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FAQs for New Faculty
Table of Contents
HUNTER EMAIL
CUNY PORTAL
COMMON QUESTIONS FOR NEW FACULTY
- How do I get a (new) computer for my office?
- As a part-time faculty member, what access to computers do I have?
- What software is available to me and where do I get it?
- How do I use the voicemail from my office telephone?
CUNY BLACKBOARD
- What is Blackboard?
- How do Blackboard courses get created?
- Is Blackboard working?
- What support does Hunter offer for Teaching & Learning with Technology?
- Does Hunter have any special programs/initiatives to support Teaching & Learning with Technology?
ACADEMIC ADMINISTRATIVE APPLICATIONS
- What teaching- related services are mandatory?
- What is "Informed Registration” (IR)?
- How do students get access to Informed Registration materials?
- Can Informed Registration information be changed?
- How is information submitted to Informed Registration?
- Who are these "super users" for Administrative Academic Technologies?
- How do I check who is the "instructor of record" for a course?
- How do I update the instructor information in SIMS?
- Why is it important to keep instructor information current in SIMS?
- What is WebRoster?
- What is WebAttendance?
- What is WebGrade?
- My question is not addressed in this document. Where can I find more information?
MORE BLACKBOARD QUESTIONS
- I am new to the CUNY system and need to register for a CUNY portal username and password. How do I do this?
- I forgot my Blackboard/CUNY Portal password. How do I reset it?
- How do I make my course available to my students?
- I have a student who cannot see the course. What is the problem?
- I am teaching multiple courses with the same information and would like to merge my Blackboard courses. How do I do this?
- I am the instructor of a course, however, the course is not showing up on my Blackboard. What can I do?
- Where do I login to Blackboard?
- How do my students access the Blackboard course site?
- Where can students and faculty members get help with Blackboard?
- How can I get training on Blackboard
- Do all courses have a Blackboard presence?
- Are students automatically enrolled in my Blackboard course?
- How can I change the title of my course?
- How can I change the names of my content areas and remove the ones I don't want to use?
- Which is the "official roster"?
- What if there is a discrepancy between the WebRoster and Blackboard?
- Some of my students have 2 Blackboard accounts. Which one should they use?
- How can I add TA's to Blackboard who are not officially enrolled in the course?
- What types of files can I attach?
- When I am adding course items, what is the difference between "Smart Text", "Plain Text", and "HTML" under the text box?
- How do I add images to Blackboard course items?
- Can I attach and upload spreadsheets, word-processing, and other documents that I've already created?
- What is the best way to upload a set of PowerPoint slides?
- The files I've attached are not accessible to students. What is wrong?
- When students open a Word (Excel, PowerPoint) file, they cannot easily save or modify the file because the program's menu does not appear. What should they do?
- Are files that are uploaded to (or downloaded from) Blackboard automatically checked for viruses?
- Can I re-use a Blackboard course I developed last year?
- I don't want to share my email address or other personal information with my students. Will they see this information?
- Can students see each other's email accounts?
- What does the "Lock" function do within Blackboard discussions?
- What are groups on Blackboard and how do I create one?
- One of my students had technical problems and was unable to complete a quiz. How do I reset it so he can retake it?
- Can I find out what a student's major is on Blackboard?
- Is Blackboard's gradebook tied to the Registrar's database?
- How soon before the semester begins will I be able to access my courses on Blackboard so that I can begin adding content?
- What Blackboard courses will students see?
- What if I teach a course but I am not officially designated as the instructor?
- How do I delete an old Blackboard course from my account?
- What do the red exclamation point and red question mark mean in the Gradebook?
- I'm a TA for a course that uses Blackboard. How do I get TA-level access to the site?
What IDs/accounts do I need to have access to all technology related services?
You will need:
Hunter NetID: Your Hunter NetID gives you access to the majority of the systems at Hunter College.
CUNY Portal username: Gives you access to the CUNY Portal, Blackboard and CUNY eMall.
Hunter ID card (OneCard): Gives you access to all building entrances at Hunter College. This will also be used to borrow library books, and for some printing and photocopying.
Each faculty and staff member at Hunter College is given a username, also known as a NetID. This NetID is computer generated and cannot be changed, except in cases of legal name change. You can look up your NetID by visiting NetID Central and clicking where it says, "Don't know your NetID".
