Once you've registered

Be Sure To Complete Your Registration

If you have registered for a distance learning class, there are a few steps you need to take to complete your registration:

1. Make sure to update your e-mail address with PANTHER, BMCC's student information system.

You may input your e-mail address into a terminal in the Register's Office.

Or change it online, using PANTHER.

DO NOT change your email address. This is our only way of contacting you.

2. Also, you should e-mail your professor immediately. You will find your professor's e-mail address listed below his/her course on the course schedule.

3. Attend one of the in person Orientation sessions for distance learning. (These are general information sessions and cannot be attended in place of your instructor's scheduled face-to-face session.)

Orientation Sessions

Blackboard orientation sessions for on-line students will be presented by the Learning Resource Center. Contact Greg Farrell in the LRC for more info. (gfarrell@bmcc.cuny.edu)
You can also view the Online orientation tutorial
Please note: this is a GENERAL ORIENTATION and should not be attended in place of an instructor's scheduled face-to-face orientation session.

About Blackboard

BLACKBOARD is the web-based system BMCC faculty members use to present their course materials online.

Logging in to Blackboard

To access the CUNY portal, go to the CUNY site at www.cuny.edu and select Portal Log-in.

Simply choose "Register Now!" and create your own account.

You will be asked to enter your last name, date of birth and social security number. Now you will get a screen where you can change your username, create your password and enter an e-mail address. Be sure to list an accurate e-mail address. This is the means by which we communicate a new password to you if you ever forget your password.

Make sure that you write down your username and password and store it in a safe place. You will need them each time you login to the portal.

Once you've logged in, your personalized page appears. To access Blackboard, choose Blackboard 8.0. Do not choose Blackboard 6.3 unless you want to access courses from FFall 2008 or earlier.

You'll be brought directly into your personal Blackboard page.

Need Help Using Cuny Portal?

Navigating through Blackboard
On the first page, you'll see:
Under "My Courses," you should see the name and number of your course. Click on it.

Upon first entering the course, you'll see the typical Blackboard course screen:
	On the right side are "Announcements," time sensitive materials posted by the instructor.

On the left side are "buttons" that will take you to various places on the site:
	Announcements Your professor will post time-sensitive information here, such as upcoming exams. Course Information Typically, you'll find your course syllabus, grading policies, and schedules here. Staff Information Find general information about your professor here, including office hours, telephone numbers, and E-mail addresses. Course Documents Look here for online handouts, lecture materials, and other important documents. Assignments Homework assignments, tests, quizzes, and surveys are found here. Communication Use this area for online discussions, virtual chats, and E-mail. External Links Find links to other sites here. Student Tools The student drop box to submit materials to your instructor, a calendar, and your Web page tools are all available here. Click on the Student Manual for online help, including a complete explanation of the Course Info environment. Your instructor will tell you more specifically what you will find in each category.

Hints on using Blackboard:
1.	DO NOT change your password for the duration of the course. You have been entered into the system with this password, and your access to the system depends on this password.
2.	Write your user name and password in a safe place
3.	Bookmark the Blackboard address in your "Bookmarks" (Netscape) or "Favorites" (IE) browser so you don't have to type it each time.
4.	Use Internet Explorer or Firefox as your browser when accessing Blackboard.
5.	If you have trouble accessing the site, call Instructional Technology: (212) 220-8122.