Blackboard Basics Guide

Teaching assignments are determined by program chairs/directors and provided to the Academic Affairs Administrative Assistants for entry.  Faculty gain access to courses as teaching assignments are entered into the student information system by the Academic Affairs Administrative Assistants.  

1. Before the end of the current term, faculty gain access to their courses for the upcoming term 
2. Courses are pre-loaded with the standard template
3. Faculty prepare courses for access by students 
4. Courses open for students at 12:01 AM one week prior to the first day of the term (Week Zero)
5. Faculty engage with students and keep student grades up-to-date in Blackboard throughout the term
6. Faculty enter Blackboard-calculated final grades into the Faculty Portal
7. Access to Blackboard courses ends the first day of the following term for students and continues for faculty until courses are archived (generally one year)

If you are developing a new course and would like to be able to work on it prior to getting access to the actual course, submit a request for a shell course to HelpDesk@centralpenn.edu.  Work done in the shell course can then be copied to the actual course once you have access to it.  

  For questions about teaching assignments, please contact your chair / director.