How do I access my Hunter e-mail account?
There are currently two options for logging into your Hunter e-mail. Many e-mail accounts have been migrated to the Exchange Server. If your e-mail account has been migrated, you can access your Hunter e-mail via the web interface http://mail.hunter.cuny.edu
If you have not yet been migrated, you can access your Hunter e-mail via the web interface http://webmail.hunter.cuny.edu Hunter's webmail system offers both an Enhanced Edition and a Standard Edition. The choice is completely up to the user. The only difference is the layout of the options.
When logging into your Hunter email, please make sure that you are only using your NetID, not your full Hunter email address. If you include the @hunter.cuny.edu, the login will not work. Also, keep in mind that the password is case sensitive.
For more information see also E-Mail FAQ.
This is the central CUNY web page at http://www.cuny.edu which is supposed to provide the common starting point for anything anyone may want to learn about CUNY and its colleges and access specific services. While some information is available to everyone, other information and most services require a login. After login, a user (student, faculty, staff, visitors) sees a personalized page ("MyPage") offering the services and information available to people in this user group. The Portal login information is passed along ("single sign on" or SSO) so that it is not necessary to login separately to access specific services like Blackboard or eSIMS (the online system for students to register for courses, pay their tuition bills, and more).
How do I register at the CUNY Portal?
To obtain CUNY Portal login information (user name & password), a one time online registration is necessary -- following the link on the "Portal Log-in" page. During the registration process, information supplied by the user will be checked against a database (LDAP) and users can only select a "role" for which as they are already known to CUNY, i.e., a user can register as "student" only if admitted already and all admission information is processed; and a user can register as "faculty" only if he/she is already in the CUNY personnel system (now HCM, formerly CUPS).
The "role" with which a Portal user is registered determines which services are available to her/him. E.g., only Portal users with the role of "student", "faculty" or "staff" have access the Blackboard system, only users with the role of "student" have access to eSIMS. In contrast, registration with the role of "applicant" or "visitor" is not sufficient to access either Bb or eSIMS.
If you are new to the CUNY system, you must first activate your account. To do this, please go to http://portal.cuny.edu and click the link that says "Register for a New Account" and follow the steps to create a username and password for yourself. Follow this detailed illustrated guide.
How do I get my Hunter ID card?
Your Hunter ID card (which is also referred to as OneCard) is issued on the first floor of the West building.
Hours of Operation:
Monday and Thursday: 9:00am-6:30pm
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 9:00pm-5:00pm
*A photo will be taken on the spot.
How do I get a (new) computer for my office?
New full time faculty receives a new computer as part of the standard office set up; computers for existing faculty are replaced every four years. Faculty have a choice of four computer types:
- Macintosh Laptop
- Macintosh Desktop
- PC Laptop
- PC Desktop
For more details on the computer offered, please click here
If there is a computer that you are interested in that is not on our list of eligible computers, the order can still be placed; however the faculty member's department is required to pay the difference in price. In order to obtain a computer, you must have departmental approval from the chair of the department, which is given to Vanessa Uruci in the Instructional Computing and Information Technology (ICIT) main office. Her contact information is as follows: vuruci@hunter.cuny.edu 212-772-4946
As a part-time faculty member, what access to computers do I have?
As with just office space, the answer to this question differs greatly by department (and your exact status, e.g., graduate teaching fellow vs. adjunct professor). So, you need to check with your department for details. However, at minimum, you have similar access to computers as students, i.e., to computers in the open labs. Check the page on computer labs on the ICIT web site. In addition, a limited number of laptop computers are available for (semester long) loan for those faculty teaching technology enhanced classes.
What software is available to me and where do I get it?
A number of software products are site licensed and available to faculty free of charge. These include the MS Office suite, Symantec Endpoint Protection (anti-virus software), SPSS, JMP, Mathematica, and more. A list of available software can be found here. CUNY licensed software is available via the eMall (which can accessed by logging into the CUNY Portal). Hunter licensed software can be requested via the faculty help desk.
How do I use the voicemail from my office telephone?
