Blackboard Guidelines

BCM faculty, staff, and students each have one Bb account that will be used for all of their Bb activities. Access to the Bb software will be attained using the BCM Single Sign-on (SSO) with a BCM username and password. BCM IT manages all SSO usernames and passwords.

Users who do not have a BCM SSO account (teaching faculty from other Institutions, teaching faculty from other hospitals/clinics, guest lecturers or mentors, for example) may each be provided an account that is a Blackboard-only username and password, at the request of a “sponsor” (faculty or staff member). These accounts (referred to as “special users”) are considered temporary, but are renewable on an annual basis, with the approval of the BCM sponsor. Such accounts are assigned only to individuals who are working with BCM faculty/staff on officially recognized activities on the Bb system (i.e., those included under the institution’s license for Bb). Exceptions are not made for students/faculty/staff from other institutions who desire to be enrolled as students in a course, as it is prohibited by our Blackboard User License Agreement.

The Bb system will allow an individual to gain access (audit) to specific areas of courses, not including course rosters, user tools (e.g., user directory), or communication tools. The Course may, at the discretion of the instructor, be made entirely or partially available to guests. Each site is locked to facilitate Fair Use posting of course materials and may only be made accessible to guests by the instructor or system administrator at the instructor’s request.

In order for students to have full access, instructors make courses available. -Instructors may, at their discretion, provide full or partial access to their course site(s) to currently enrolled BCM students. Course enrollment is different in each school. Each school’s admin is responsible for adding students to classes unless other arrangements have been made by the Bb Admin. All electives and some courses are self-enrolled, meaning students search for the course through the Blackboard Course Catalog and enroll themselves. 

The College recognizes that some students may pursue additional educational opportunities or have other circumstances that prevent completion of the school requirements.  According to the BCM-wide LOA Policy (section IV.4), students on LOA should retain very limited set of resources.  However, each school has their own preferences for allowing/not allowing student access to Blackboard while on LOA.

Students have access to their course(s) until an instructor makes the course unavailable. This is typically done at the end of a term, but is at the discretion of the instructor and/or school policy. 

Each user can have only one role per course. These roles are course-specific, so a single user could be assigned the Instructor role in one course, but be assigned the Student role in another course. View the course role chart.

Most official courses offered by Baylor College of Medicine will have a Course Shell created from a template for that term in the Blackboard System. Each Course Shell is created and assigned a course ID according to the terms in the Blackboard Use above and follows the operations calendar below:

Note: Some course shells for cross-listed courses (courses that are listed under two or more schools) are created by the school/system Blackboard Admin following the request of the program director or course director from the primary school listed in CAMS.

Course shells are created without course content. Faculty/Staff copy content forward from a previous year.

• To learn more about copying content, visit Blackboard Beginning of Semester.

Blackboard courses have a 2GB limit. Users are not able to upload files once the limit has been reached. At 1.5GB, Instructors will get an email stating that their course quota has almost been reached. Courses larger than 2GB cannot be restored (if errors occur) within the system. Steps to reduce the size of a course can include:

• Compress your documents to make the file size smaller. Especially if you have documents with images.
• Get comfortable using and deleting files in the Content Collection. If you update your files several times, all those revised files are still in your course taking up space. Files uploaded to a Content Area from your computer are just links to the file. The actual location of the files are in the Content Collection.
• Add large files to OneDrive and link back to them in Blackboard.
• If the course size quota needs to be adjusted, Ed-Tech needs to be notified in order to evaluate the request. The course quota will be increased in 1000MB (1GB) increments.

View more information about Course Size Limit.

To avoid running out of course space - Ed-Tech recommends storing files larger than 50MB, especially video and audio files, outside of Blackboard and linking to them in the course. Videos can be linked/embedded through YouTube, vBrick or OneDrive. Large files quickly use up space in your course. Become familiar with the Content Collection to avoid duplicate files.

• In Ultra courses, users who attempt to upload files that are larger than the specified restriction will receive a warning [view screenshot], indicating the filenames of files that were rejected. When adding multiple files at once, each file is considered individually and accepted or rejected based on their individual sizes.
• Record and Upload Videos using Video Studio instead of uploading files to the course. Otherwise, videos can be uploaded on sites like vBrick or Microsoft Stream.
• The file size limit isn’t applied when uploading course import or SCORM packages.
• Blackboard mobile apps have an existing file size limit for Ultra courses that is set to 250MB. That is unchanged with this release.

