Bb@GW is an on-line course management system based on the Blackboard Learning System. It enables you to access the syllabi, course-related materials, assignments, assessments, and communication features provided by your instructor. Bb@GW is an authenticated system, so that you can only gain access to the on-line content if you have registered for the class. (Fall 2003 and beyond).

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Your Blackboard account is created as soon as you activate your GWMail account and are officially registered for a GW course. Your GWMail account will be ready for BlackBoard access 24 hours after it has been created. Your username is your Net ID (the same as you username@gwu.edu), and your password is the same as your GWMail password. If you change your GWMail password, your Blackboard password will change, as well.

In Summary: You log into Bb@GW using the Net ID and password you use to log into GWMail .

If you cannot log in, make sure that 1) you have a GWMail account, 2) you are officially registered for classes in this or an upcoming semester, 3) you are using your Net ID and password to log in to Bb@GW, 4) you do not have a hold of any sort due to unpaid tuition, fines, etc.

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Using your preferred web browser, go to http://blackboard.gwu.edu. Once there, click on the Login button, then use your Net ID and password to access Bb@GW.

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The Bb@GW system will automatically synched so your new password will be valid to login to Bb.

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Bb@GW is optimized for Netscape 6.2 or better, and Internet Explorer 5.0 or better on both a Mac and PC.

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• Call the Division of IT Helpdesk at 202-994-GWIT (4948).
• Send an e-mail to: ithelp@gwu.edu.

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All accounts on Bb@GW are removed from the system 12 months after a user has been removed from the University registration system or 12 months after a user's last login. In other words, when you graduate, and your account type is set to "alumni" in the registration system, your Bb@GW account will expire along with your GWMail account after 12 months. (see course material also)

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Starting in August 2003, the University registration system will periodically update Bb@GW with official student registration information. Therefore, your will be dynamically added to the courses for which you have registered. When the semester begins, however, you won't see a link into the course until your instructor makes the course "available" to you within Bb@GW.

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Your course list will be automatically updated based on the official student registration information available at the time of the update. In most circumstances the updates for official courses will occur nightly. When you add a course, you will see it in your course list when the Bb@GW is updated. When you drop a course, your course status will be changed to "inactive" and you will no longer have access to it. At the end of the add/drop period, you will be purged from the course that you have dropped.

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There are several possible reasons: 1. None of your instructors are using the Bb@GW this semester. 2. None of your instructors have made "available" the courses that they are teaching using the Bb@GW. It is up to the instructor to set the courses to "available". 3. You are not officially registered any courses. Verify your enrollment status through GWeb.

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You will have access to course material from the moment your instructor makes it "available" until one month after the last day of the classes for a given semester. In other words, for ALL other Banner generated courses, courses will be set to "unavailable" to students one month following the end of a given semester.

However, your instructor may, at any time, manually make the course "unavailable" and thus restrict student access.

Note: If you have not registered for a course in Banner or dropped a course, you will not have access to the course content in Bb@GW.

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The first point of contact for students and faculty is the Division of IT Helpdesk. http://helpdesk.gwu.edu; ithelp@gwu.edu; 202-994-GWIT (4948).

Support you can receive from the Helpdesk:

• Student user support
• Technical Support - desktop computer and software that are supported by the helpdesk. For more details you can go to: http://helpdesk.gwu.edu//software/supported.html for SOFTWARE and http://helpdesk.gwu.edu//policies/hardware.reqs.html for HARDWARE that is supported by GW.
• Technical Problem reporting - Blackboard errors, outages, or other issues

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If you have an Assignment in any Content Area of your course, you may complete an Assignment through your interface. This includes the ability to post files. Your instructor then "picks up" your submissions on their Gradebook page.

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Chat occurs at the same time for all users. The Chat features of Bb@GW allow you to not only text chat, but field and answer a managed question queue, share a live web site with your instructor and your peers, as well, as browse common course content from Bb@GW.

Discussions allow you to reply to a forum topic posted by your instructor, reply to one another, and start new threads within the forum. Users do not have to be online at the same time for the history of a discussion to be read.

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Lightweight Chat or the Virtual Classroom within the Chat function of Bb@GW requires a Java Plug-in to be installed on your local computer. The first time you try to run Chat, you will be prompted to install the plug-in if your system does not already have it installed.

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