On-campus: There are multiple ways to access your voicemail on your telephone. The first option is if there is a "voicemail" button on your telephone. Please keep in mind; this button is not on all versions of the telephone. The second option, which will work from all phones, is to dial "88". When entering your extension, please make sure that you dial it with a "1" in front of it. For example, if your extension is "5555", you would dial "15555" as the extension. You must then put in your password for the voicemail. If you do not know the password for the voicemail or if you forget the password, you can contact the Faculty and Staff Helpdesk at 212-722-4357 or helpdesk@hunter.cuny.edu and they can have the password reset for you.
Off-campus: Simply dial 212-396-6245 and the steps will then be the same as if you were on campus.
Check the overview of help guides and instructions.
Blackboard (Bb) is a web-based learning management system (LMS), which provides instructors with tools for organizing and designing virtual classroom space. Course shells are created automatically for all courses that are listed in the online schedule of classes, but it is up to the instructor to actually use Bb and to make Bb course sites available to his/her students. For directions on how to make the course available, please click here. Bb course sites are used for both conventional classroom courses as well as courses which are conducted partly or fully online.
How do Blackboard courses get created?
If you don't see a Bb site for a course you are teaching in the "My Courses" box on your Bb home page, the first thing to check in the online schedule of classes to see whether you are the "instructor of record". If not, contact your department.
(more, also Bb Policies).
Hunter keeps a Blackboard (Status) Information page outside the Bb system which is updated, as necessary, to provide current information about access and usage problems and solutions. Faculty are encouraged to bookmark this page and use the link to the Portal/Bb login page on this page:
http://bb.hunter.cuny.edu
What support does Hunter offer for Teaching & Learning with Technology?
Beyond the faculty help desk, there are four major units within ICIT which provide support and assistance for Teaching & Learning with Technology:
- Technology Teaching and Learning Group (TTLG)
- Technology Resource Center (TRC)
- Classroom Technology Services -- better known to most people at Hunter as "Audio-Visual Services (AVS)"
- Interactive Video Technologies services -- better know as the (synchronous) "Distance Learning Center"
Check out their web sites to find out more about what each unit offers.
Does Hunter have any special programs/initiatives to support Teaching & Learning with Technology?
Yes, expanding the use of technology for teaching and learning is a prime objective of both CUNY overall and Hunter College in particular. President Raab started the FITT (Faculty Innovations in Teaching with Technology) initiative in 2008 which is complemented by the "Tech Thursday" events, informal lunch meeting open to all faculty interested in exploring and discussion. Both initiatives are supported by the TTLG staff.
What teaching related services are mandatory?
- Informed Registration is used to upload textbook, syllabus and other course information for your course so that students are aware of what the additional cost of the course will be.
- WebRoster is where faculty can see the full rosters for which they are the "instructor of record". There rosters are updated every night and reflect the official enrollment in SIMS as of the previous day.
- WebAttendance is a mandatory tool to submit attendance data online.
- WebGrade is used to submit final course grades. Once the grades are submitted, they cannot be changed via WebGrade; a "change of grade" for must be filled out.
What is "Informed Registration (IR)"?
Informed Registration is a comprehensive effort to "enable students to make informed choices at the time of registration, based on information that is more extensive than what can be found in the College catalog and is easily and quickly accessible" (Report by the Hunter Senate Undergraduate Course of Studies Committee [UCSC] in fall 2008). Detailed information and step-by-step instructions can be found at
http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/provost/informed-registration
How do students get access to Informed Registration materials?
Students simply click on the course name in the "Online Schedule of Classes". If there is additional information available, they will see a link to this information.
Can IR information be changed?
Absolutely, at any time. Simply upload new information and it will replace any previously posted information for the course. Instructors are encouraged to replace advance information with the full syllabus when it becomes available. This way, the IR system can double as a syllabus repository, so that students have access to syllabi from previous semesters as well. Information provided via the IR system is supposed to be term-specific. Therefore, information for the same course cannot be simply copied from one term to the next within the IR system.
How is this information submitted for Informed Registration?
The information can be submitted either directly by an instructor or by the department/program, which offers the course using any web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, etc.) via "Informed Registration": http://hunter.cuny.edu/informedregistration
- A faculty member must be listed in SIMS as the "instructor of record" to see his/her course(s) in Informed Registration
- Only departmental "super users" can upload information on behalf of faculty in their area
- Students cannot access Informed Registration
Both individual faculty members and "super users" use their Hunter NetID to log in to Informed Registration.
