Blackboard Retirement

Prepare for Retirement of Blackboard

Preparing for Blackboard Retirement: Information for UTRGV Faculty

As we transition from Blackboard to Brightspace, it’s important for UTRGV faculty to begin planning and taking necessary actions to ensure a smooth transition. Please note that access to Blackboard will end on August 31, 2025.

To support faculty in this transition, we are offering assistance with migrating course content from Blackboard to Brightspace starting February 2025.

Here’s what you need to know:

Complete Brightspace Essentials Training
Faculty must complete Brightspace Essentials Training to qualify for course migration.
Submit Courses for Migration or request Course Development Shells
After submitting your course for migration, you’ll receive a notification once it has been successfully transferred to Brightspace.
Review Migrated Courses
While Blackboard remains accessible, compare your migrated courses in Brightspace against the originals in Blackboard to identify any discrepancies. You may use the Brightspace Post Migration Checklist.

For detailed information about the migration process, visit the Course Migration website.

Optional Actions to Prepare for Blackboard Retirement

Faculty has the option to take the following steps to safeguard relevant materials before August 31, 2025:

1. Download and Save Student Work

Student Submissions and Grades: Since student data cannot be migrated to Brightspace, download any submissions or grades you may need.
Course Archives: While UTRGV will use K16 Solutions to archive courses from Fall 2022 to Spring 2025, consider keeping your own records for reference.

2. Blackboard Archives/Exports

Archive Courses: Includes all course content, user interactions (e.g., discussions, grades, attendance), and course statistics.
Export Courses: Contains only course content without user data.

Follow the step-by-step guide: Archive/Export Courses

3. Downloading the Full Grade Center

Export the Grade Center to retain a record of students' grades. Note: To access submitted assignments, you must download them separately.

Instructions: Exporting Blackboard Full Grade Center

4. Backup Assignment Submissions

Download multiple student submissions for specific assignments directly from the Grade Center.

Learn how: Downloading Multiple Assignments from the Grade Center

Required Actions to Prepare for Blackboard Collaborate Retirement

You must download any Blackboard Collaborate recordings you wish to keep. Save these locally, on OneDrive, or upload them to Panopto.

Important: Blackboard Collaborate recordings will not be migrated to Brightspace.

Guide: Downloading Bb Collaborate Recordings

Frequently Asked Questions

Can we import courses to Brightspace with student interactions?

No, imported content will only contain course content such as files, exams, etc. No grades or student submissions will be available in the imported course in Brightspace. If you need to preserve grades, we recommend downloading the full Grade Center for your record.

Will I still have access to Blackboard Collaborate Recordings?

No, access to Blackboard Collaborate recording will end on August 31, 2025. We encourage you to download any recording that you may need. You may save these to your local computer, OneDrive, or upload the recordings to Panopto.

Will I have access to student grades for previously taught Blackboard courses?

Yes, all courses from Fall 2022 to Spring 2025 will be archived on a cloud-based solution named K16 Solutions. You must submit a case to request access to any course you taught in Blackboard.

Support

By taking these steps, you’ll ensure a seamless transition to Brightspace while preserving the materials you need. If you have any questions please visit our Brightspace information page.

For any questions or assistance, please feel free to contact our COLTT Help Desk at 956-665-5327 or 956-882-6792.

Center for Online Learning and Teaching Technology