Course Messages

Although similar to email, you must be logged into a course to read and send course messages. Using the course messages tool instead of the email tool can also be more reliable. Problems with incorrect or out-of-date student email addresses do not affect course communication.

Course messages are not the same as messages sent using My Blackboard. To learn more, see About Messages.

The What's New module on the My Institution tab and the Home Page notifies you when you receive new course messages.

Both incoming and outgoing messages are saved in the course messages tool. The course messages area has two folders—Inbox and Sent—that you cannot rename or delete. You can delete a message—the action is final and irreversible.

1. On the course menu, click the Tools link.
   
2. On the Tools page, click Course Messages
   OR
   On the Control Panel, expand the Course Tools section and click Course Messages.
3. On the Course Messages page, click Create Message on the action bar.
4. On the Compose Message page, click To and a list of course members appears.
5. In the Select Recipients: To line box, select the recipients and click the right-pointing arrow to move them to the Recipients box. You can use the Cc and Bcc functions to send the message to those users that may be interested in the message, but are not the primary recipients. When using Bcc, other recipients do not know that the users listed in the Bcc field are receiving the message.
6. Type the Subject​ and Body. You may only attach files from Course Files or the Content Collection.
7. Click Submit.

1. On the Course Messages page, click a folder.
2. On the Folder page, click the link in the message's Subject column.
3. On the View Message page, click Forward to send a copy of the message to someone else.
4. On the Forward Message page, select the recipients in the Select Recipients: To box and click the right-pointing arrow to move them to the Recipients box.

   For Windows, to select multiple users in a row, press the Shift key and click the first and last names. To select users out of sequence, press the Ctrl key and click each name needed.
   
   For Macs, press the Command key instead of the Ctrl key. You can also select all course members with the Select All function.

5. Click Submit.