What’s happening?
All Blackboard courses from fall semester 2007 will be archived and removed from the Blackboard server during the week of Dec. 28. This is standard operating procedure to ensure there is enough space on the server for Blackboard courses that are more current. Similarly, spring semester 2008 Blackboard courses will be archived and removed during February 2010.
How will I be affected?
If you have Blackboard courses from fall semester 2007, they will no longer be listed in your list of courses. To most faculty, this is a benefit because the list can become cumbersome.
What happens if I need the archived course back again?
E-mail Instructional Services or the NDSU Help Desk to request the reinstatement of the archived class. You will be asked the term the course was taught and the Peoplesoft class number(s) associated with it.2007
Is there anything I need to do now?
For extra insurance, faculty members can create an archive of their Blackboard courses and download them to their local computer. It is also a good idea to download the course grade book if the Blackboard Grade Center is used for grading. Instructions on how to do these two things are listed below for your convenience. These steps are optional, but have been “lifesavers” in particular albeit unusual situations in the past.
Please e-mail NDSU.HelpDesk@ndsu.edu or call 231-8685 if you have questions or problems.
How to back up your Blackboard course:
- Go to the Control Panel of the course you wish to back up.
- Choose Archive Course listed under Course Options.
- Choose Archive at top of page.
- Click OK at the bottom of the screen
- After the archive is finished, you’ll see the file listed on the Export/Archive Manager page. (You might need to leave the page and come back to it later for it to refresh with the new archive file.)
- Right-click on the file name and choose “Save Link as,” saving it to your local drive or network.
- Then return to that screen and Remove the file from the list to avoid confusion and save space.
How to back up your Blackboard Grade Center:
1. Go to the Control Panel of the course.
2. Choose Grade Center listed under Assessment.
3. Choose Manage and then Download from the drop down menu that displays.
4. You can use the default settings on the Download Grades screen and choose Submit.
5. Click on the Download button to save the file locally.
6. In the window that pops up, Save As and choose OK.
7. In the following window, choose where you want to store the backup, changing the file name if desired. Click Save.
8. Choose OK to finish the task.
