1. What is Blackboard?

   Blackboard is Loyola’s online course management system. Instructors at Loyola use Blackboard as an electronic extension of their classes. They may use it to post their syllabi, handouts, assignments, quizzes and tests, and grades on the Web. They might also conduct class discussions or virtual office hours through Blackboard. To access the Blackboard portions of your courses and to download your course materials, log into Blackboard at http://blackboard.luc.edu. It is available 24 hours a day from any computer connected to the Internet.

2. What is my Universal ID?
   Your Loyola Universal ID grants you access to many university resources. It’s the username you use to login to LOCUS, Blackboard, your student email, and computers in Loyola computing labs. If you don’t know your UVID, don’t worry. Here are two ways to get it:

   • Contact the Technology Support Center at 8-4ITS (on campus) or 773-508-4ITS (off campus) from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. They will need to verify your identity, so have your Social Security number handy.

   • Ask a computing lab advisor. Be sure to show them your Loyola student ID card.

    

3. I forgot my password – what can I do to get a new one?
   Don’t worry; it happens to everyone at least once. To get a new password:

   • If you have set up your personal identifiers in the Personal Account Manager (PAM), click here: Reset Your Password after You’ve Set Your Questions.

   • If you haven’t set up personal identifiers in PAM, then contact the Technology Support Center at 8-4ITS (on campus) or 773-508-4ITS (off campus) from 8:30 am - 5:30 pm. They will reset your password for you. This is a temporary password good for only six grace logins. You will need to change this using PAM at https://pellonia.luc.edu/iuadmin. Read about how to create a strong password at Password Standards.

   You should use PAM to set up your personal identifiers now, while you still remember your password. This will enable you to reset your password without contacting the Technology Support Center. Simply visit http://www.luc.edu/its/pam.shtml and click Setting Up Questions in Pam – First Time User.

4. How can I change my password?
   To change your password for Blackboard, you must change your Loyola Universal password through PAM.

   1. Go to https://pellonia.luc.edu/iuadmin.

   2. Click Change Your Password.

   3. Type your Universal ID into the Username field and click Next.

   4. Click your username.

   5. Type your old password into the Old Password field.

   6. Type and re-type your new password and click Submit.

5. How do I log into Blackboard?
   1. Go to the Blackboard login page at http://blackboard.luc.edu.

   2. Type your Loyola Universal ID into the “USERNAME:” field.

   3. Type your Loyola password into the “PASSWORD:” field.

   4. Click Login.

   5. You will see your courses listed under the My Courses section. To enter a course, click the link to the course you want to enter.

   6. To return to your course listings, click the Login tab at any time.

6. I am seeing error messages when I try to log in. What do they mean?
   • If you see the error message “Could not login. Valid Authentication credentials were not provided”the problem is most likely with your password. Try logging in to LOCUS with your current UVID and password. If you cannot login to LOCUS your password has expired. In this case, see “I forgot my password” above.

   • If your UVID and current password gets you into LOCUS, you may not have a Blackboard account, and you should email blackboard@luc.edu.

   • If you see the error message “An error occurred while the system was processing this login request” you may have mistyped your UVID, and you should verify that you can login to LOCUS with that UVID.

7. I don’t see my course in Blackboard. How do I get it added to my course list?
   There are several possible reasons why you are not seeing your course:

   • Your class may not use Blackboard at all. Check with your instructor to confirm that he/she will be using Blackboard this term.

   • Your course exists, but has not been made "available" to students. Contact your instructor directly and ask him/her to make the "course available" on Blackboard. Your instructor might not be making the course available for a specific reason or may have forgotten to do so.

   • You may have recently registered for the course or you may not be registered. Check LOCUS to confirm your registration is up to date. If you recently registered or recently cleared a registration issue, it may take 24 hours before you notice a change in Blackboard. If you need immediate access for assignments, contact your instructor.

8. Can I change my email address in Blackboard?
   Blackboard uses your official Loyola email address (uvid@luc.edu), which cannot be changed. Your instructors will be sending you email via Blackboard, so it is important that you check your email regularly or re-route your Loyola email to your preferred account. Once you re-route your email with PAM, all messages sent to your Loyola account from then on will be affected. Any messages to your Loyola account will be redirected to the address you specify in PAM. To learn how to re-route your email, visit PAM at http://www.luc.edu/its/pam/shtml and read the directions under Re-Route Your Loyola Email Account.
9. How can I set privacy options in Blackboard?
   Users may provide as much or as little information about themselves as they want in Blackboard. Manage your personal data and privacy options from the Personal Information link in the Tools box on the Login page. Click Edit Personal Information to add or remove information about yourself. Fields marked with a red asterisk are required. Click Set Privacy Options to determine how much of that information you want revealed to other Blackboard users.
10. How do I find my grades in Blackboard?
    There are two ways to find your grades for a Blackboard course:

    • On the Login page, on the left side under Tools, click on My Grades. Then, click on the course.

    • Enter the course by clicking on its name in the list on the Login page, then click on the Tools menu button, then on My Grades.

11. My instructor says she cannot see a file I uploaded to Blackboard. What has happened?
    There are some characters that are not allowed in filenames on Blackboard, and using them will result in your instructor not being able to view your file. Here is a list of allowed characters for filenames: A-Z, a-z,1-9, "-" dash and "_" underscore (leave out the quotes).

    If your instructor cannot see your file, you will need to rename the file, using only allowed characters, and then upload to Blackboard again.

12. My Course list is cluttered with old courses I don’t need to see. How can I remove those old courses?
    Your access to any semester’s courses will be removed automatically a few weeks after the start of the following semester, but if you would like to remove them from your view before then, follow these instructions:

    1. Login to Blackboard.

    2. On your Login page, click on the gear icon located at the top right of the My Courses window. See detailed instructions with images

    3. This will take you to a new window called Personalize: My Courses. In Personalize: My Courses, check the box in the Course Name column for the courses you would like to view. Uncheck any courses and announcements you wish to hide from your My Courses.

    4. Click the Submit button, then OK.

    5. When you return to your Login page, the course will no longer appear in your My Courses list.

13. How can I get help with Blackboard?
    • If you forget your password, contact the Technology Support Center at 8-4ITS (on campus) or 773-508-4ITS (off campus) from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

    • If you need help using Blackboard features, send an email to blackboard@luc.edu .

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