Deans can appoint Course Manager Access for any faculty member. Generally, the program chair and learning community leaders are given a Course Manager role in Blackboard. Below is a summary of the Instructor and Course Manager roles in Blackboard, followed by a more detailed description. These roles must be strictly followed or our Course Manager access to the Blackboard Grade Center will be removed by GVTC.
Summary description of each role in Blackboard
Instructors interact with students, grade student submissions, and add third-party (publisher) content. Instructors can also build and manage the course they are teaching. This role is assigned in Banner by the division.
Instructors Can | Instructors Cannot |
Interact with students | See another instructor’s course materials |
Grade student submissions |
|
Enter Grades |
|
Set up and manage the Grade Center |
|
Push End of Term grades to Banner |
|
Copy/Add/Manage course content |
|
Set up 3rd party (Publisher) content |
|
Course Managers do not interact with students. Instead, they are responsible for administrative tasks related to building and managing the course. This role is assigned in Blackboard by the CTL upon request. Generally, Course Managers are Program Chairs or Learning Community Leaders.
Course Managers Can | Course Manager Cannot |
Oversee another instructor’s course | Interact with students |
Assist instructors with course management | Grade student submissions |
Copy/Add/Manage course content | Enter grades |
Set up and manage the Grade Center | Push End of Term grades to Banner |
| Set up 3rd party (publisher) content |
Detailed description of each role in Blackboard
Instructor – Interacts with Students
A course instructor is any person that interacts with students, assignment submissions, uploads third-party (publisher) content, or enters grades into the Grade Center. Their division’s admin assistant must enter instructors into Banner so they will have the correct access role in Blackboard.
Course Manager – Administrative only
Course Manager is a designation in Blackboard that allows a Program Chairperson, Learning Community Leader, or another designee to access a course for which he/she is not the instructor listed in Banner. A Course Manager does not interact with students in the course. The role is designed to allow oversight of course materials and Grade Center setup. Course Manager access will allow the user to copy master course content into the semester course shell, upload/rearrange course materials, build the Grade Center, and other administrative tasks.
To be added to a course as a Course Manager:
- All Course Managers must have a Blackboard User Acknowledgement & Compliance Statement on file with the CTL. (attached). Return the completed form in a CTL Support Request.
- Each semester the Course Manager should complete the 822_course_enrollment_COURSE MANAGER TEMPLATE spreadsheet (also attached). Return the completed spreadsheet in a CTL Support Request for processing.
The ability for Course Managers to set up and manage the Grade Center in another instructor’s course is granted to our college each semester by GVTC. This opportunity is based on a positive report that the separation of responsibilities between Instructor and Course Manager are well defined and consistently followed. GVTC monitors each Course Manager’s activity within Blackboard. Any Course Manager that uses their Course Manager’s login to grade assignments, enter grades, or interact with students in any way will have the privilege removed.
Thank you for your part in helping us keep our Course Manager privileges.
The CTL is always happy to answer questions about Course Manager and Instructor roles in Blackboard. Please let us know if we can assist further by submitting a CTL Support Request.