Who are these "super users" for Administrative Academic Technologies?
By default, department chairs and program directors are given the status of "super users". In additional, departmental chairs and program directors can designate additional persons as "super users" (most often the departmental administrative assistant, but in some departments faculty serve in this role). Once the request is processed, the Hunter NetID will provide "super user" access to Informed Registration.
How to check who is the "instructor of record" for a course?
There are two ways:
- People with access to SIMS (SIMS is the official "Student Information Management System" at Hunter) can check directly in SIMS; typically only chairs, departmental advisors, and administrative assistants have a SIMS account (provided by the Registrar's office).
- Everybody can check the "Online Schedule of Classes" (http://registrar.hunter.cuny.edu/subpages/searchclass.shtml ) updated nightly and reflecting the status in SIMS as of the previous day.
How to update the instructor information in SIMS?
After the "Online Schedule of Classes" for a term becomes available, departments/program are required to update instructor information via "WebTeachingload": http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/webteachingload
In contrast to Informed Registration, a special account is needed to get access. Departments/program should contact the Faculty and Staff Helpdesk (212-772-4357 or helpdesk@hunter.cuny.edu) if they need a new account, refresh the password, or need help with using this feature. Keeping the instructor information in SIMS current is essential to provide access to a number of services to faculty.
When using WebTeachingload, it is crucial that the social security number of the instructor is entered correctly. If the social security number is entered incorrectly, he/she may not be able to access his/her Blackboard course site.
Why is it important to keep instructor information current in SIMS?
As already mentioned, only "instructors of record" can use Informed Registration and provide students with the best information available about an upcoming -- or a past -- course. But there are additional important reasons:
- Only the "instructor of record" can access the Blackboard (Bb) course shell.
- Only the "instructor of record" can retrieve up-to-date (actually, as of the previous day) official rosters for his/her course via "WebRoster".
- The registrar needs accurate instructor information for "WebAttendance" and "WebGrade" -- the online submission of attendance data and final course grades.
- The Office of Institutional Research (within the Provost Office) needs accurate instructor information to meet various reporting mandates.
Faculty and "super users" can access the official roster via "WebRoster":
http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/webroster
As with "Informed Registration", access is via the user's Hunter NetID. Faculty can see the rosters for which they are the "instructor of record", "super users" can see the rosters for all courses in their area. These rosters are updated every night and reflect the official enrollment in SIMS as of the previous day.
As only students officially enrolled in a course can receive credit and a grade, it is important for all instructors to check whether all their students appear on the official roster. It is recommended to check frequently during first two weeks of a semester. Any student not or no longer on the SIMS roster must be asked to contact the Registrar's office immediately.
These rosters include the Hunter e-mail address for the students, if the instructor needs/wants to contact (all) students in her/his course -- for whatever reason. Instructors using their Bb course site can contact their students via the built-in e-mail feature, but WebRoster provides another (backup) option to obtain Hunter e-mail addresses for all students in a course/section. In contrast, student have a choice which e-mail address to use and they can change it at any time -- as long as it is a CUNY e-mail address.
Official enrollments (as shown in the SIMS rosters) are automatically transferred from SIMS to Blackboard and this process should complete within 24 to 48 hours. The course roster an instructor sees in Blackboard should match the roster obtained via "WebRoster".
To comply with various mandates related to providing students with financial aid, colleges need to collect information about students' class attendance. "WebAttendance" provides instructors with a tool to submit attendance data online using any web browser.
http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/webattendance
"WebGrade" works very similar to "WebAttendance"-- except that in place of attendance information final course grades are submitted. Once submitted, grades cannot be changed online via "WebGrade". Rather, "change of grade" forms must be filled out.
http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/webgrade
My question is not addressed in this document, where can I find more information?
A good place to start looking is the ICIT web site. Also, note that the Hunter library maintains its own web site and that you find information about and access to technology services provided by the library (including downloads of bibliographical software like EndNote and online access to journal databases) on the library web site.
The faculty help desk is also available via email and telephone for assistance with issues and any questions you may have.
I am new to the CUNY system and need to register for a CUNY portal username and password. How do I do this?
