The SRSU Blackboard Online Support Desk is where faculty can direct all your Blackboard questions or requests. For instance, if you are the instructor of record for a Blackboard courses and need to add a TA, GA, or additional instructor to your course(s), merge course sections, need help with course copying content, need help with using a Blackboard feature in your course (such as Collaborate Ultra), etc., contact the Online Support Desk.
The Blackboard technical support desk is open 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your convenience. To reach the support desk:
- By calling 888.837.6055
- Via email blackboardsupport@sulross.edu
Reach out to one of our SRSU Instructional Designers using our new Instructional Designer support email: IDSupport@sulross.edu
This exclusive SRSU faculty support email goes to a pool of TSUS-SHSU Instructional Designers and allows you to get a much faster one-on-one response to your SRSU Blackboard Instructional Design issue. Don’t hesitate to request a web-conference one-on-one with an ID!
Questions about Ultra? Contact SRSU Blackboard Support/ID – Tim Parsons – tim.parsons@sulross.edu
SRSU BLACKBOARD FACULTY RESOURCES & SUPPORT NEWS – UPDATED FOR WEEK OF April 22nd, 2024
*SUMMER 2024 SRSU BLACKBOARD COURSE SHELLS NOW GENERATED IN ULTRA*
We’re ready to support you in making the final jump to Ultra for the summer/fall:
SPOTLIGHT ON: Our new SRSU Faculty Instructional Designer Support email:
We have a new SRSU Faculty support email: IDSupport@sulross.edu. This exclusive SRSU faculty support email goes to a pool of TSUS-SHSU Instructional Designers and allows you to get a much faster one-on-one response to your SRSU Blackboard Ultra conversion or Instructional Design issue. Don’t hesitate to request a web-conference one-on-one with an ID!
ALSO AVAILABLE TO ALL SRSU FACULTY- Digital Teaching How-to By Appointment
If you can’t make the times for some of our Digital Teaching Webinars or don’t see what you want listed in our offerings, why not sign up for a “By Appointment” session with an Instructional Development team member? Use our convenient form and let us know what you’d like to go over and when you have availability. Schedule By Appointment sessions for yourself, your program, or even your entire department!
Register for a By Appointment session TODAY!
FOR SUMMER/FALL ONLINE FACULTY – Support for Preparing Courses in Blackboard Ultra for the First Time: SHSU Senior Instructional Designer Rachel Scherer is offering to help you in preparing your summer/Fall courses in Ultra (and especially in utilizing a your K16 pre-converted to Ultra courses that all faculty should now have access to). You can contact Rachel at: Rachel.Scherer@shsu.edu Rachel will set you up with an Ultra Transition Action Plan for summer (and of course, you can also start prepping Fall courses as well). (See #3 below for more details)
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COMING SOON: Bb Ultra Transition “Drop-in” Sessions
Need help organizing your newly transitioned Bb Ultra course? Schedule time NOW for “Bb Ultra Transition Drop-In Sessions” which will run all through May and into the summer to help instructors get a handle on structuring their content and activities in Blackboard Ultra Course View. During the sessions, instructors can get one-on-one assistance in making sure their newly transitioned Ultra courses are organized and ready to go. (Schedule time in May Now! See #2 below for more details)
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1) ENROLL NOW FOR SUMMER 2024 CERTIFICATION COHORTS:
Our Online Course (Ultra) Redesign & Faculty Certification Cohorts AND The New Using Generative AI in Teaching & Learning Certification Cohort!
(A) Summer Ultra Redesign & Faculty Certification Cohort Dates – Enrollment is now open! Register Today!
- Cohort 1: 05/20/24 – 06/21/24 (8 of 10 SRSU seats available)
- Cohort 2: 06/24/24 – 07/01/24 (10 of 10 SRSU seats available)
The Program:
-Takes place over 5 weeks
-Is fully-online in Blackboard (Ultra Course View)
-Utilizes a guided course review and self-evaluation component
-Contains presentations on Ultra course design best practices and online pedagogies
-Involves collaboration and communication with Instructional Designers
-Provides a model course to begin the Ultra redesign process
The Results
-A better understanding of Ultra course design and online pedagogies
-A newly redesigned SRSU online course in the Blackboard Ultra Course view that you can start using in the summer or fall 2024 (when we will be competently in Ultra).
