Making a student unavailable

There may be occasions when you want to prevent a student from accessing a Blackboard site. For example:

  • There is student misconduct

  • In a CE course, the user might not pay for a segment

  • You might need to extend the course for one student past the time when it would normally be unavailable for everyone else

Why not just remove the student?

If you remove a student from a course site from the Users and Groups areas, you will remove their grades--which they (or you) might need to see. Additionally, if the student is still enrolled in the site, they will be added back to the course the next time the "snapshot" runs and Banner syncs to Blackboard. 


There is another option. Marking the student unavailable will prevent the student from accessing the course site, but will allow you to see the student's grades.


Making the student unavailable will also allow you to restore the student's access should the situation change.


What if I have one student who needs an extension beyond the semester?

Sometimes you might need to grant access to a student past the time that the course would normally be available to them. In this case, you'll need to make the course unavailable for the rest of the students.


Steps to Make a Student Unavailable

Close Up of Roles and Viability Options in Blackboard

  1. Go to the Control Panel

  2. Click Users and Groups

  3. Click Users

  4. Search for the student

  5. Mouse over the student id, and click on the chevron (down arrow)

  6. Click Change the User's Availability in Course

  7. Change the Available (this course only) from Yes to No

  8. Click the Submit button

The Grade Center

Note: The student will still be listed in the Grade Center, but you will see a symbol (circle with a line through it) that lets you know the student is unavailable. 


You can hide the student by putting your mouse over the student's name and clicking the down arrow or chevron. Then click the "Hide Row" link.


To bring the student back, click the Manage link that is located toward the top of the Grade Center, and then the "Row Visibility" link. In this view you can set the option to show the row.