Using Blackboard

Access to Blackboard ends on Dec. 1, 2023.

UB's primary Learning Management System is now UB Learns, powered by Brightspace.

Find answers to frequently asked questions about Blackboard.

On this page:

Why can't I see my course?

There are a few reasons why you may not see your course in UB Learns:

  • Your instructor may not have enabled the course in UB Learns yet.
  • You may not be "officially" enrolled in the course.
  • Drop/add changes to official enrollment take effect 8:30 a.m. the following morning.
  • By default, students are enrolled in UB Learns courses one week before the semester begins. An instructor may choose to change the enrollment date.

If you are a TA in a course, your instructor needs to manually enroll you.

Why can't I see my course menu or access the content of my course?

The course menu may be hidden. To restore it, look at the left edge of your course site about half way down and click the gray arrow (Show Course Menu). 

How do I edit my notification settings?

You can change your notification settings from your profile page (your name will be listed) or the Activity Stream page. You can access both of these pages from the main UB Learns menu.

Where is the Digital Drop Box?

The Digital Drop Box tool is no longer available; instructors may use the Assignment tool to manage student submissions.

My instructor put a link to an item and the link doesn’t work from off campus.

Many databases are limited to UB students and they are set up to recognize the IP address or to route the user to a proxy site for authentication. Not all databases are compatible in this way with UB Learns. If you have the citation to the article, you will still be able to access it from the University Libraries website.

If you have trouble, ASK a Librarian.

I did not submit my test successfully. How can I open the test again?

Your instructor may have set this test to be taken only once.

Contact your instructor to request they reset the test for you. In order to try again, the instructor must clear your attempt in the Grade Center.

Once the test is reset, you can take it again.

What does a blue circular icon in My Grades mean?

This could be caused by one of the following:

  • You have not yet completed the test or assignment; work is in progress.
  • A test has been set up for a single attempt and you opened the test but did not make an attempt at answering any questions.
  • You hit the Save button instead of the Submit button after taking the test or assignment. Go back and Submit the test or assignment.
  • You experienced network or browser problems while taking the test or assignment.

Contact your instructor to determine the reason the icon of pencil and paper is showing. If necessary, the instructor can reset the test or assignment. 

Can I get access to my course if I have an Incomplete?

You can request access to past semester courses from your instructor. The instructions for your instructor are on Student Access to Past Semester UB Learns Courses.

How long do I see my courses?

By default, access to your course sites will remain available until the day after final grades are due for the semester. However, instructors have the ability to change this date.

How long after the semester do I have access to my grades?

UB Learns grades are available until the first business day after grades are due for the semester.

  1. Log in to a course.
  2. Select Tools from course menu.
  3. Select My Grades.

This may not be the final grade for your course. Official grades are found in HUB.

Why do I receive an error message when using SafeAssign?

You either need to clear your Java cache or allow third-party cookies.

Java cache

  • To find out how to clear your Java cache, enter "clear java cache mac" or "clear java cache windows" in your browser search engine.
  • Before you clear your Java cache, logout of UB Learns and close all browser windows.

Third-party cookies

  • To find out how to accept third-party cookies, enter "accept third party cookies" and your browser name (e.g., Safari, Chrome, Firefox).
  • After you've fixed the cookie issue, make sure you logout of UB Learns, close all browser windows and re-login to UB Learns.

For assistance with the above, please contact the UBIT Help Center.

Need additional help?

Use our contact form to submit a help ticket (you may be asked for your UBITName and password). After the form is submitted, a member of the UB Learns support team will follow up with you within one business day.