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Blackboard Policies

NUI Galway and computer resource-specific policies apply to all Blackboard users. These policies address:

Safeguarding privacy and access of users on the system.
Adhering to copyright guidelines of materials placed on Blackboard.
General conduct.

This page lists all the policies associated with Blackboard. If the policy you need is not here, or you find inaccurate or dated information please contact blackboardnuigalway.ie

Acceptable Use Policy
User Account Details
Copyright
Data Protection
Student Enrolment Policy
Code of Conduct
Back-up and course copy
Course Access Policy
External Guest User Accounts Policy
Rollover
Bonding
Service downtime

Relevant NUI Galway policies for students

By accessing Blackboard, the University's online learning environment you accept and agree to bound by all the policies associated with it. If you do not agree to any of these policies you should not access Blackboard.

1. Acceptable Use Policy

Any use of the Blackboard must comply with the Information Solutions and Services (ISS) computing resources code of conduct. The general principles involved apply to all electronic communications systems supplied by the University and apply to staff and students alike.

2. User account details

To access Blackboard you will be given a user ID and password. You must keep these confidential in line with Information Solutions and Services (ISS)'s code of conduct for the use of computing facilities. You are responsible for any Blackboard use undertaken using your username and password.

3. Copyright

Users should exercise caution before adding copyrighted materials to Blackboard. Please check with the Library for up to date information regarding current licenses held by the University. It is the responsibility of the course instructor to ensure that all materials posted on their course comply with copyright legislation.

4. Data Protection

Blackboard now draws information directly from central University records. For more information on the University's data protection policies are available from the NUI Galway data protection website.

5. Student Enrolment Policy

Every module and course instance at NUI Galway has a record on the Student Information System, Quercus. In this Quercus database all student records are kept relating to student enrolments, modules and course instances, exam results, etc. Each course on Quercus automatically generates a corresponding course on Blackboard, and enrols students onto these courses, during a nightly synchronisation with Blackboard. Therefore, once students have registered and enrolled at NUI Galway they have automatic access to these same courses on Blackboard.

6. Other General Codes of Conduct

Student Code of Conduct, NUI Galway, including Code of Practice for dealing with Plagiarism

Instructor Specific Policies

7. Back-up and course copy

It is the responsibility of Blackboard course owners to ensure they have saved a copy of their course at the end of the academic year or relevant teaching period for use in case of appeals or the accidental deletion of data. It is also the responsibility of course owners to ensure they have removed old course content such as out of date announcements, presentations or gradebook data. More information on how to keep a back-up of your course and remove unwanted content are available from the Blackboard website. We emphasise to staff that the Grade Centre feature of Blackboard is intended for publication of grades for students and not as a secure, reliable repository of grade records. Also, a backup should be kept of the Grade Centre after every grading change.

8. Course Access Policy

System administrators limit access to Blackboard course sites solely to registered students for that course, and to the staff member who initially makes the request for instructor access. This protocol aims to safeguard access to any materials instructors place on the system. The system administrators shall assign access to the first individual staff member who requests instructor access to a particular module or course instance on Blackboard. This person becomes the “course owner”. If at a later date, an additional staff member requests access to the same course instance or module on the system, the administrators will refer this person back to the “course owner” to gain access. It is very easy to enrol additional colleagues as Instructors and Teaching Assistants from within a Blackboard course. This can be done via the Control Panel of any course, and further information is available regarding adding a colleague to your Blackboard course.

9. External Guest User Accounts Policy

The university is entitled as part of the Blackboard license to have a percentage of people using Blackboard who are not registered at the university. Each account must be requested by the Head of School. It is the responsibility of the university Head of School to ensure that the individual is aware off, and abides by, the regulations governing the use of Blackboard. For information on external accounts, please contact Information Solutions and Services (ISS).

10. Rollover

At the end of each academic year, new empty courses will be generated on the Blackboard system, and each new cohort of students will be automatically registered into their course for that academic session. For the academic year 2012-2013, these courses can be identified by the prefix 1213-Course code (e.g. 1213-MD120, or 1213-1BA1). Instructors will retain access to the previous year’s courses for reference, but students will become unenrolled.

11. Bonding

If you module is bonded with other modules you are teaching, please ask for access to every module code. You will need to make any resources available within each separate Blackboard course, as students will only have access to their respective course codes. Any queries regarding modifications to curriculum structure (including the course name or code on Blackboard), should be directed to Academic Records at NUI Galway who maintain the curriculum structure (e.g. course name, code) on Quercus or contact your faculty office.

12. Service downtime

It is the policy that the Blackboard service will only have scheduled work, requiring a downtime (service not available) in the holiday periods. A weekly maintenance window is scheduled during term between 8 and 9.30 am on Friday mornings throughout the academic year for ongoing system maintenance. The Blackboard team will, where possible, give warning of service interruptions. However, the service may be unavailable for security or performance related issues at the discretion of the Blackboard technical team.For more information please contact Information Solutions and Services (ISS).

Blackboard
This page was last updated Friday, November 23, 2012