Blackboard Overview for New Faculty
Blackboard Ultra at CMU
Blackboard (Bb) Ultra is CMU’s official learning management system (LMS), providing an online space to manage your course content, communicate with students, and support learning in all course formats—face-to-face, hybrid, and fully online.
Every CMU course listed in the schedule automatically gets a Blackboard Ultra course shell. Students who register for the course are added to the shell automatically and appear on the roster. Faculty are added once they are fully contracted for a section.
Faculty are encouraged to use their course shell to share materials, facilitate communication, and create engaging learning experiences. With Blackboard, you can:
- Post announcements and course updates
- Create discussions, group spaces, or collaboration boards
- Upload readings, videos, and other course materials
- Deliver quick quizzes, assignments, and exams
- Provide feedback and track student progress
- Add media such as recorded lectures or podcasts to enrich instruction
Online course sections
CMU’s online course sections use prescribed content and materials developed by academic departments and instructional designers. These materials are pre-loaded by the Office of Curriculum and Instructional Support into the Blackboard course shell provided to faculty. Instructors are expected to deliver the course using the provided structure and content, with room for personal interaction, feedback, and engagement to support student success.
Support and training
CMU’s Office of Curriculum and Instructional Support offers self-paced resources and live training sessions to help you get started or go deeper with Blackboard Ultra. Visit the CIS Events and Training for Faculty page for upcoming opportunities.
Need help right away? Visit the Blackboard section of the CMU Knowledge Base or contact the CMU Help Desk at 989-774-3662.