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Purpose and Scope
This policy specifies who is and may be granted access to a University course site, and when it is appropriate for the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) to manually add a user to a course site.
This policy applies to all members of the University of Detroit Mercy community, including students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, and guests. Access to course sites by vendor-integration accounts, such as Rest API or AI accounts, are covered by the Learning Management System (LMS) Access and Integration Policy.
Responsible Office and Interpretation
The University of Detroit Mercy CETL is responsible for review and revisions of this policy. Questions about this policy should be directed to ask-CETL@udmercy.edu.
Defined Terms
Course Site
A set of web pages within the University’s Learning Management System that may contain content, assignments, tests, discussions, student work, and grades specific to a course offering.
Course Site Availability
Indicates a student user’s ability to view the contents of a course site which they have been granted access to. Course sites must be made available (“opened” to enrolled students) before the site’s content can be viewed by students. Users with instructor and support staff roles may access unavailable course sites.
Course Site Enrollment
Any level of access to a course site (e.g., instructor, student, administrator).
Learning Management System (LMS)
The platform (“Blackboard”) by which course sites are delivered.
Learning Tool Interoperability (LTI)
An external tool that deeply integrates into the LMS. LTI tools may offer content (such as online textbooks or streaming video), activities, and assessments that can be accessed through the LMS without an additional login. See the the Learning Management System (LMS) Access and Integration Policy for more information on LTI access.
Registered Student
An individual with institution-approved enrollment in a University offering.
Student Information System (SIS)
Software (“Banner”) used to manage and organize student data, including (but not limited to) profile information, registration information, and transcripts.
Policy
Course site access is limited to registered students, faculty of record, and CETL administrators. Additional course site access may be granted to University-approved support staff and / or administrators by request of the faculty of record, the department Chair or Program Director, and / or the Dean of the academic unit.
Access by non-University of Detroit Mercy community members
- Temporary course site access may be granted to LMS or approved LTI vendor support staff, with the permission of both CETL and the faculty of record.
Course Site Availability
- Availability of a course site is determined by the faculty of record, contingent on policies of their program and / or academic unit.
Procedures
Registered students and faculty of record are added via LMS / SIS integration at two-hour intervals. Changes to a course’s faculty of record or enrollment list should be reported by the academic department to the Office of the Registrar. Changes will be reflected in the LMS after the next update window.
Requests for additions to a course site may be placed by appropriate faculty or administrators by emailing ask-CETL@udmercy.edu from a University of Detroit Mercy (“@udmercy.edu”) email account. To ensure compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), it may be necessary to consult with a CETL representative to determine the proper level of access for any additional course site enrollment before a request is processed.
Requests for multiple additions will require submission of an appropriately formatted batch processing file as outlined on the CETL support site.
Emergency adjustments to course site access may be placed by an appropriate department Chair or Program Director, or by the Dean of the academic unit by emailing the CETL Associate Director for Educational Technology.