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Blackboard PolicieS

Use of the Blackboard system implies consent with and adherence to the University of Mary Washington's Network and Computer Use Policy.

Introduction | Administrative User Roles | Course User Roles
Username and Password | Course ID | Backup Schedule

I. Introduction [back to top]

This set of policies is intended to provide members of the University of Mary Washington community with standardized practices for using the Blackboard system. These policies are also intended to insure reliable and consistent service from the technical support staff who keep Blackboard available. These policies are subject to change.

II. Administrative User Roles [back to top]

The number of users with administrative access is intentionally kept small for security reasons. A user may be designated as having one of the following six Administrative User Roles:

    1. None — default
    2. System Administrator — complete system access through System Admin tab
    3. System Support — complete system access through System Admin tab, but no Control Panel access to Instructor's courses
    4. Course Administrator — access to Course Management area of System Admin tab only
    5. User Administrator — access to User Management area of System Admin tab only

For some administrative roles there are several individuals while for others there are only a few. To provide depth for our small staff in the event of an emergency we've listed specific responsibilities with a primary, secondary, and sometimes even a tertiary person responsible for that task. Where several individuals share a responsibility no specific person is identified because everyone is equally responsible. In some cases there simply is no depth. Although we strive to provide 24/7 access to Blackboard, we are not sufficiently staffed to have personnel on call during non-business hours.

Administrative Responsibilities (Lisa Ames, Martha Burtis, Gardner Campbell, Kathryn Cooke, David Dean, Keith Gagnon, Pam Lowery, Lisa Quinton, Andy Rush, and Jerry Slezak)

    1. host and maintain the Blackboard server, conduct data backups, and configure the Institution Properties (Dean)
    2. configure the Portal Areas, Gateway Options, and System Settings; communicate important information to user community; and, provide system-wide administrative oversight (Dean)
    3. answer questions concerning login/other issues (Dean, Rush, Ames)
    4. assist instructors with Course Management (Ames, Burtis, Campbell, Gagnon, Lowery, Quinton, Rush, Slezak)

Support Responsibilities (Claire Carson, Susan Colbow, Cathy Derecki, Lynn Hamilton, and Susan Knick)

    1. generate and upload files to create users, create courses, and enroll users (Carson)
    2. assist instructors with Course Management and User Management tasks (Hamilton)
    3. update Institution Calendar and Announcements with important course-related information (Colbow)
    4. update Institution Calendar with campus events (Knick)
    5. provide and maintain Colors and Images (Derecki)

III. Course User Roles [back to top]

    1. Instructor — complete access to the Control Panel tab
    2. Teaching Assistant — access to nearly all areas of the Control Panel tab
    3. Grader — access only to the Assessment area of the Control Panel tab
    4. Course Builder — access to most areas (except the Assessment area) of the Control Panel tab
    5. Student — no access to the Control Panel tab

Instructor Responsibilities (all campuses)

    1. own and administer his or her course site(s) and the content of that course
    2. acquire copyright permission, as needed, for information in any media format used within a Blackboard course
    3. maintain any necessary levels of privacy for the Blackboard classroom environment
    4. make courses "Available" to students if desired
    5. drop students (Remove Users) from courses, realizing that student-related course information is also removed as a result
    6. add students (Add Users) to courses
    7. export courses for archival purposes as semester's end
    8. select enrollment options for courses

Student Responsibilities (all students)

    1. maintain system security by preserving privacy of login and password
    2. execute additional responsibilities within courses as requested by Instructor

IV. Username and Password [back to top]

The Blackboard system maintains its records of users by using a unique username for every individual. For UMW, we've chosen to utilize the assigned Novell username and password to simplify every user's interaction with both systems. Having only one username and one password enables each user to access both systems with the same information. It also enables the technical support staff to more easily assist users with username and password troubleshooting. Passwords in Blackboard are encrypted. Even the System Administrator cannot view passwords. Users are added almost daily to the Blackboard system by a System Administrator who does batch uploads of all new users (faculty, staff, and students). This upload includes Username, Last Name, First Name, E-mail address, and Password. It does not include social security numbers or any other information. Once this information has been uploaded, the username and password would look something like this:

Username: jsmit2aj
Password: wxyz687

V. Course ID [back to top]

The Blackboard system maintains its records of courses by using a unique Course ID for every course. For UMW, we've chosen to utilize the 19-character Course ID used by the Registrar. The Course ID is also used in the Course Name field so that courses are more easily distinguishable when you teach multiple sections of a course. A course ID might look something like this:

Course Identification Image

The four-digit term code consists of the first digit that denotes the century, the next two that denote the year and the fourth digit that denotes the beginning month of the semester. Often, the final two digits of the 6-digit course code are blank resulting in a 17-digit course ID. Each course ID is unique not just during the semester it is taught but forever. All course ID's are UPPERCASE.

VI. Backup Schedule [back to top]

The Blackboard system is backed up daily starting at 4:30 AM. Users may still access the system during a backup although it may at times seem somewhat sluggish in response. Currently, a full backup takes about four hours.

Although we strive to provide 24/7 access to Blackboard, we are not yet sufficiently staffed to have personnel on call during non-business hours.