Go to http://cuny.edu and look towards the upper left section of your screen. Click where it says "Portal Log-In/Blackboard/eSims"
Above the log in box, you will see an option that says "Register for a New Account". Click on that option.
Select the role that applies to your role at Hunter College. It will then ask for your last name, social security number and date of birth. Once you put in this information, you will create yourself a Portal username and password.
*Please note: If you get a message saying your information does not match our records, it could mean one of two things. Either your information has not been processed yet; therefore you are not in the system yet. Or your information was entered incorrectly. If you are a student, you should verify this information with the Registrar's Office. If you are Faculty/Staff, you should verify this information with Human Resources.
I forgot my Blackboard/CUNY Portal password. How do I reset it?
There are two options for resetting your Blackboard/CUNY Portal Password.
The first option is to go to http://cuny.edu and click "Portal Log-In/Blackboard/eSims" at the top left corner.
Towards the middle of your screen, you will have an option above the log in box that says "E-mail a New Password".
You will then be prompted to put in your CUNY Portal username. Once you do that and click "E-mail Password", an email will be sent to the email address associated with your CUNY Portal ID.
The second option is to go to http://cuny.edu, and click "Portal Log-In/Blackboard/eSims" in the top left corner.
Select the "Account and Password Reset" option in the middle of the screen, above the log in box.
You will then be asked to verify your identiy by typing your last name, social security number, and your date of birth.
You will then see a screen that verifies the information you just typed in. If all the information is correct, click "Confirm". If any piece of the information is incorrect, click "Cancel" and fix any mistakes.
On the following page, your Portal ID will be displayed and there will be two boxes. To reset your password, please enter your new password twice on each box and then click on "Save".
Your new password will be immediately useable; you can go back to the Portal Log-in Page and log in with your Portal ID and password.
For a pdf version of these instructions, please click here.
How do I make my course available to my students?
It is important to know that by default, your course is NOT available to your students. You must make the course available in order for the students to see and access the course.
Once you have clicked on the course that you want to make available to your students, click "Control Panel" on the left side of the screen. The Control Panel options will expand underneath.
Select "Customization" and then "Properties".
Go to item number 3 titled "Set Availability". Select "Yes".
Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the "Submit" button to activate the change.
For a pdf version of these instructions, please click here.
I have a student who cannot see the course. What is the problem?
There could be several reasons why this is occurring:
A. Make sure that you have made your course available to your students. Many instructors are not aware that they need to do this. By default, the course is made unavailable to students.
B. There is a 24-48 hour delay between registering for a course in eSIMS and having it show up in Blackboard. If the student has just registered for this course, they will not see the course for a day or two. Your WebRoster will be up to date. You can check there to make sure the student is officially registered for the course.
I am teaching multiple courses with the same information and would like to merge my Blackboard courses. How do I do this?
To have one course for both sections, you would email the bb@hunter.cuny.edu with your class information. This would include all the course names as well as the course ids. An example of a course id is: HUNTR_POLSC_11000_001_201009
You must also provide us with which course you would like as the main course, also known as the target course, and which courses you would like as the source courses. The target course is the course that will have all of the content, and all of the other courses will be merged into. The source courses are all of the other courses that you would like included in the main course.
I am the instructor of a course, however, the course is not showing up on my Blackboard. What can I do?
You must be listed as the Instructor of Record on the Registrar's list of online classes. That list can be viewed here. If you are not listed as the instructor of the course on this page, you must contact your department and have them add you. Once you have been added, you will have access to the Blackboard course.
If you have checked the Registrar's list of online classes, and you are listed as the instructor but are still unable to see the course on your blackboard account, please contact the Faculty and Staff Helpdesk by telephone at 212-772-4357 or by email at helpdesk@hunter.cuny.edu.
Where do I login to Blackboard?
To login to Blackboard, you must first go to http://cuny.edu.
You will then click "Portal Log-in/Blackboard/eSIMS at the top left corner of the screen.
Below the log in boxes, there is a link that says "Alternative Blackboard Login". By clicking this, it will prompt you for your username and password and will sign you in directly to Blackboard.
A pop up window will come up for you to enter your CUNY Portal username and password.
For an online version of these instructions, please click here.
How do my students access the Blackboard course site?
