TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Blackboard Original
  • Option 1 - From the Course List
  • Option 2 – From Inside a Course Site
  • Option 3 – From the Control Panel of a Course
• Blackboard Ultra

Blackboard Original

By default, courses on Blackboard are Unavailable to students. Instructors make courses Available when the course is ready for students. There are several ways to change the availability of a course.

Option 1 - From the Course List

From the Institutional page, click on the Courses link in the list on the left side of the page. Courses that are unavailable to students are labeled Private and have a lock icon.

1. To make a private course available, click on the ellipsis (...) located to the far right of the course name.
    
2. Click the Open course link.
   
3. A window will pop up and ask if you want to open the course. Click the Open to Students button.
   

Note: When courses are Open, the Private label and lock icon will no longer display next to the course name.

Option 2 – From Inside a Course Site

Click the lock icon located next to Edit Mode in the far upper right-hand corner.

A red closed lock: ...means the course is not available to students.

A gray open lock:...means the site is available to students.

Option 3 – From the Control Panel of a Course

1. In the Course Management area of the Course Menu, go to Control Panel > Customization > Properties.
   
2. Scroll down to Set Availability and click the radio button next to Yes to make the course available or No to make it unavailable.
   
3. Click Submit.

Blackboard Ultra

Under Details & Actions on the left-hand side, you will see that the course is marked Course is private or Course is open. 

To open a private course, click on Course is private. In the window that pops up, choose Open to Students. 

To make an open course private, click on Course is open. In the window that pops up, choose Make Course Private. 

NOTE: If the course has finished, you might want to choose Complete Course. 

(Updated 10/13/23)