Blackboard Portal

Over the next few months, we will start to deliver additional content through our Blackboard system. The Technology Planning Committee has been working to set up the portal to deliver information that is tuned to your needs and responsibilities at Saint Mary's. We hope you find it useful and encourage you to send ideas for improving the portal to helpdesk@smumn.edu.

You may have already noticed that Winona based users have a Talks & Presentation Organization on your Community tab that links to recordings of our Last Lecture Series. Additionally, we have added a Library tab to Blackboard. This Library tab will continue to be developed and will deliver items that are more specific to program or campus location.

Our SGPP will launch additional tabs designed for their adjunct faculty in mid-February. It will provide school information, administrative directions, and teaching and learning resources for adjunct instructors. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Bob Andersen (rganders@smumn.edu).

Please stay tuned for more information as we continue to develop resourses within our Blackboard Portal system.

Classroom Upgrades

SM409

This room has limited functionality. It is designed for instructors who are laptop/tablet users. A document camera (Elmo) and computer are NOT provided in this classroom.
The pull-down screen is complemented with a pair of stereo speakers. A VCR/DVD deck is included in the equipment rack, along with the system controller. This room is also configured for Tegrity recording.

SM134

Over Christmas break, SM134 was enhanced with a new ceiling, banked and dimmable lighting fixtures, and a larger projection screen that now hangs at the center of the room.

The flexibility of the new lighting and the ability to record with Tegrity in this space should help to make it a popular classroom.

Enroll/Unenrolls Occur Automatically in Blackboard

Over Thanksgiving break, the HelpDesk started a daily import of course enrollments and withdrawals from the Empower system. These processes will synchronize Blackboard enrollment information with data in the Webtools database.

This change has caused some confusion. Students that unenroll/drop a class are still listed in the Blackboard course user list with an X next to their name. The X indicates that they can not see the course or any of its contents. Disabling the student's ablility to view the course rather than remove them from the course entirely allows assignments or grade records already assigned in Blackboard for that student to remain intact. Unfortunately, if you view the Gradebook for the course, the unenrolled students still appear in the grade book with no visual indication that they have dropped the course.

Blackboard is aware of the issue, and is working on a solution to this problem.

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