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NSU is where success begins. Here professors know their subjects and how to get you ready for a career after you graduate. We empower individuals to become socially responsible global citizens by creating and sustaining a culture of learning and discovery.

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Gather Here. Go Far

NSU is where success begins. Here professors know their subjects and how to get you ready for a career after you graduate. We empower individuals to become socially responsible global citizens by creating and sustaining a culture of learning and discovery.

Explore Our Degrees

Gather Here. Go Far

NSU is where success begins. Here professors know their subjects and how to get you ready for a career after you graduate. We empower individuals to become socially responsible global citizens by creating and sustaining a culture of learning and discovery.

Explore Our Degrees

Gather Here. Go Far

NSU is where success begins. Here professors know their subjects and how to get you ready for a career after you graduate. We empower individuals to become socially responsible global citizens by creating and sustaining a culture of learning and discovery.

Explore Our Degrees

Gather Here. Go Far

NSU is where success begins. Here professors know their subjects and how to get you ready for a career after you graduate. We empower individuals to become socially responsible global citizens by creating and sustaining a culture of learning and discovery.

Explore Our Degrees
Home/Strategic Plan/Archives/Strategic plan 20112015/University action projects/Blackboard

Strategic Plan 2011-2015: Blackboard 9.1/Wimba

Project Name & Goal(s) Supported
Roll-out Blackboard 9.1/Wimba
Goal 1 (Learning and Discovery)
Goal 7 (Develop and Manage Resources)
Classification A: No Added Funds Required

Action Project Leader
Chuck Ziehr

Projected Completion Date
Spring 2012

Additional Budget Required
2012: None
2013: None
2014: None

Progress Toward Completion
80%

I. Brief Description & Significant Changes in Plans (if any):
Upgrade Blackboard to Blackboard Learn 9.1 to provide NSU with the latest version of the leading Learning Management System and integrate Wimba (now Blackboard Collaborate) to improve student and faculty online engagement and interaction.

II. Team Members:
Chris Lofthus, lead system administrator for Bb 9.1 until he left NSU in early September for another job. Evan Linde and Kevin Taylor currently perform most of the system administrator duties; a search is underway to fill Lofthus’ position. Chuck Ziehr directs CTL, and user support is provided by Rick Shelton and Linda Summers (Coordinators of Academic Services) and Jerol Skinner (Online Instruction Designer); this is an on-going daily function. A third Coordinator of Academic Services position is currently being advertised and is hoped to be filled by January 1, 2012.

III. Major milestones/actions over the last 3-6 months:
Preparation for the roll-out of Blackboard Learn 9.1 (an upgrade from Bb 8) began in April 2011. Weekly email announcements and online tutorials were sent to the NSU faculty and staff beginning in May 2011. Face to face demonstrations and workshops were provided by the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) for the faculty and staff beginning in June. Blackboard Learn 9.1 is fully implemented and functional; it could be said to be complete.

Wimba was acquired by Blackboard and was integrated with another acquired-company’s products (Elluminate) to become Blackboard Collaborate. Bb Collaborate provides online engagement and interaction tools for (1) web, video, and audio conferencing (classrooms), (2) instant messaging, and (3) voice authoring. Wimba was incorporated into NSU Blackboard in January 2010; Collaborate was added to Bb 9.1 in July.

IV. Planned major milestones or actions over the next 6 months:
More publicity about Collaborate will be provided to the NSU community in November, and CTL will offer a series of workshops for faculty and staff about how to us the instant messaging, voice tools, and videoconferencing capabilities of Collaborate.

V. Current Funding Sources, Unfunded needs: Already Funded
The Blackboard LMS (and some CTL personnel costs) are funded through the Electronic Media account which is acquired via the $50 per credit hour fee added to online courses and the $30 per credit hour fee added to blended courses. Other personnel costs are part of the on-going budgets.