| Welcome to a new year and a new era of teaching at UA! This spring, everyone is using Blackboard Ultra—and we’re here to make the transition smooth and successful. In this issue, you’ll find resources to help you master Ultra: join our upcoming trainings and events, explore tips for creating dynamic courses, and connect with CIT for personalized support. Let’s start the semester strong together! |
 Let us help your students succeed! Our team can teach them how to use Ultra and other UA tools effectively. Submit your spring visit request today! |
Ultra Café Location: Gordon Palmer Hall Time: 9am-11am, 1pm-3pm Register for Café Morning Café: Get to Know Blackboard Ultra Create a Learning Module, Folder, Document, Link, Test, Assignment, Discussion, and Journal. We will also add a course image, try out the student preview option, discuss test exceptions, and more! Afternoon Café: Tips and Tricks for Copying an Original Course to Ultra Explore best practices and key considerations to ensure a smooth transition. This session will cover strategies for copying content, managing course tools, and avoiding common pitfalls. Open workspace will be available 9am- 11am & 1pm- 3pm. |
| Share our quick Ultra Basics guide with your students in class or through your Blackboard courses. |
| CIT also offers student sessions to help them get to know the new Blackboard. Virtual (v) | Face-to-Face (F2F) |
| Blackboard Basics for Students8th at 2pm (V)9th at 8:30am (V) 14th at 10am (V) 15th at 10am (V) 21st at 2pm (V) 29th at 1:30pm (F2F) 30th at 9am (V)Turning in Panopto Assignments in Blackboard22nd at 10am (V) 30th at 1:30pm (F2F) |
| Monthly New Features & Updates7th at 8:30am (V)10 Things You Didn’t Know About Ultra21st at 3pm (F2F)Assessing Student Learning in Blackboard26th at 11am (V)Communication Features in Blackboard27th at 10am (V) |
| Creating Dynamic Content in Blackboard12th at 1pm (V) 15th at 2pm (V) 29th at 9am (V)Grading and Managing the Gradebook13th at 3pm (V)23rd at 10am (V)29th at 10am (V)Blackboard Basics8th at 9am (V) 9th at 2:30pm (V) 12th at 10am (V) 14th at 9am (F2F) 20th at 10am (F2F) 21st at 2pm (V) 27th at 1pm (V) 29th at 11am (F2F)Creating Panopto Assignments in Blackboard21st at 10am (V)22nd at 3:30pm (F2F) |
| Adobe Portfolio (for Students & Instructors)26th at 4pm (V)Tools UA Faculty Should Know12th at 3:30pm (V) 29th at 4pm (F2F)Blackboard Advanced Tips & Tricks21at at 8:30am (V) 22nd at 1pm (F2F) |
| Learn more about our sessions and register at cit.ua.edu. We also offer individual consultations and group instruction by request. |
| CIT OFFICE HOURSExplore topics like Blackboard, accessibility tools, and course design at our CIT Office Hours sessions—no appointment needed! Whether you’re troubleshooting or looking for fresh teaching strategies, we’re here to help you succeed. In-person: Fridays, 2–3:30 PM, A232 Gordon Palmer Hall Virtual: Tuesdays, 2–3 PM via Teams |
| WHAT’S NEW IN TECH?Keep an eye out for these updates coming in January to Blackboard! You’ll find more information and a complete list in this Anthology blog post: What’s New in Blackboard – January 2026Attend This Month’s New Features & Updates session to explore the latest enhancements in Blackboard and other third-party tools supported by CIT. |