Blackboard Ultra at Syracuse University
- Sturdy Knight
- Matthew Warne
Welcome!
Blackboard Learn Ultra is the supported Learning Management System (LMS) at Syracuse University. The Ultra course view layout utilizes contemporary web design practices that meet current accessibility guidelines and responsiveness across all device sizes. This creates a consistent and seamless experience for both faculty and learners when moving between a desktop, tablet and mobile device.
Finishing the Transition to Blackboard Ultra - Spring 2025
With the start of the Spring '25 semester, we are now at the end of our transition from Blackboard original to Blackboard Ultra. The last term in which Blackboard courses were conducted in original course view was Spring '24. Starting with Summer '25, all annually-offered courses will have been in Ultra view for at least one academic cycle. All Blackboard organizations will also transition to Ultra view by the start of Summer '25.
Following the 2024-25 academic year, Online Learning Services will continue to maintain access to original view courses and organizations for faculty and staff, but starting from Summer '25 will be offering technical support for original view only for the purposes of transferring and updating Blackboard data/content into new Ultra view courses or organizations. Please note that some features and tools from original view are already unavailable due to the end of developer support, and associated data may be unrecoverable. If you have older course content that you wish to preserve, please make a plan to copy it out of your original view courses/organizations as soon as possible.
For more information, or any Blackboard questions not addressed in the answers pages indexed on the left, email help@syr.edu, or use our MS Bookings calendar to make a live support appointment with an OLS staff member.
Blackboard is available to all SU faculty, students, and instructional staff. Users with an active SU NetID can Login to Blackboard using their NetID and password.
If you cannot find information related to your specific question in the Answers index, Contact the Help Desk or email help@syr.edu and include “Blackboard” in the subject line of your message.
Answers Guides for Instructors
Below are links to Blackboard Answers pages created for SU instructors by Online Learning Services, indexed by main topic areas. Frequently referenced Answers are highlighted for each index. A full page list for each index can be viewed in the page tree on the left.
Answers about Blackboard login access, setup, technical settings and requirements, and general FAQ's
Top Pages
Accessing Blackboard - how to login to Blackboard and locate your courses
Blackboard Support Contacts - contact information for the ITS service center and Blackboard support group, and for school/college IT offices
Locating Blackboard Courses - searching/filtering your course list
Full Page List
Answers about managing course availability and appearance, course enrollments and merges, announcements, calendar, email/messages, notification settings, etc.
Top Pages
Start of Semester Frequently Asked Questions (SOS - FAQ) - common questions and request forms related to setting up new Blackboard courses
Course Availability - making your Blackboard course available to students
Merge Course Enrollments - combining 2 or more sections under a single "parent" course in Blackboard
Course Announcements - posting announcements and sending mass notifications to all users in a course
Course Messages - sending direct messages to selected users/groups in your course
Full Page List
Answers about building and publishing course content including documents, embedded files, links, streaming media, assignments, etc.
Top Pages
Create Content - adding new items to the course content area
Modules and Folders - organizing items in the course content area
Copying Content - transferring files and content from other Blackboard courses
Content Visibility and Release Conditions - managing student access to items in the course content area
Full Page List
Answers about using the Blackboard Ultra gradebook and course analytics tools
Top Pages
/wiki/spaces/blackboard01/pages/154386419 - overview of the Gradebook interface
Grading Rubrics - creating and applying grading rubrics
Attendance - using the attendance tool and importing into the Gradebook
Full Page List
Answers about managing your course roster, including tools and settings for individual students and creating groups
Top Pages
Course Roster - using the course roster
Group Sets and Groups - creating new groups and enrolling students
Accommodations - changing course settings/permissions for individual students to reflect accommodations
Full Page List
Answers about supported tools for online learning including Zoom, Kaltura, PlayPosit, PointSolutions, Microsoft 365, and Google Suite, as well as information about the process for requesting to connect other third-party tools to SU Blackboard
Top Pages
Content Market Tools - accessing the full list of supported third-party tools that can be linked/embedded in Ultra courses
Kaltura Video - embedding videos from your Kaltura Media library into Blackboard content
Turnitin - creating a Turnitin assignment link in the course content area and linking to the Blackboard gradebook
Zoom - embedding a Zoom meeting link and/or recording in the Blackboard content area
Full Page List
Answers Guides for Students
Blackboard Answers for students
Top Pages
Student Profile - editing you Blackboard profile picture, language preferences, and notifications
Course Navigation - finding course information, files, assignments, and grades in Blackboard
Submissions and Grades - submitting assignments in Blackboard and checking grading status/feedback
Full Page List