Once the student is logged into Blackboard, they will have a "My Courses" list on the right side of their screen. This section will be similar to the "My Courses" you see, however, theirs is classes that they are enrolled in.
They will have a list of classes that they are enrolled in, and they just click on the course they would like to access.
If the student has issues getting to this point, they can contact the Student Helpdesk at studenthelpdesk@hunter.cuny.edu or by telephone at 212-650-3624.
Where can students and faculty members get help with Blackboard?
Students can contact the student Helpdesk for assistance:
Email: studenthelpdesk@hunter.cuny.edu
Telephone: 212-650-3624
Location: Thomas Hunter 405
Faculty and Staff can contact the Faculty and Staff Helpdesk for assistance:
Email: helpdesk@hunter.cuny.edu
Telephone: 212-772-4357
Location: 4th Floor of Thomas Hunter Building
The Technology Resource Center (TRC) also offers trainings on Blackboard for Faculty, Staff and Students. For a list of their trainings please click here
How can I get training on Blackboard?
The Technology Resource Center offers multiple forms of training for Blackboard. They offer group trainings, walk-ins as well as workshops for Blackboard. To see a full list of what they offer, please visit their training website here.
Do all courses have a Blackboard presence?
Yes, all official courses have a Blackboard presence, but your students will not see a Blackboard site for your course unless you make it available to them. For step-by-step instructions on how to make a course available to your students, please look
Are students automatically enrolled in my Blackboard course?
Yes, all official courses offered through the Registrar are automatically populated with the correct students based on information from the Registrar's database. To verify which students are officially registered in your course, you can log onto your WebRoster using your Hunter NetID and password.
How can I change the title of my course?
To change the title of your course you must first click on the course in your list of "My Courses". Then on the left side of the screen, under "Control Panel", click "Customization" and then "Preferences".
You will then be brought to the Properties page. The name of your course can be changed under Step 1: Name and Description.
Once you have changed the name of the course, make sure to click "Submit" at the top right corner to save your changes.
How can I change the names of my content areas and remove the ones I don't want to use?
Once you have entered your desired coures on Blackboard, you will see the Content Area list on your left.
To change the name of a specific content area, click the double downward pointing arrows to the right of the content area name and select "Rename Link".
To remove a specific content area that you do not want, click the double downward pointing arrows to the right of the content area name and select "Delete".
Which is the "official roster"?
The official roster is still the one issued by the Registrar's Office. The Blackboard Roster is not the official class roster and should not be treated as such. There is a 24 to 48 hour delay in populating the Blackboard Roster with official roster changes.
What if there is a discrepancy between the WebRoster and Blackboard?
It is likely that there will be discrepancies between the paper roster and the Blackboard class list, especially during the open enrollment period. The Blackboard class list is updated Monday through Friday based on student activity at the Registrar's Office the previous day.
Some of my students have 2 Blackboard accounts. Which one should they use?
Many students do not realize that when they are applying to CUNY schools, they create a Portal account, which is an applicant account. This is not the account they should be using once they are registered students. Once they have become accepted students, they must create a "student" account on the CUNY Portal. To check on which account is the correct one to use, or for assistance on created a new account, the student can contact the Student Helpdesk.
Email: studenthelpdesk@hunter.cuny.edu
Telephone: 212-650-3624
How can I add TA's to Blackboard who are not officially enrolled in the course?
You can enroll a teaching assistant by first clicking on the desired course, than clicking "Users and Groups" located in the Control Panel on the left side of your screen.
Select "Users" from the menu options that drop down.
Click the "Find Users to Enroll" button towards the top of the screen.
Click on the Browse button to search for Blackboard Users.
A pop up window will open up. You will have the option to search for the user by first name, last name, username (username is not their CUNY Portal username, but a 20-digit identification number used on Blackboard) or emai address. Please note: if you cannot find a user using their email address, it is possible that a different email is associated with their blackboard course.
Once you have found the user you would like to add, check of the box to the left of their name and click Submit at the bottom.
*Please note that this does not constitute an official enrollment. A student must enroll through the Registrar's office in order to receive credit for the course.
What types of files can I attach?
Any of the following File Type Extensions below can be added to your Blackboard course.