-A TSUS-SRSU certification
SRSU faculty who COMPLETE the program will receive a $500 stipend, and in addition to this reward, faculty will receive 25 professional development hours for the year 2024.
REMINDER: The spring 2024 certification program in Ultra is currently available for all new SRSU online instructors or faculty who have NOT previously completed this certification over the past year and 1/2 (since fall 2022). If you have any questions on your eligibility to retake the program in order to redesign a course and become recertified in the Blackboard Ultra Course View, the completion stipend for retake ($250), etc. please contact: tim.parsons@sulross.edu .
REGISTER NOW! SRSU summer 2024 Cohorts will fill up fast!
| Register Today |
-ALSO NOW OPEN FOR SUMMER:
(B) SHSU ONLINE SUMMER AI CERTIFICATION COHORT: Using Generative AI in Teaching & Learning
Enrollment for summer 2024 cohort of Using Generative AI in Teaching and Learning certification program is now open!
As technology continues to evolve, educators must be equipped with the tools to navigate the changing landscape of education. This course delves into the applications of AI in educational settings, exploring how AI can enhance instructional methods, foster personalized learning experiences, and contribute to the development of critical thinking skills in students.
This 5-week cohort is fully online and asynchronous, so interact with the course and complete activities at a time of day that is convenient for you. Space is limited.
Online Course Redesign and Faculty Certification program cohorts:
- Summer 2024 Cohort: 06/03/24 – 07/12/24 (10 of 10 SRSU seats available)
- Register today!
For More on AI in Blackboard, watch this TSUS/SHSU video series: The AI Design Assistant for Blackboard Learn Ultra
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2) Final April 2024 Digital Teaching Webinars – Register NOW!
Our last two April digital teaching webinars are available for registration! Short on time but eager to master Blackboard Ultra? Jump into our “Ultra Express” 30-minute mini-sessions! NOTE: Webinars with the @ sign below are the usual 1 hour (or more) sessions
Sign up using the link below for one or more now!
4/23/24 3-3:30 pm – Bb Ultra Express – Grading
4/24/23 @ 3-4 pm – Fostering Academic Integrity in Ultra Courses
Use this link to Register for these April webinars today!
Did you miss attending any ULTRA 5-PACK Digital Teaching Webinars earlier this year?
If you missed any of the Ultra 5 Pack of digital teaching webinars offered earlier this year, the webinars were recorded and can now be accessed in our “Teaching Online with Blackboard” instructor resource site (see #6 below)
-New for May – Bb Ultra Transition Drop-Ins Sessions – Schedule time NOW!
The Online Instructional Development team are hosting “Bb Ultra Transition Drop-In Sessions” all through May and into the summer to help instructors get a handle on structuring their content and activities in Blackboard Ultra Course View. During the sessions, instructors can get one-on-one assistance in making sure their newly transitioned Ultra courses are organized and ready to go.
Faculty can sign up for a Bb Ultra Course View Transition Drop-In time block via the online instructional development session sign-up page.
Bb Ultra Course View Transition Drop-Ins: 5/13/24 9am – 11am
Bb Ultra Course View Transition Drop-Ins: 5/15/24 9am – 11am
Bb Ultra Course View Transition Drop-Ins: 5/16/24 2pm – 4pm
Bb Ultra Course View Transition Drop-Ins: 5/20/24 2pm – 4pm
Bb Ultra Course View Transition Drop-Ins: 5/23/24 9am – 11am
Bb Ultra Course View Transition Drop-Ins: 5/27/24 9am – 11am
Bb Ultra Course View Transition Drop-Ins: 5/29/24 2pm – 4pm
Bb Ultra Course View Transition Drop-Ins: 5/30/24 2pm – 4pm
SCHEDULE FOR MAY 2024 – Use this link to Register
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3) Spring Faculty Blackboard Ultra Transition Support (for Summer/Fall 2024)
Late last Fall, a company called K16 converted copies of all relevant SRSU Blackboard online courses from Summer 2022 to Summer 2023 (an entire course rotation) in our Bb environment and SHSU has since added the appropriate instructors back into these Ultra converted course shells so you can now access Ultra Sandbox versions of their Bb Original Courses. K16 conversions still require some work to function correctly and often need restructuring, so when you locate a K16 course you want to use, please take a minute to review it for use as your “sandbox”. (You can find your K16 converted courses under the TERM “UltraConversions” or by searching for “ultra.v2” in your Courses area).
