Franklin & Marshall College

Blackboard Enhancements 2011 FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)

Contacting the Blackboard Administrator

Contact the F&M Blackboard Administrator at

• How do I change my password?
• What is the Blackboard course automation calendar and where can I find it?
• What's the difference between a manually/non-automated created course and an automated course?
• What will happen to manually/non-automated created courses?
• How can I tell which of my Blackboard courses are automated?
• A course I'm teaching is not on Blackboard. What should I do?
• I'm seeing courses that I'm not teaching this semester on my Course list.
• How do I manage My Courses module?
• How do I make my course available or unavailable?
• I'm teaching two sections of the same course, how many Blackboard courses will I get?
• How do I archive my courses?
• How do I export my courses?
• How do I import my courses?
• How do I download my Grade Center?
• One or more students are not enrolled in my Blackboard course. What should I do?
• Do I need to batch enroll students?

Access

• How do I change my password?

  In order to change your password, you will need to access the following web site: https://password.fandm.edu

  If you have forgotten your password, please contact the ITS HelpDesk at:

  Location: Harris Center, room 037
  Telephone: 717.358.4483
  Email: helpdesk@fandm.edu
  Web: helpdesk.fandm.edu
  Hours: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM; Monday - Friday

Course Management

• What is the Blackboard course automation calendar and where can I find it?
  • The Blackboard course automation calendar outlines when course creation, student drop/adds, and roster deletions are completed. This calendar may be found at: http://www.fandm.edu/its/blackboard/article/blackboard-course-automation-calendar
• What's the difference between a manually/non-automated created course and an automated course?
  • A manually/non-automated created Blackboard course is created by a Blackboard administrator at the request of an instructor. When a course is created manually, the instructor must manually enroll the students in the course.
  • Automated Blackboard courses are created automatically for all non-lab courses in the Registrar’s database. Students are automatically enrolled in these courses based on the Registrar’s enrollment records. Automated courses are unavailable to students by default, allowing faculty members to choose whether and when to make each course available to students.
• What will happen to manually/non-automated created courses?
  • Existing manually/non-automated created courses will remain in the system. An instructor may request a new manual course if an automated course does not suit his or her needs. The instructor will need to manually enroll students in a manually created course.
• How can I tell which of my Blackboard courses are automated?
  • The course name for an automated course includes the instructor’s name at the end of the course name. For example, “GOV100 American Government - Dr. John Marshall” is an automated course. The course “American Government - Section A” does not include the instructor’s name, which indicates that it is a manually created course.

• A course I'm teaching is not on Blackboard. What should I do?
  • If a course you’re teaching is not on Blackboard:
    1. Make sure the course is not a lab. Blackboard courses are not automatically created for lab sections.
    2. Verify that the current date is on or after the Blackboard course creation date. The creation date for the spring semester is Nov. 1 of the preceding year, for the summer sessions it is March 1, and for the fall semester May 1.
    3. Verify that you are designated as the course instructor by the Registrar’s office. When you are registered as the instructor, your Blackboard course should be created by 8 AM the next day.
  • If you have verified all of the above, please contact the Blackboard administrator for assistance.

• I'm seeing courses that I'm not teaching this semester on my Course list.
  • The automated system creates Blackboard courses for courses you've taught in the past or are scheduled to teach. You may see a course that you haven't taught for quite a while.
    If you want to remove a course from your course list, see the following QuickStart.
    http://www.fandm.edu/its/blackboard/article/manage-my-courses-module
• How do I manage My Courses module?
  • My Courses module lists all the courses that you are teaching including available and unavailable courses. The My Courses module settings feature enables you to determine which courses and their attributes to display.
  • http://www.fandm.edu/its/blackboard/article/manage-my-courses-module
• How do I make my course available or unavailable?
  • Use the Control Panel. Control Panel > Customization > Properties > Set Availability
  • http://www.fandm.edu/its/blackboard/article/course-availability-and-duration
• I'm teaching two sections of the same course, how many Blackboard courses will I get?
  • Faculty teaching two sections of the same course will receive one combined course. If you wish to receive two separate courses, please contact the .
• How do I archive my courses?
  • Archive Course creates a permanent record of a Course including all the content and user interactions available at the time the Archive is initiated.
  • http://www.fandm.edu/its/blackboard/article/course-archive
• How do I export my courses?
  • The Export Course feature creates a package of the course content that can later be imported and used to teach another course with the same content.
• How do I import my courses?
  • This feature allows instructors to upload course material from one course to another.
  • http://www.fandm.edu/its/blackboard/article/course-import

Grade Center

• How do I download my Grade Center?
  • Use the Grade Center download feature to archive your course's grades. Download and save the Grade Center in Excel format on your computer.
  • http://www.fandm.edu/its/blackboard/article/upload-download-the-grade-center

Enrollments

• One or more students are not enrolled in my Blackboard course. What should I do?
  • If one or more students are not enrolled in your Blackboard course:
    1. Make sure the current date is on or after the Blackboard enrollment date. The enrollment date for the spring semester is Jan. 10, for the summer sessions it is May 22, and for the fall semester Aug. 22.
    2. Verify that the course is an automated course.
    3. Verify that the student is registered for the course at the Registrar’s office. After a student is registered, they will be enrolled in the Blackboard course by 8 AM the next day.
  • If the student is not yet registered for the course but needs immediate access to your Blackboard course, you can manually add the student to your course. See
  • http://www.fandm.edu/its/blackboard/article/enrollment-options
• Do I need to batch enroll students?
  • No. Student enrollment in Blackboard courses will be maintained automatically (as courses folders are on eDisk) eliminating the need to manage enrollment manually.

For more information on the Blackboard Enhancements 2011, contact the .