Frequently Asked Questions

Will I have access to my Original courses after December 31, 2024?

Yes. DoIT maintains three years of courses on its Blackboard site plus the current year. Currently, AY19-20, AY20-21, and AY21-22 are available on the server. Fall 2022 began a new academic year of data retention (AY22-23).

As Original courses age, however, they will move into a retired state and marked for removal. Original courses from FA2024 would be retired in SU2028.

We also have up to seven years of older courses in cloud storage for accreditation and auditing compliance. Full course archives capture all course data, files, student submissions, discussions, grades, etc. currently through SP2022. These archives reside in a secure cloud storage location.

Can I save copies of my own courses?

Yes. Instructors can export (course content) and/or archive (course content & student data) their courses. You should also download a copy of your gradebook. We recommend saving these files to UMBC’s cloud storage  to ensure long-term access in the event you change computer systems.

How do I copy Original course content in my Ultra course?

You will be able to copy content from any Original course into your Ultra course using the Copy Items function. This tool allows you to copy some or all content from one or more Original course into an Ultra course at the same time.

Will DoIT convert my older Original courses to Ultra for me?

No. However, faculty can sign up for training or an Ultra Design Clinic if they need assistance with converting or copying course content to Ultra.