*Please Note: There is a file size limitation of 25mb
Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) .pdf
Adobe Scalable Vector Graphics file (SVG) .svg
Apple QhunterkTime movie .mov
Graphics Interchange Format file (.gif graphic) .gif
Joint Photographic Expert Group file (.jpg graphic) .jpg
Macromedia Flash movie .swf
Macromedia Streamable Shockwave Audio file .swa
Microsoft Access database .mdb
Microsoft Excel workbook .xls
Microsoft Excel template .xlt
Microsoft PowerPoint presentation .ppt and .pptx
Microsoft PowerPoint template .pot and .potx
Microsoft Word document .doc and .docx
Microsoft Word template .dot and .dotx
Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) movie .mpg
Moving Pictures Expert Group 3 (MP3) file .mp3
Plain text document .txt
Real Audio media file .ram
Rich Text Format (RTF) document .rtf
Tagged Image File Format file (TIFF graphic) .tif
Wave sound file .wav
Web page (HTML) .html
Windows Media file .wma
Zip-compressed archive .zip
When I am adding course items, what is the difference between "Smart Text", "Plain Text", and "HTML" under the text box?
- Smart Text is usually your best bet. It displays carriage returns and understands HTML tags. It will also automatically make a URL(i.e.http://www.hunter.cuny.edu) a clickable link.
- Plain Text will not display any formatting. All your text will show up in one big paragraph.
- HTML will format text based on HTML tags only.
*Please note: there may be issues viewing different text and text boxes depending on what web browser you are using. We recommend Firefox to be used with Blackboard.
How do I add images to Blackboard course items?
The first way to add an image is to first go into the course and then click "Class Section" from the left side of the screen.
Go to "Build Content" at the top of your screen, and select "Item".
You must include a title on the item, than click Browse My Computer to find the image.
Select the image that you would like to upload, and click "Open". You will be returned to the Blackboard "Add Item" list. Click "Submit" on the bottom right corner to save your changes.
*Please note: You do not have to select Class Sessions to add your image. You can click on the specific content area where you would like to add the image. You will follow the same steps.
Can I attach and upload spreadsheets, word-processing, and other documents that I've already created?
Yes. You can upload any type of files into Blackboard. However, students must have a software program on their computer capable of opening the file type. If you are not sure that all students will have an appropriate program, consider converting the file into HTML format, which is accessible to all Blackboard users.
What is the best way to upload a set of PowerPoint slides?
There are three ways to upload a PowerPoint slideshow into Blackboard. The one you pick depends on how you expect students to use the slideshow.
A. If you want students to be able to print the slideshow easily and have access to the notes, you can simply attach the PowerPoint file to a Blackboard course item. If you use this method, your students must have PowerPoint installed on their machines to view the file.
B. If you want students to be able to print the slideshow easily and have access to the notes, but are worried that they will not have PowerPoint installed on their machines, we recommend saving the file as a PDF document. You can then attach the PDF to a course item.
C. If you want students to view the information mostly online and are not expecting them to print out the pages, we would recommend that you save the file as HTML. Zip up all the files that are created using WinZip (which is available on NuNet). You can then attach the zip file to a course item.
The files I've attached are not accessible to students. What is wrong?
Assuming that your students have the proper software installed, there are three possible issues here:
A. Is your course available to your students? The course is defaulted to be unavailable and you, as the instructor, must make the course available to your students. Instructions on how to do this can be found here.
B. The problem might be related to the name of the file you've uploaded. Avoid spaces in your file names and keep your file names reasonably short (under 20 characters). Special characters such as slashes or colons cannot be used in file names on the Web. Tip: Stick to letters, numbers, and underscores (_), and you will never have trouble.
C. Are you using a Mac? See Blackboard's handout on Supported File Types for a list of possible extensions.
D. Check the web browser that you are using. To assist you with checking if your browser is working properly, please see the animated tutorial available here.
When students open a Word (Excel, PowerPoint) file, they cannot easily save or modify the file because the program's menu does not appear. What should they do?
This problem usually occurs on a PC and has to do with the pop-up blocker being turned on. The best way to solve this problem is to "right-click" on the link to the file and choose "Save Target As...". This will save the file to their computer where they can open it in the appropriate program.
Are files that are uploaded to (or downloaded from) Blackboard automatically checked for viruses?