Blackboard maximum course size is 2.00 GB. While it is possible to upload .mp4, .mov, and narrated .ppt files into Blackboard (Bb), these file types tend to be very large, which quickly uses up the finite amount of available Bb course data and can cause time lags and download issues for students. For this reason, we recommend using cloud storage or vBrick outlined here to host videos and link to Blackboard.

See also, the Course Content page

Videos may NOT be uploaded directly to Blackboard. Instead, they should be uploaded to cloud storage or vBrick and linked/embed back in Blackboard. Blackboard is not a video streaming service and should not be considered as such. If videos are found in the course, faculty/staff will be asked to remove them immediately.

To prevent the deletion of course records and integrity of data in the Bb environment, no manual changes in Course enrollments are allowed except by the Instructor of record or Program/Course Coordinator. Faculty assignments and student enrollments in Course are managed by the schools based on the following general operation guidelines: 

• Faculty assigned to a course (one or more instructors of record) are added to new Course Shell upon their creation in the Bb environment (prior to the official start date of the course).
• Officially registered students are enrolled in each Course scheduled for the term.
• Students that go on a Leave of Absence (LOA) or Withdraw from the school/program are disabled (made unavailable) in the corresponding Course(s). (This prevents the deletion of records of student participation in the Course up to that point.) This action prevents the student from logging into the course but does not remove them from the course Grade Center. Once a student is removed from the course, all their course data is deleted.

Instructions: Go to User/Groups, find the student in Users, Click on the arrow and choose Change Users Availability in Course, Change Availability to NO, Click Submit.

• User Account Creation/Deletion can only be done by the Bb Administrator. If a user account needs to be created, send an email to ed-tech@bcm.edu with the following information: ECA, LName, FName, BCM Email, BCM ID#, Role (student, Instructor, Course Builder, TA). 

If multiple users need to be enrolled, the information above must be added to a spread sheet and emailed to ed-tech@bcm.edu. 

For more information about enrolling users, visit Users and Groups.

All new Course Shells are created with the “unavailable” status. Only the instructor(s) of record and assigned teaching assistants have access to an unavailable Course and can change its availability status. 

If an instructor wants to use a Course during a term, he/she needs to set the course to the “available” status for enrolled students to be able to access the Course. Students have access to their course(s) until an instructor makes the course unavailable. This is typically done at the end of a term, but is at the discretion of the instructor and/or school policy. 

Course Shells will remain on the Bb environment for 8 years from the last day of the term in which the course was offered. At the end of each semester, each faculty member wishing to retain an archival copy of their course site and student work therein, may do so by using the “Archive” feature under Course Management. 

Instructions: Under Course Management, Click on Packages and Utilities, Export/Archive the Course, Archive Course, Click Submit. Depending on the size of the course, the file may take a few minutes to show up. Click Refresh. Once the file shows up, click on the arrow next to the file and select Open, then save the file to your computer. 

If this archive needs to be restored to the Blackboard system at a later time, the faculty member can contact the Blackboard Administrators. It is also recommended that faculty keep a gradebook export for quick reference in the event of grade disputes. NOTE: Only courses 2GB or smaller can be restored.

All Bb users must adhere to the Code of Conduct (31.1.01), which describes general expectations of BCM community members, and the Acceptable Use Policy (12.2.01), which describes prohibited uses of College equipment, information systems, internet, and user profiles, at all times. Each user is responsible for all Bb activity conducted using his/her account, and should not share their account password with anyone. College information systems, including Bb, must be used only for College-related activities. 

Consistent with BCM’s Academic Freedom Policy (02.2.01), academic freedom in discourse between teachers and Learners is essential to the pursuit of knowledge and other scholarly and research endeavors. The expression of personal opinions and ideas on Bb must clearly be presented as belonging to the individual and not attributed to BCM. Bb users must also refrain from posting any language or images that may constitute harassment or retaliation against another individual, as defined in the Policy Regarding Harassment, Discrimination, and Retaliation (02.2.25), and avoid using language or images in a manner that resembles Prohibited Conduct (see Sexual Misconduct and Prohibited Conduct Policy, 02.2.26). 

Faculty and staff interacting with learners on BB should also avoid language and behavior that could be construed as mistreatment (view Learner Mistreatment Policy, 23.2.02). 

