Copy Course Content from your previous course into your new course. Note: You are only provided a course shell every semester so course materials will need to be copied from a previous location, typically the previous semester.

After a Course has been copied, it is important to make sure that the Navigation pane is accurate and any links that were automatically placed down the bottom of the navigation pane are moved into place and any unneeded navigation links are deleted.

If you will be conducting Zoom Meetings during the semester, it is best to set those up inside of Blackboard using the Zoom integration. 

Copy the Concourse Syllabus (from another semester) and make any needed updates to sections (e.g. dates/times/contact info, Zoom links, etc.).

Check Course Materials folders to make sure all content and course links work when clicked. Check to see if hyperlinks work and are set to open in a new window and are still relative. Check that all videos are still available. Decide if any content that is hidden from students should still be hidden. Check the Files area for duplicate files that can be deleted (it is best to work with the IDEA Team on this!).

Use the Built in Date Management tool to update dates to reflect the new semester.  Make sure the dates in your Concourse syllabus align with all dates in Blackboard. Change any content release dates if you have content that becomes available on a specific date. Double check the Calendar Tool to make sure there are no incorrect dates.

Make sure no exams or quizzes are open to students. Double check the test options and make sure students can see their results when you want them to see them.

If a Weighted Total is being used, verify that it's weighting the appropriate columns, with correct percentages (matching the Concourse Syllabus). Verify that there aren't any columns showing that shouldn't be, both under My Grades (which is how students view their grades) or in the Full Grade Center (Use the Manage > Column Organization menu to best do this). 

Remove any old posts, start any new threads that you need to.

 Run the Accessibility Report to make sure all PDFs are OCRd and there are no major issues with files.

Check/prepare any Announcements (if announcements were copied in from an older version, check the contents and dates). Send a Welcome email to students -  It is ideal if you can send students a welcome email at least 7 days prior to class beginning to let students know when the course will be available and/or anything they need to know for the first day of classes (room number, zoom link, time, books/readings, etc.).

We highly recommend doing so as soon as possible, definitely at least a week prior to the start of classes, as students get anxious. The IDEA Team will make all courses available if they are not already, by the first day of classes.