No, there is no easy way to automatically check for viruses on the Blackboard server or any Internet based server. The best way to protect yourself is to have a virus protection program installed on your personal computer.
The CUNY eMall has virus protection software available for a free download for users home machines. To access the CUNY eMall, you must log into the CUNY Portal.
Can I re-use a Blackboard course I developed last year?
You can reuse the information, but not the course shell. You must use the shell that is created for the course. For assistance with copying your course materials, please see our document "Copying Materials from Previous Blackboard Courses".
I don't want to share my email address or other personal information with my students. Will they see this information?
This information is not visible to your students. They will be able to send you an email via Blackboard; however, they will not see the email address that it is going to.
Can students see each other's email accounts?
No. Students can only see other student's names, not their email addresses.
What does the "Lock" function do within Blackboard discussions?
The "Lock" tool allows you to stop the discussion of a particular topic. In the list of discussion board threads, there is a double downward pointing arrow to the right of the Thread name. If you click that, there will be a "lock" option. Once the posts are locked, students will not be able to respond to those messages, although they will still be able to read them.
What are groups on Blackboard and how do I create one?
Groups may be useful for teaching assistants and the small section of students that they work with. You may also want to create groups for students working on a project or researching a common topic. Groups are also very useful for those with Organizations on Blackboard. For assistance with creating groups, please see our "Create Single Groups" document.
One of my students had technical problems and was unable to complete a quiz. How do I reset it so he can retake it?
If a student has a technical problem submitting a quiz, the instructor can reset the quiz grade and allow the student to retake the quiz.
Once you are in the course, go to the Control Panel on the left side of the screen, and click Grade Center. Then click Full Grade Center.
Next to the assignment in question, click the double downward facing arrow and select View Grade Details.
Below, you will see the Clear Attempt option.
Can I find out what a student's major is on Blackboard?
No. Blackboard does not currently track this information. The students major can be found on the WebRoster for the class, or you can contact the Registrar's Office for this information.
Is Blackboard's gradebook tied to the Registrar's database?
No. The gradebook in Blackboard is unofficial and is not linked to the Registrar's database.
How soon before the semester begins will I be able to access my courses on Blackboard so that I can begin adding content?
Blackboard courses are available approximately two months prior to the start of each semester. However, it is important to keep in mind that these Blackboard courses will only be created for courses that are listed on the Registrar's official list of online classes. Also, you must be listed as the official instructor of that course on the same page. If the course is not listed, or the instructor is not listed, you will not see the course.
What Blackboard courses will students see?
Students will see only courses in which they are officially registered, and that the instructors have explicitly made available.
What if I teach a course but I am not officially designated as the instructor?
You will not have access to the course unless you are listed as the official Instructor of Record. If you are not officially listed as the Instructor of Record, please contact your department and request that information be changed.
How do I delete an old Blackboard course from my account?
Blackboard courses are automatically left on your account for at least a year after the course has been offered. You do have the option to hide courses by using the wheel image on your homepage if you would like the course not to show on the list of "My Courses"
What do the red exclamation point and red question mark mean in the Gradebook?
If you see a Red Exclamation Point in the gradebook, it means that a quiz or an assignment needs to be graded. When a student completes an "Assignment" course item, the red exclamation point indicates that it has been submitted and now needs to be graded by the instructor. The red exclamation point will also appear for a timed quiz when the student has exceeded the time allotted, or when an essay question is included in the quiz, which Blackboard cannot automatically grade.
The Red Question Mark indicates that there has been some sort of grading error with a quiz. Some possible errors that could occur are (1) a student has entered the quiz, but left the quiz screen without submitting any answers, (2) a student's computer freezes or the browser quits on them unexpectedly before they complete the quiz (3) the student has attempted to resize the browser window in Netscape after entering a quiz, which often resets the screen.
If a student's grade appears as a red question mark, the instructor can reset the quiz grade and allow the student to retake the quiz through "Control Panel > Gradebook". Once in the grade book click on the red question mark. Click the "View" button to the right of the quiz information. Then click "Clear Attempt".
I'm a TA for a course that uses Blackboard. How do I get TA-level access to the site?
The instructor of the course can grant you access to the site as a TA, so you will need to contact him or her about this.