Noncompliant users are subject to user account restrictions and disciplinary action. The Bb System Administrator may disable a Bb user account for observed inappropriate behavior or prohibited use. 

BCM is not responsible for the accuracy, integrity, or legality of any content uploaded to Course Shells by users. Users who upload Course materials are completely responsible for selecting their own content as well as verifying the accuracy, integrity, and legality of all chosen content. 

The Bb System Administrator is authorized to remove content that does not satisfy these Guidelines for appropriate use of Bb or is noncompliant with applicable laws or College policies. On the request of an education administrator (such as an instructor of record, program director, department chair, or dean) or member of senior leadership (such as vice president), the Bb System Administrator will remove content that the requestor deems to be illegal, offensive, or otherwise inappropriate based on a violation of BCM policy or BCM’s contractual agreement with Blackboard.

BCM community members must comply with intellectual property and copyright laws in both physical and virtual learning environments. The Use of Copyrighted Materials Policy (20.8.03), requires that all faculty, staff, and students observe applicable copyright laws, but take advantage of exceptions and exclusions that further BCM’s mission, such as the Fair Use exception. The Office of the General Counsel has identified additional resources for community members who need more guidance on the appropriate use of copyrighted materials in the learning environment.

Faculty, staff, and students are strongly encouraged to create links to materials in library databases that are already licensed by the TMC Library or exist in the public domain (such as publicly-available websites and online resources). Individuals interested in sharing or obtaining copyrighted materials (that are unavailable through the TMC or public domain) should use the Copyright Clearance Center’s Academic Annual License, which also permits sharing of copyrighted works between institutions for collaborative educational or research purposes. 

To comply with the requirements of the TEACH Act, instructors are strongly encouraged to promptly delete copyrighted materials uploaded to Course Sites after their use in the course has concluded. 

In a nutshell, 508 compliance means that all users, regardless of disability status, can access technology. It’s a way to break down barriers and provide new opportunities for all Internet users. Although the Bb environment itself is compliant with Section 508 standards, not all the content uploaded in Course Shells is. Instructors and students are urged to consider ways to make content accessible to users with disabilities. The use of Blackboard Ally helps build a more inclusive learning environment and improve the student experience by helping them take clear control of course content with usability, accessibility and quality in mind. In addition to providing faculty with insight to their content accessibility, Ally automatically creates alternative versions of your uploaded files. This allows students to choose the type of file they want that best suits their needs. While faculty in the process of improving files, students still access alternative copies. Ally also assists faculty in making their documents compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Email ed-tech@bcm.edu for more information about Ally. 

Student and Trainee Disability Services is available to assist students with disabilities with equal access to technology and electronic educational content.

Baylor College of Medicine is committed to providing equal education access for qualified students with disabilities in accordance with state and federal laws including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended in 2008, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Baylor’s goal is to provide students with disabilities access to needed resources so that all students are afforded every opportunity to do their best work. The Student Disability Policy formalizes BCM criteria for requesting accommodations, defines parameters for consideration of requests, and outlines procedures for appeal.

Student and Trainee Disability Services is available to assist students with disabilities with equal access to technology and electronic educational content.

All BCM community members must comply with the Policy on Patents and Other Intellectual Property (20.8.01), which states that BCM Intellectual Property is the property of BCM, to be owned and controlled solely by BCM. All rights thereto are determined and administered by BCM, as provided in that Policy. 

However, BCM recognizes the intellectual property rights of faculty, staff, and students in original Course materials that they create. Faculty members that create course materials and Course Shells retain all rights to their content – including the right to request and receive an archived copy of the Course in digital format. Use of a Course and access to its materials and tools are determined by the instructor(s) of record, and these rights may be reassigned by that individual. 

Faculty members may choose to post student work (or expect students to post their own work) on Course Shells. No evaluative commentary or grade information may be included with student work if the work includes information identifying its creator, in accordance with the requirements of the Family Educational Right to Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).

The Bb environment provides an easy-to-use interface for adding links to external websites and online resources from within their Courses. Faculty members are urged to create links rather than attempting to integrate the desired materials into their Course, to alleviate Copyright concerns and retain the integrity of materials and associated links in their original environment. 
 
Faculty, staff, and students are strongly encouraged to create links to materials in library databases that are already licensed by the TMC Library or exist in the public domain (such as publicly-available websites and online resources). The College is not responsible for content linked from Courses. It is the responsibility of the instructor to confirm that links from to external websites and online resources are viable and conform to these Guidelines for BB Use.

