select Internet Options sub-menu option
Click the Security tab
Click the Custom Level button
Locate Downloads option: "Automatic prompting for file downloads" and ensure it is selected
Click Enable
Click OK
Click OK

What if items seem to be missing from my online course?
For BbLearn courses, with Edit mode ON, go into the content (i.e., item, assignment, assessment, etc.) and select Edit, then from the "Availability" section check to see if permissions are set correctly for viewing.

For CE courses, first, verify whether the item is hidden from student view by looking for the “(Hidden)” indicator next to the item’s title on the Teach tab.

If the item is hidden, click the gray arrow next to the item’s title and select "Show item"
If the material is completely missing from the course:
- If you have a Designer role in the course, verify that the item is included in the course files using the File Manager designer tool (uploading the file if necessary) and then creating the appropriate link in your course
- oIf you only have the Teach and Student tabs and do not see the Build tab at the top of your course window, you do not have designer role and must contact your course coordinator for further assistance

Who is responsible for backing up my Blackboard course?
The Blackboard Administrator is responsible for creating backups of all ACTIVE courses every night, which are held for 5 days. The Blackboard Administer is responsible for backing up all official courses on the last day of each semester. Courses remain on the LIVE site and are accessible to enrollees for one year from the first day of the course. Course director may request that a course be posted on the live site for more than one year via e-mail to IMS-ServiceDesk@uthscsa.edu. Official Courses are archived for a second year and may be reposted at no cost with two weeks’ notice. A course director may request that their course be copied onto a CD for $10.

How do I request a course(s) be removed?
and submit the Course Deletion Form.

Where do I go for additional help?
The IMS/Blackboard team offers a comprehensive range of academic and student support services from orientation to graduation. Our student support includes comprehensive computer hardware support, individualized telephone and email technical assistance, and online troubleshooting resources. Our job is to ensure your success with the technology you need while you are learning at UTHSCSA. Do not hesitate to reach out to us for help whenever you need it by navigating to [web site] or calling 210-567-7777, option 4 for Blackboard support.

Do I select Yes or No in the Security Warning box?
You must carefully read the question to determine the answer. You want to be able to view nonsecure items or content NOT delivered securily. Open document to view and read more about the Security Warnings.

Technical Requirements

Learn More >

FACULTY / STAFF

Development Workshops

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STUDENTS

Student Assistance

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Faculty FAQs

I. For new faculty

II. Preparing an online course

III. Adding/removing participants in online courses

IV. Working with Blackboard online courses

I. For new faculty

II. Preparing an online course

III. Adding/removing participants in online courses

III. Adding/removing participants in online courses

IV. Working with Blackboard online courses