1. I just joined Blackboard for the University of Washington Bothell campus, what’s next?

The first thing you want to do is search for your courses. Click on the “Courses” tab located on the top left hand side of the UWB Blackboard homepage. There you can search for your course by entering keywords such as “Marketing,” “Finance” or course number such as “BBUS489,” “BIS360.” The results will show the course title, instructor’s name and the quarter class schedule that is being taught. When you find the course, click on the “Enroll” button and follow the instructions to confirm.

COURSESCOURSE SEARCH

  1. I placed a file in the Digital Drop Box but my instructor never got it, what’s going on?

After you have added your file into the Digital Drop Box, it is necessary to select the added file and “send” it. You will know that the file has been sent to the instructor when you receive a timestamp receipt and a confirmation message. It is recommended to print or save the timestamp receipt for your own records.

Make certain that the file name does not contain any characters other than the standard letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores. Other characters (apostrophes, etc.) in file names may cause people who try to access the posted file to get an error message "Requested file could not be found." You must add a file extension to the file name so that your instructor's computer will identify what program to use to open it.

Common file extensions include Word documents (.doc), Excel spreadsheets (.xls), Text documents (.txt), Powerpoint slides (.ppt) and HTML documents (.html or htm).

  1. Why can’t I find the courses that I’m currently enrolled?

Please be aware that some instructors do not use Blackboard at all, or do not make their course sites available to students until after the semester has started. If you aren't certain whether your class is going to be using Blackboard, please speak with your instructor.

It can take up to 24 hours between the time you enroll in a class and the time that the class shows up in Blackboard. If you know your course uses Blackboard and you don't see the class site listed after 24 hours, please speak to your instructor. He or she has the access to add you to the course.

  1. I have more than one class that requires Blackboard; can I enroll in multiple courses?

Yes, you can. UWB Blackboard website ( is designed so that you can participate, multitask and connect with your professors and classmates all in one place. By default, your homepage will display the courses you are enrolled in, announcements, calendar events, and tasks.

  1. I forgot my password, what do I do?

Passwords are case sensitive (meaning that "PASSWORD," "PaSsWoRd," and "password" are not equivalent), so please make sure that the CAPS lock is off on your keyboard when entering your password. Otherwise, follow the instructions in the Forgot Password? link. Make sure to provide the same information (i.e. full name, email) you gave during registration or when you last updated your account. Without the correct verification information, you will not be able to obtain a new password.

For your security, the Blackboard login system will shut down after 3 failed login attempts. You can wait 10 to 15 minutes until account lock time runs out. If problem persists, please call our Helpdesk at (425) 352-5275 (internal ext. 2-5275) and we will be ready to assist you in any way possible.

  1. How do I change my personal information?

You can edit your personal information by clicking on “Personal Information” link in the list of tools. Remember, your email address will be kept private unless you specify that you want it to be shared with other students in your class. To make your email address visible, click "Personal Information" in the Tools area of your Blackboard homepage. Click "Set Privacy Options," choose the information that you would like to have visible to others, and hit "Submit"button to finish. You can also manually change your password in this section.

  1. How can I get in touch with my instructor through Blackboard?

There are many ways that you can reach your instructor through Blackboard. Depending on each instructor’s preference, they usually post their contact information in “Faculty Information” and/or “Syllabus” section. There is also an embedded email feature in the Communications/Send Emailsection that displays the class roster including the instructors.

COURSESDIGITAL BUSINESS LABCOMMUNICATIONSSEND EMAILSELECT USERS

  1. Where do I go to see my grades?

Grades are posted in each of your enrolled course sections. It is under Tools/My Grades. By default, the grade spreadsheet is labeled and separated by: item name, date, your grade, points possible, class average score and weight.

COURSESMANAGING EMPLOYEESTOOLS > MY GRADES

If you do not see any grade inputs, do not panic. Some instructors may not prefer using the Blackboard grading system, so please speak with your instructor.

  1. How do I respond to a classmate or just the instructor in the discussion board?

First, click on the message posted by the classmate or instructor. Then click on the “reply” button located at the bottom right hand side to compose a message targeted for that person. Do not get confused between the users who started the message thread with users who are respondents.

  1. How do I change the look and feel of my Blackboard homepage?

At the Blackboard homepage, there are two links located on the top right hand side, labeled “Modify Content” and “Modify Layout.” Modifying contents means you get to select which modules to appear on the homepage. When modifying the layout, you can customize the page layout and select theme colors of your choice.