Step-By-Step
End of Semester Procedure
(Text version)

1. At the end of the semester, the accounts of registered students are removed from the course site and it is listed as "unavailable". This means that it is unavailable to regular student access. Instructors and TAs continue to have access to their Blackboard course sites (even if they are listed as "Unavailable") and can edit them at any time. The next time the course is offered the instructor can request the the site be "activated" so that student accounts can be added to the site.

2. When the student accounts are removed from a course site the following material is automatically deleted:

• All grades located in the Blackboard Gradebook. Make sure you download a copy of your gradebook before the student accounts are removed. To download a copy of the gradebook go to Control Panel / Gradebook. Click on the "Download Grades" button at the top of the spreadsheet. Follow the online directions to place a copy of the gradebook on your hard drive.
• The answers submitted by all students having taken any online Test.
• The answers submitted by all students having taken any online Survey.
• The files submitted by any student completing a Blackboard Assignment function.
• All files located in the student's Digital Dropbox.
• All files located in all Group's file exchange.

3. When the student accounts are removed from a course site and the site is listed a s"unavailable" the following material IS NOT deleted:

• All material posted by the instructor or TA.
• All Discussion Board entries and all Discussion Board Archives
• All Virtual Classroom Archives
• All Announcements posted by the instructor or TA
• All Course Calendar events posted by the Instructor or TA
• All Instructor or TA information posted on the Staff Information page.
• All files located in the Control Panel / Dropbox.
• All Groups (However the students are removed and shared files are deleted)
• All Group Discussion Boards and Archived Chats
• All Tests, Surveys or Pools (However the student answers to any Test or Survey are removed).
• All Gradebook items (However all gradebook grades are removed).

4. There are a number of clean-up operations you may wish to perform at the end of the semester when the student accounts have been removed.

• You may want to delete all of the files in your digital drop box. This can be done manually one-at-a-time by clicking on the "Remove" button located to the right of each item. You can also remove all of your dropbox files by going to Control Panel / Recycle Course. This will display the Recycle Course form. Checkmark "Dropbox" then type in "Remove" in the box at the bottom of the page. Click on "Submit". This will delete all of the files located in your digital dropbox.
• You may want to delete all of the Announcements posted during the course of the semester. This can be done manually one-at-a-time by clicking on the "Remove" button located to the right of each item in the control panel. You can also remove all of your Announcements by going to Control Panel / Recycle Course. This will display the Recycle Course form. Checkmark "Announcements" then type in "Remove" in the box at the bottom of the page. Click on "Submit". This will delete all of the existing Announcements.
• You may want to delete existing Discussion forums or at the least archive existing Discussions threads. To archive a discussion see Blackboard Step-by-Step: Archiving Discussions. To remove a discussion forum click on the "Remove" button located to the right of the forum name in the control panel. You can also remove all of your Discussion Boards by going to Control Panel / Recycle Course. This will display the Recycle Course form. Checkmark "Discussion Board" then type in "Remove" in the box at the bottom of the page. Click on "Submit". This will delete all of the Discussion Forums. Note that removing any Discussion Forum ALSO removes any Discussion Archive associated with that forum.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this Step-By-Step procedure contact the Tufts Blackboard Administrator at: nhirsig@tufts.edu