SHSU Senior Instructional Designer Rachel Scherer is offering to help you in preparing your summer/fall courses in Ultra (and especially in utilizing a K16 course for this). Contact Rachel at: Rachel.Scherer@shsu.edu
She’ll set you up with a K16 Action Plan for summer (and of course, she can also help you with Fall 2024 courses as well). You can also contact: Tim Parsons and Title V PPOHA -AAO Graduate Instructional Technology Specialist Rachel Carvajal (for Graduate Instructors) for any help accessing and reviewing a K16 course to use as an Ultra “sandbox” course for your upcoming SUMM/FALL 2024 Blackboard.
Watch this TSUS/SHSU video series: “So I Received My Converted Blackboard Course, Now What?”
This series will walk you through how to get your newly converted K16 course into “fighting trim.”
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4) Ultra Course View New Features for May!
Each month, Anthology/Blackboard releases new features and fixes for Blackboard Ultra Course View. Here are the new SRSU Blackboard Ultra features releasing May 2nd, 2024:
Instructors:
- Supporting multiple performance criteria in release conditions
- Reuse questions in Forms
- Multiple attempts for Forms assigned to groups
- Streamlined point value editing for questions
- Improved Gradebook navigation
Instructors and Students:
- Add question feedback when grading a test by question
- Weighted Calculation Improvements
- Landing page enhancements for Blackboard Learn Mobile app
MORE INFO ON THIS NEW FEATURE (AND OTHER ULTRA TOOL/FEATURE RELEASES) IN YOUR SRSU FACULTY CENTRAL AREA (see #6 below).
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5) Quality Matters Workshops for SRSU Faculty this spring/summer!
If you have completed an SHSU course redesign and certification cohort and received the associated $500 stipend, you can now start the next step in your online teaching training opportunities with our SRSU Quality Matters workshops.
Expand your online course design acumen by taking the ‘Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR)’ course – the flagship Quality Matters workshop in which faculty learn about the QM rubric and join a collaborative effort to support online and distance learning students.
– Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR) Training for Faculty: $1,000 Stipend!
WHO: All SRSU faculty – full or part-time – who have completed the SHSU Course Redesign certification between summer 2022 thru present are eligible.
WHEN: June 6 – June 20, 2024
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Jennifer Haan
INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY: 100% Online Asynchronous
HOW: Register NOW by clicking here. Only 5 spots available. First-come first-served!
STIPEND: Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a $1,000.00 stipend!
And once you have completed Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR) Training:
– Quality Matters (QM) Self-Review of Online Course for Faculty: $500 Stipend!
WHO: All SRSU faculty – full or part-time – who have completed the ‘Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR)’ training are eligible.
WHEN: As an APPQMR Completer, you are already enrolled in the course in Blackboard. You may begin and end at any time!
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Jennifer Haan
INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY: 100% Online Asynchronous
HOW: To get started, go to your Blackboard Institution page, and click on “Organizations” in the navigation bar on the left. In the search bar, type in “Self-Review of Online Course”.
STIPEND: Participants who successfully complete this course will receive a $500.00 stipend.
To take the next step, contact Dr. Jennifer Haan with your SHSU Certification Cohort completion certificate.
jennifer.haan@sulross.edu.
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6)LinkedIn Learning Access, Webinar Recordings (and many other resources) Available in the “Teaching Online with Blackboard” Organization Site
To access our Faculty Central “Teaching Online with Blackboard” instructor resource site within Blackboard:
Choose the “Teaching Online with Blackboard” link in your “SRSU Faculty Central” module on the institutional landing page.
