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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:

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 Parsonstim.parsons@sulross.edu



SRSU BLACKBOARD FACULTY RESOURCES & SUPPORT NEWS – UPDATED FOR WEEK OF March 4th, 2024

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!

COMING SOON – Pre-Converted Ultra Courses: Our Shared Services Partners at SHSU Online have been working with the services of a company called K16. K16 expertly batch converts whole semesters worth of a universities Original Course View online courses to Ultra Course View. K16 has converted copies of all relevant SRSU Blackboard online courses from Fall 2022 to Summer 2023 (an entire course rotation) on our system and will be adding the appropriate instructors into these converted course shells. Over the next month, we will be contacting you on these duplicate courses from previous semesters that have been converted to Ultra for you to review and use as a “sandbox” course for your upcoming SUMM/FALL 2024 courses.

Watch this TSUS/SHSU video series “So I Received My Converted Blackboard Course, Now What?”.
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1) SHSU ONLINE AI CERTIFICATION COHORTS: Using Generative AI in Teaching & Learning
Enrollment for spring 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:

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) March 2024 Digital Teaching Webinars now Available – Register NOW

The following March 2024 digital teaching webinars are now available for registration! NOTE: Some of these new March webinars are 30 minute “Ultra Express” mini-sessions or 1 ½ to 2 hour webinars! Webinars with the @ sign below are the usual 1 hour session.

3/4/24 @ 3pm – What’s New in Bb Ultra?
3/6/24 @ 3pm – Bb Ultra – Planning for Ultra Course View
 3/7/24 FROM 2-4pm – Bb Ultra – Content Creation & Management
3/18/24 FROM 3-3:30pm – Ultra Express (Mini-Session) Content Creation
3/19/24 FROM 3-4:30pm – Bb Ultra – Communication and Engagement
3/20/24 FROM 3-3:30pm – Ultra Express (Mini-Session) Communication
3/21/24 FROM 2-4pm – Bb Ultra – Assessments, Tests
3/25/24 FROM 2-4pm – Bb Ultra – Grading and Tracking Student Performance/Progress
3/26/24 FROM 3-3:30pm Ultra Express (Mini-Session) Adding Assignments
3/27/24 @ 2pm – Feedback Strategies for Ultra Courses
3/28/24 FROM 3-3:30pm – Ultra Express (Mini-Session) Grading Student Work
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Did you miss attending any ULTRA 5-PACK Digital Teaching Webinars in Jan/Feb?
If you missed any of the Ultra 5 Pack of digital teaching webinars during Jan/Feb, the webinars were recorded and can now be accessed in our “Teaching Online with Blackboard” instructor resource site (see #6 below)

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AVAILABLE TO ALL SRSU FACULTY- Digital Teaching How-to By Appointment
Need to know how to do something with Blackboard or one of its associated tools? Can’t make the scheduled webinar times above, or there isn’t a specific webinar for your need on the schedule? No problem!  Sign-up for a “by appointment” webinar at a time/day that works for you. Just visit our Faculty Development Sign-up page, use the “Sessions” drop-down menu, and select “Choose Me for By Appointment Sessions” to schedule a one-on-one session!

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3)​ Spring Faculty Blackboard Ultra Conversion Project (for Summer 2024)
Our Shared Services Partners at SHSU Online have been working with a company called K16 over the past year. K16 expertly batch converts whole semesters worth of a university’s Original Course View online courses to Ultra Course View. Late last Fall, K16 converted copies of all relevant SRSU Blackboard online courses from Fall 2022 to Summer 2023 (an entire course rotation) in our Bb environment and have now added the appropriate instructors into these Ultra converted course shells so you can now access Ultra Sandbox versions of their Bb Original Courses under the Courses tab in Blackboard in anticipation of the summer/fall 2024 shift to Ultra Course View.

Over the next month, myself (Tim Parsons) and Title V PPOHA -AAO Graduate Instructional Technology Specialist Rachel Carvajal will be contacting you on these duplicate, Ultra converted courses from previous semesters for you to review, fine-tune it, and hopefully use as a “sandbox” course for your upcoming SUMM/FALL 2024 courses.

If you don’t want to wait for us to contact you, please contact us: (Tim Parsons) or Rachel Carvajal (graduate instructors only) Let us know your expected summer 2024 Bb courses (and if you’re not teaching in the summer, your expected fall courses) and we’ll start working with you on your K16 Ultra converted courses!

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.” The first two episodes are already live! We will continue to post more episodes, weekly.

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4)​ Ultra Course View New Features for March!
Each month, Anthology/Blackboard releases new features and fixes for Blackboard Ultra Course View. Here are the new SRSU Blackboard Ultra features releasing March 7th, 2024:

Instructors:

Instructors and Students: Announcement indicators and mark as read/unread.

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!

If you have completed an SHSU course redesign and certification cohort and received the associated $500 stipend (Spring 2024 cohorts now available – See #1 above), 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.

All SRSU faculty – full or part-time – who have completed the SHSU Course Redesign certification from summer 2022 thru fall 2023 are eligible to continue their online teaching training with the ‘Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR)’ course this summer

To take the next step, contact Dr. Jennifer Haan with your SHSU Certification Cohort completion certificate.: Contact Jennifer Haan at 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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7) ALSO: SRSU Blackboard Student Support / Orientation Org site is available for all students!
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 fall 2023 Blackboard 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 16-WEEK TERM – SRSU2024SPRG – Blackboard courses will automatically open on the first-class day (01/17/2024) and will automatically close a week after the final class day (05/08/2024) on 05/15/2024.
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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.
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TO REQUEST A DIFFERENT AUTOMATIC OPENING DATE FOR YOUR SPRING or 1st 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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Academic Affairs / Instructional Services

    • BAB 104
    • PO Box C-106
    • Alpine TX 79832
  • 432-837-8524 | 432-837-8525