When creating links to external websites and online resources in their Courses, faculty members are urged to use the “URL” feature of the BB environment and select the option “Open in New Window”. Following these guidelines assures that linked content will open in a new window reflecting the URL address of external websites and online resources. On the contrary, opening links within the Bb environment without reflecting URL addresses should be avoided. 

Student data is governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). FERPA requires that maximum efforts be enlisted at all times to protect the privacy of student educational records. As with other college records, faculty members are cautioned to ensure that student information and participation records in the Bb environment is closely guarded. 

Faculty members may require as a condition of participation in a course that students make themselves and their work visible to other students, teaching assistants (College faculty, staff, or student work), and/or guests. Students must be informed of this condition of participation in the course, and consent via continued participation in the course is sufficient. 

When a faculty member elects to enroll teaching assistants and/or guests into their Course, they should provide some details as to what is visible and to whom. They should also provide some alternative accommodation when students have a genuine need for protection. 

While the Bb environment contains roster information for each Course Shell, it is not the official record of course rosters. CAMS is the sole repository of official course rosters. Course roster information is confidential, and can be accessed thru CAMS.

The Bb Grade Center is a tool designed for students and faculty to keep track of their course grades. However, while Grade Center information is confidential, it is not an official record of student grades, nor should it be considered a legally binding record of student grades. CAMS is the sole repository of official student grades. Each student has access to his/her official grade information thru the CAMS Portal.

In the event of an evacuation, Ed-Tech will ensure that current college enrollments are updated in Blackboard. You should plan to use the system to contact students. It might be a good idea to create a discussion board in each of your classes so that everyone can keep in touch.

In addition to regular course content - including syllabi, course documents, PowerPoint presentations, etc. - we encourage you to work ahead of time to request that supplemental instructional material (including streaming media or web tutorials) be posted in your courses. Working in advance will ensure that your material will be ready in the event of an evacuation. Last minute requests will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis as time permits.

As you plan for a possible evacuation, look ahead in two-week intervals and prepare an instructional content for that period. What will the students have to read? What will you expect in terms of assignments? Use the following template to help guide your work: 

• Presentation – How will you convey your lecture to students? This might be accomplished via PowerPoint or Prezi, or a narrated presentation, synchronous lecture via Zoom or Bb Collaborate or post a streaming video from the previous year from vBrick.
• Readings – Will you be using a textbook, or other material (journal articles, book chapters, etc.)? Make sure that these files are available in the system before you evacuate.
• Interaction / Communication – Will you use the Discussion Board? If you plan to use a blog but do not have one, you might want to set that up and send students the URL before evacuating. Will you plan for any synchronous “meetings” while you are away from campus? If so, be sure to let students know what time you plan on meeting, being mindful of time zones.
• Streamed Video Lectures – Are your lectures recorded and stored in vBrick? If so, you can embed or link to the videos in Blackboard for students to access easily. To avoid additional stress, preload the video content for several days in Blackboard and then it is just a matter of making the content available to the students.
• Other instructional material – Supplemental resources should be included in your Blackboard site. This might include web sites, material from publisher course cartridges, etc.
• Assessment – What, if anything, will you require students to submit for grading while they are gone? Will you have them submit assignments through the Blackboard assignment function, or will you have them send material directly to you via email? Will you have a policy for missed work?

At the beginning of each semester, courses are created in Blackboard (30 to 60 days before the 1st day of class). Before evacuating, check Blackboard to ensure that you are listed as instructor in the appropriate courses. Courses are made available to students a few days before the class begins. 

Again, planning is essential. If facing an evacuation, make sure that you know what you will expect from students while campus is closed. Post these expectations as announcements and email your students as well. In Blackboard, you can use the Performance Dashboard or Grade Center to see when students are logging into the system.

Overall, we are well poised to handle a campus closure and/or evacuation and should have no problem continuing instructional activities online. For more information or to begin contingency planning, feel free to contact any member of the Education Technology team:

• Xenia Callier (xenia.callier@bcm.edu), Director of Instructional Technology
• William McKinney (wwmckinn@bcm.edu), Instructional Technology Specialist
  • Blackboard Admin
  • Blackboard Collaborate Admin
  • Poll Everywhere Admin
  • Survey Monkey Admin
  • VoiceThread Admin
  • ExamSoft Admin