July Communication - Email to Deans, Directors and Department Heads

From: Paul Barron, CIO
Sent: Friday, July 13, 2007 1:27 PM
Subject: myTulane changes to the Blackboard system

As many of you know, Technology Services has embarked on a project to upgrade and enhance Blackboard.  Beginning in the fall, faculty members will find that Blackboard will be easier to use and will have many new and exciting tools to enhance the educational enterprise.  We have named this new version of Blackboard “myTulane” as it will provide content to students beyond simply course content and will also be able to disseminate information to other segments of the university community.  Many of you have already received a communication from me regarding the progress of the myTulane project and the new system for automating the way courses in Blackboard will be set up. 

Automated course setup

Faculty will be assigned to their courses through a data transfer from the Student Information System (SIS), the system of record.  Department administrators are being given access to a new screen in SIS—screen 13C—that will allow them to associate faculty member with a particular course and section.  Within 24 hours, the faculty member will be assigned to that course in myTulane. 

This automated process has two implications.  First, faculty members no longer need to request their courses be setup in Blackboard.  Second, Blackboard administrators will no longer create courses, user accounts, or associate faculty with courses since these tasks will be accomplished via data transfer from SIS.  Such manual manipulation would override and disrupt this automated process. Since SIS is the system of record, all changes must be made in this system.

A new information-dissemination tool

One of a large number of enhancements that myTulane will offer is a portion of the Blackboard system called the “Community System.”  Students, faculty, and staff who log in to myTulane will see information that has been specifically directed to them.  Students, for example, will see information arranged by tabs—one for their school, one for the library, one for campus life, and one containing their course links for that particular semester.

We have been working with representatives from the schools and colleges, along with some early adopters from administrative departments, to develop information for these tabs. 

If you would like to find out more about the myTulane project, please visit our project page at

http://ts.tulane.edu/teaching_and_learning/current_projects/myTulane/

Paul Barron
Vice President for Information Technology & CIO