Inside the ToWB site you’ll find:
-Faculty and Staff Services – Sign up for Digital Teaching webinars, SRSU Quality Matters info or access online training thru LinkedIn Learning!
– AI Design Assistant for Bb Ultra – resource folder
-Bb Ultra Quickstart Guides, Blackboard Original & Ultra Help from A-Z, Bb Ultra Roadmap (when new Ultra tools & features will appear)
–SHSU Online Webinar Recordings – In the “Webinar Recordings” folder you’ll find the latest recorded SHSU Online webinars (under both “Ultra” and “Original” webinar recording folders), such as:
• Blackboard Ultra Instructor Bootcamp
• Getting Your Bb “Original” Course Ultra Ready
• Making the Leap: Moving from Original to Ultra Course View
• Grading in Blackboard Ultra
• Adding Content and Activities to Ultra Courses
• Blackboard Ultra Course View: Tips & Tricks
• Kaltura – Recording Audio, Video & Screen for Bb
NEW – Ultra Rubrics: Efficient and Informative Grading
NEW – Effective use of Learning Modules in Ultra Courses
NEW –All Ultra 5-Pack Webinars
… and so much more in the new SRSU “Teaching Online with Blackboard” instructor resource site!
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Students can access their SRSU Blackboard Student Support / Orientation site within Blackboard from the SRSU landing page:
Choose the “SRSU Student Central – Blackboard Student Support / Orientation” link in the “SRSU Student Central” module at the top of our landing page.
**A Blackboard Student Support Orientation site link has been added to all summer 2024 Blackboard Ultra course shells!**
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8) Blackboard Spring 2024 Course Information & Support Info:
2024 Blackboard course shells are set to automatically become available to students on their first official class day and are set to automatically become unavailable to students a week after the final official class day.
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SPRING 1st 8-WEEKS TERM – SRSU2024SPRG10 – Blackboard courses will automatically open on the 1st-8-week first class day (01/17/2024) and will automatically close a week after the final class day (03/08/2024) on 03/15/2024
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SPRING 2nd 8-WEEKS TERM – SRSU2024SPRG11– Blackboard courses will automatically open on the 2nd 8-weeks first class day (03/18/2024) and will automatically close a week+ after the final class day (05/08/2024) on 05/15/2024.
TO REQUEST A DIFFERENT AUTOMATIC CLOSING DATE FOR YOUR SPRING 16 WEEK or 2nd 8-WEEKS COURSES: Simply contact your Blackboard support at blackboardsupport@sulross.edu and make a close date change request.
If you are the instructor of record for a Spring 2024 Blackboard course and you need to add a TA, GA, or additional instructor to a course, need to have course sections consolidated, course copied, converted to Ultra, etc. you may request this by contacting our 24/7 Online Blackboard Support Desk at: email- blackboardsupport@sulross.edu or call- 888.837.6055 anytime, 24/7!
OR
Reach out to one of our SRSU Instructional Designers using our new Instructional Designer support email: IDSupport@sulross.edu
This exclusive SRSU faculty support email goes to a pool of TSUS-SHSU Instructional Designers and allows you to get a much faster one-on-one response to your SRSU Blackboard Instructional Design issue.
Don’t hesitate to request a web-conference one-on-one with an ID!
You may also email your SRSU Team of Blackboard Instructional Designers directly:
Tim Parsons – tim.parsons@sulross.edu
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SRSU Nursing Program Faculty Support
Angela McGuyer – mmj20ew@sulross.edu
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Title V PPOHA – Accelerating Access and Opportunity in West Texas – Faculty Support
Rachel Carvajal – rachel.carvajal@sulross.edu
More SRSU faculty and student support resources may be found at ourSRSU Blackboard webpage
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The following are popular faculty resource links. More information can be found by accessing your SRSU Teaching Online With Blackboard (TOWB) site within Blackboard (see above).
| Content | Manage Course | Training Resources |
Academic Affairs / Instructional Services
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- BAB 104
- PO Box C-106
- Alpine TX 79832
- 432-837-8524 | 432-837-8525