Posting Blackboard Announcements & Messages Before a Course is Open to Students (How-to)

The instructions below are for the following scenario: An instructor wants to post an Announcement or Message and simultaneously email students a copy before a course is ready to "Open to Students".

1. Access the course site in Blackboard Learn Ultra from the Courses list.
   1. Courses have to be made available in order to post Announcements.
   2. Messages can be sent from a Private course, but students cannot reply. 
   3. Note: If your course status is "Course is Private" messages with attachments will incur issues as the attachments have to be viewed via Blackboard Learn Courses and students do not yet have access.  Best practices suggest you do not include attachments.  You may copy and paste the content from a file directly into the message if needed. 
   4. Note: Students will not be able to reply to an emailed copy of a message while the course is still marked Private. 
2. To prepare Announcements or Messages:
   1. Instructions for Announcement: Go to Announcements in the top navigation bar and click (+) or Create Announcement.
   2. Instructions for Messages: From the top navigation bar, to to Messages and click New Message. 
3. Complete all the fields: Title (announcements only), Recipients (all course members), and Message (body of text).
   1. Prepare your message to students.
      • NOTE: If you plan to maintain your course status as Private after sending the message, explain why the course is not accessible to students at this time and when it will become available. This will assist students in understanding your intentions and will likely keep some of them from emailing you asking for access after receiving communications from the course.
      • Sample wording: The course site is not available to students and will officially open on [date]. You will not be able to reply directly to this message as the course is not yet available and replies to [messages/announcements] as well as attachments can only be sent/viewed via the Blackboard course site. Please feel free to send me an email directly at [email address].
   2. To send a copy as email check the box next to Send an email copy to recipients.
      1. NOTE: If you choose to schedule an announcement, you cannot also send an email copy. 
   3. Click the Save/Send button. 
      1. Announcement: You will have to Post to complete the actions (this button will not be available if the course is not available to students).