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
You can also email your SRSU Team of Blackboard Instructional Designers directly:
SRSU BLACKBOARD FACULTY RESOURCES & SUPPORT NEWS – UPDATED FOR FEBRUARY 27th, 2023
REMINDER: SPRING 1st 8-WEEK TERM Blackboard courses will automatically close a week after the 1st 8-weeks final class day (03/10/2023) on 03/17/2023. FALL 2nd 8-WEEK TERM Blackboard courses will automatically open on the 2nd-8-week first class day (03/20/2023). For more Spring 2023 Bb course info, please see the bottom of this newsletter.
1) JOIN US – Uvalde Campus In-Person Brown Bag Event This Friday!
The SRSU Office of Academic Affairs announces a Spring 2023 Instructional Services IN-PERSON Brown Bag Event this Friday, March 3rd on the Uvalde Campus! This will be an actual (not virtual) Brown Bag so LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED (starting at 11:30am).
Please join us for live/In-Person presentations and updates on all SRSU media/technology areas.
- SRSU RGC-OIT Update: With Director of OIT Operations, George Hernandez
- SRSU ODE & Quality Matters Update: With Assoc Dean of the Online Learning and Distance Education Division Dr. Chris Herrera
- SRSU Communications Update: With SRSU Media Specialist Bobby Greeson
- SRSU Library Update: With the Director of SRSU Library and Archives Betsy Helesic (Evans)
- SRSU Grants Supporting Student Success: With SRSU Executive Grants Director Kendall Craig
- SRSU Team Blackboard Ultra Update: With Tim Parsons …. and more (if we can fit it in)!
WHAT: Uvalde Campus – Instructional Services In-Person Brown Bag Event
WHERE: SRSU Uvalde Campus – Classroom #B114
WHEN: Friday, March 3rd, 2023, from 11:30am (Lunch Provided) to 1:30-ish pm
COME JOIN US THIS FRIDAY ON THE UVALDE CAMPUS – RSVP TO: Tim Parsons at tim.parsons@sulross.edu OR call x8525 and leave a message no later than Thursday, February 23rd!
***Owing to our ongoing move to the Ultra Course View (which needs no main menu template), many of our instructors who are still using the original course view have been met with a blank main menu in their spring 2023 Blackboard shells.
If you are one of these instructors, we have a quick-start tutorial video for you:
Adding Menu Items to Your SPRG 2023 Original Course View Bb Courses
In this quick-start tutorial video we’ll take you through (1)adding an “Announcements” area to your menu and making it your students entry point to your Bb course (2)adding a “Virtual Meetings” area and a “Syllabus” area to your menu, and (3) building out a customized main menu (adding dividers, sub headers, “Send Email” area, etc.).
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2) SHSU Online Digital Teaching Webinars
DIGITAL TEACHING WEBINARS
All Digital Teaching Webinar offerings for the Spring are Open for Enrollment!
4/27/23 @ 2pm – Navigating the Transition from Original to Ultra Course View
Register for these webinars today!
NOW AVAILABLE – 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.
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2) Quality Matters Workshops for SRSU Faculty!
If you have not completed the SHSU certification and received the associated $500 stipend – that’s your first place to start in your online teaching training opportunities (both Spring 2023 SHSU Certifications cohorts are currently filled, Summer 2023 SHSU Certification Cohort enrollment information will be available by late April).
Next, we will be offering the a new round of Quality Matters workshops this spring for SRSU Faculty. You can prepare for these upcoming workshops by registering and creating a QM account:
How to Register and Create an Account with Quality Matters
Step 1 Go to https://www.qualitymatters.org
Step 2 Go to Membership and click on Sign Up
Step 3 Under Already a Member Creating your MyQM account
Step 4 Click on Go to MyQM – www.qmprogram.org/myqm/ Step 5 Enter your Sul Ross email check “No, I am new here”
Step 6 Fill out the form and create a password.
How to Register for Workshops with Quality Matters
Step 1 Login
Step 2 On the left-hand side menu, click on “Workshop-Register”
Step 3 Click on QM Training
Step 4 Filter by course name (Their signature course is Applying the QM Rubric- Virtual-APPQMR)Step 5 Invoice to Institution (You do not have to pay. They will bill us directly).
If you need any assistance, please contact Jennifer Haan at jennifer.haan@sulross.edu.
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3)LinkedIn Learning Access, Webinar Recordings (and many others) Available in the “Teaching Online with Blackboard” Organization Site
To access our “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 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!
-Bb Ultra QuickStart Guides, Blackboard Original & Ultra Help from A-Z
-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.
.. and so much more in the new SRSU “Teaching Online with Blackboard” instructor resource site!
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.
As an SRSU Blackboard instructor, if you would like to have the link to the new “SRSU Student Central – Blackboard Student Support / Orientation” added to the menu of your course, simply contact your Blackboard support folks below and make that date change request.
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UPDATES: New to Ultra Course View courses in 2023
- Course Activity Report under Analytics tab on course landing page.
- Grade History improvements
- Save Gradebook View (Gradable Items or Grid)
- Hotspot Questions in tests and quizzes
- Page Breaks in tests and assignments
- More feedback options for manually added columns
- Unread message indicator for courses and organizations
- Content collection access in Ultra Documents
- Auto-save enhancements on tests & quizzes
| Learn More |
**Blackboard Ultra Road Map for New Features – NOW in “Teaching Online with Blackboard” instructor resource site
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4)Blackboard Spring 2023 Course Information & Support Info:
Spring 2023 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.
SPRING 16-WEEK TERM – SRSU2023SPRG – Blackboard courses automatically opened on the first-class day (01/18/2023) and will automatically close a week after the final class day (05/15/2023) on 05/26/2023.
SPRING 1st 8-WEEKS TERM – SRSU2023SPRG10 – Blackboard courses automatically opened on the 1st-8-week first class day (01/18/2023) and automatically close a week after the final class day (03/10/2023) on 03/17/2022.
SPRING 2nd 8-WEEKS TERM – SRSU2023SPRG11– Blackboard courses will automatically open on the 2nd 8-weeks first class day (03/20/2023) and will automatically close a week+ after the final class day (05/09/2023) on 05/26/2023.
To have spring 2023 Blackboard courses open earlier (2nd 8-weeks) or closed earlier/later than the automated open dates listed above simply contact your Blackboard support folks below and make that date change request.
If you are the instructor of record for a spring 2023 Blackboard course and you need to add a TA, GA, or additional instructor to a fall course (or need one removed), need help with course copying content, need to have course sections consolidated, or simply need to work with an SRSU Instructional Designer, etc. you may request this by contacting our 24/7 Online Blackboard Support Desk at:
email- blackboardsupport@sulross.edu or call- 888.837.6055
OR
You may also email your SRSU Team of Blackboard Instructional Designers directly:
Jorge Luna–jll092@shsu.edu
Tim Parsons–tim.parsons@sulross.edu
More SRSU faculty and student support resources may be found at ourSRSU Blackboard webpage
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