Transition From Blackboard
Blackboard organizations will no longer be accessible after June 30th 2021.
There are many Rutgers services that replicate the functionality of Blackboard Organizations. A list of alternate Rutgers services and links to help get you started are available below. Please contact us for assistance in migrating or with any questions.
Box for File Storage and Sharing
If you use Blackboard to store and share files within RU-N, Box provides an easy way to provide access to files to any Rutgers faculty, staff, and students as well as external colleagues. Documents, media, and entire folders can be shared, allowing you to work with almost anyone in the world in a secure manner. Box integrates with Microsoft Office providing a convenient way to collaborate using familiar and powerful tools. More information about Box can be found at https://it.rutgers.edu/box/.
Teams for Collaboration
In addition to file sharing, you may use Blackboard organizations to collaborate and communicate within a department, unit, or committee. Teams will allow you to track discussions in message threads, schedule meetings or training sessions in the team’s calendar, organize files using Teams’ OneDrive and/or SharePoint components, manage access using channels, and more. Teams is accessible through Connect and allows collaborations with students as well as external colleagues. Please visit https://it.rutgers.edu/microsoft-teams/ for more information.
Teams for Project Management
You may also use Blackboard organizations to document and track progress on different projects such as hiring, promotions, software development, lab work, or committee activities. Microsoft Teams is an excellent option. In addition to the file storage and document collaboration mentioned above, Teams integrates other functionality including Planner, which allows you to organize and assign tasks and track progress and timelines, providing intuitive yet effective project management. Another integrated tool is Power Automate (previously Flow) which can be used to automate tasks and processes, including notifications, reminders, sending emails, saving files, and much more. Please visit https://it.rutgers.edu/microsoft-teams/ for more information on how to create Teams.
Rutgers Sites for Websites
Blackboard organizations used to share information with broad audiences can be addressed with a website. Sites@Rutgers is a free service that allows you to quickly and easily develop a professional web presence using prebuilt website templates branded for Rutgers. Many units, departments, programs, faculty, research initiatives, and student organizations are already taking advantage of the Professor, Group, and Project templates. Please visit https://sites.rutgers.edu/ for more information.