Dates: September to December of 2025
Location: via WebEx Virtually online unless otherwise marked. For WebEx, the access link will be sent to the registered participants on the day before a workshop. For in-person workshops, the room# will be sent to the registered participants one day before a workshop.
Registration for a technology training workshop is required. Please email your name, email address, phone number, division, date, time, and name of training session to mxccdistance@ctstate.edu. An email will be sent to you confirming your registration and the access link will be sent to you on the day before the workshop. Please register at least 24 hours in advance of training to avoid workshop cancellations due to low/no enrollment.
Download the Distance Education Course Design Guidelines for Student Success (PDF)
A Tour of Blackboard Ultra - WebEx
Join us for a brief introduction to Blackboard Ultra, the next generation of our learning management system. With a full transition planned in Fall 2026, this session will cover key timelines, a look at the new interface, tips for course redesign, and available training resources. Whether you're teaching this fall or preparing for future semesters, this webinar will help you get ready for the move to Ultra.
Thursday, 9/18/2025, 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Monday, 9/22/2025, 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Tuesday, 9/30/2025, 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Wednesday, 10/22/2025, 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Thursday, 11/13/2025, 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
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Blackboard Ultra Part 1 & 2: Content and Communications Tools - In-Person, Room TBA, Middletown Campus |
| Blackboard Ultra Part 3 & 4: Assessments and Gradebook - In -Person, Room TBA, Middletown Campus This workshop covers assessments and gradebook management in Blackboard Ultra. Participants will learn how to create and grade assignments and tests, use the four Gradebook views, calculate overall grades using totals or weights, and apply rubrics to support consistent evaluation. Friday, 9/19/2025, 9:00 am - 11:30 am Thursday, 10/16/2025, 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm Friday, 11/21/2025, 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm |
More Blackboard Ultra Webinars will be offered via MS Teams in Fall 2025. Please logon to Blackboard and view the schedule and registration information on the Blackboard Institution page.
Starting Fall 2025, CT State Community College will roll out Blackboard Ultra, an upgraded version of the Blackboard learning management system. All courses will use Blackboard Ultra in Fall 2026, as Blackboard Original will become read-only and retire by the end of 2026.
We highly recommend that faculty begin using Blackboard Ultra in Spring 2026 and fully transition their courses by Fall 2026. To get trained and certified in Ultra, several options are available:
Option 1: Self-Paced Online Course
Watch training videos in a self-paced Blackboard Ultra course. Contact Distance Learning at mxccdistance@ctstate.edu to request access.
Option 2: Live Webinars via MS Teams
Attend four 90-minute MS Teams webinar sessions. The schedule and registration instructions can be found on the Blackboard Institution Page after you log into Blackboard.
Option 3: In-Person Training
Attend two in-person sessions on the Middletown campus. The schedule is posted here. To reserve a seat, contact mxccdistance@ctstate.edu.
To use Blackboard Ultra in Winter 2025 or Spring 2026, faculty must be certified by passing the Blackboard Ultra Certification Quiz with a score of 80% or higher. The quiz contains 10 questions, offers unlimited attempts at 30-minute time duration.
If you have prior experience using Blackboard Ultra at another institution, you may still become certified at CT State Community College by taking and passing the certification quiz. Contact mxccdistance@ctstate.edu to request access.
Once certified, faculty may request a Blackboard Ultra Sandbox for practice or course development by contacting mxccdistance@ctstate.edu. In October, a request form will be distributed to certified faculty to submit Ultra course requests for Winter 2025 or Spring 2026.
For questions or assistance with Blackboard Ultra, contact MxCC Distance Learning at 860-343-5756 or mxccdistance@ctstate.edu.