Preparation for Blackboard Decommissioning
Blackboard System-Level Export and Archive Processes
Retrieving Course Exports After Blackboard has Gone Away
All Blackboard courses will be exported and stored on an external server. These exports contain course content only, meaning no student content, grades, enrollments, etc.
Instructors who need access to Blackboard course materials, should submit a request to Learning Systems by emailing canvas@vcu.edu. In the request, be sure to include the course ID(s) (i.e. MISC-101-001-2021Spring) of the course(s) you need content from. An export file for that specific course will then be provided to the instructor. Note: You must be listed as an instructor on that course.
The instructor will then be able to import that content into Canvas.
Note: There are 2 GB of storage allotted for each Canvas course. If your Blackboard course is larger than 2 GB, we highly recommend cleaning it up before transferring the course over to Canvas. Instructions for how to do this can be found on the Before Migrating page.
Blackboard Archives
All Blackboard data will be archived and stored for the duration specified by VCU’s data retention policies. Archives include all course data including student submissions, grades, assignments, enrollments, etc.
If there is a grade dispute or other significant need, the information can be recovered from the archive files by the system administrator.
Blackboard course Archives will be retained for 5 years. There will be no more Blackboard archives available after Spring 2026.
Should Every Professor Backup Every Course as well as Data?
Faculty have always been encouraged to download their gradebooks periodically; this has not changed. This step is even more encouraged as we transition between LMS’. You also have the option to download course files, Export a Common Cartridge Package and download an archive of each of your Blackboard courses for your own records.
As a backup and for your own peace of mind, it may be best to take all of the precautions afforded you.
For Subpoenas and Other Legal Grade Requests/Disputes
We have a way to extract grades from Blackboard archive files, so at a minimum we should be able to produce a CSV file that is requested. Again, it is always recommended that faculty download their Blackboard grade book at the end of each semester and keep for their own records.
If you have any additional questions regarding the Bb Export and/or Archive process, please Enter your Questions Here.
Categories Bb News, Canvas, Faculty, Online Teaching and Development