During the summer of 2016, Blackboard archived our complete site, which saved individually backed-up copies of every course and organization through SP2016. As previously announced, courses from AY12-13 and AY13-14 will be retired by the end of SU2017. This includes the following terms:
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Any courses older than five years
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Fall 2012
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Winter 2013
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Spring 2013
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Summer 2013
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Fall 2013
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Winter 2014
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Spring 2014
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Summer 2014
Additionally, any organization 2.5 GB in size or larger will also be retired. Community leaders with large archives will be contacted for migrating content to UMBC Box . If those organizations need to continue with a Blackboard presence, they will be recreated with a fresh shell upon request.
The Blackboard system’s overall performance and efficiency will improve by removing files and database transactions from the content server and database. AY14-15 and AY15-16 will remain on the server. Finally, as of FA2016, we now begin a new academic year of data retention (AY16-17).
Is my content gone forever?
No, Blackboard archived courses captured all course data, files, student submissions, discussions, grades, etc. through SP2016. These archives will reside on a secure drive with the Division of Information Technology.
Can I save a copy of my own courses?
Yes -- and we certainly encourage it. Instructors can export (course content) and/or archive (course content & student data) their courses. You should also download a copy of your grade book . We recommend saving these files to your UMBC Box account to ensure long-term access in the event you change computer systems.
How long will you keep the retired courses?
We will keep the retired courses for 2 years after Blackboard archives the courses. Faculty who may need content beyond 2 years should plan to save copies of their exported courses to UMBC Box.
As always, if you have any questions, please consider the following options:
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Follow the Instructional Technology & DoIT myUMBC groups
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Request a consult with a member of the instructional technology team