Blackboard Storage and Course Retention Guidelines

Courses are retained in Blackboard for 5 years. You can access your previous courses on the Courses page by using the Current Courses drop down menu to select a specific semester, or by using the arrow in the upper left to page through previous semesters.

After 5 years, courses are deleted from Blackboard. The Division of IT will send a notification to anyone with the Instructor role in a course that will be deleted. This provides time for you to export the course for your records.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will the next set of Blackboard courses be removed from the system?

In accordance with NIU’s course retention policy for Blackboard, only the last 5 years of courses are retained in Blackboard. The Division of IT will begin removing courses from the 2019-2020 academic year this fall. Shells and Organizations will not be affected at this time.

Courses to be deleted: All courses from Fall 2019, Spring 2020, and Summer 2020 will be deleted. Courses from Fall 2020 to Fall 2025 will be retained in Blackboard.

Removal date: The removal process will begin in Fall, 2025

How do I save Blackboard courses that I wish to retain?

You may save any courses you wish to retain before the course removal process begins by exporting the courses from Blackboard. You can store the exported package (a .zip file) on your computer or in OneDrive. Faculty members are responsible for exporting their own courses. Learn more about exporting your Blackboard course.

How do I save the Gradebook for a Blackboard course?

You may download the Grade Center if you wish to retain the grades for your records. Learn more about downloading the Grade Center.

Who do I contact if I have any questions about the Blackboard course removal process?

If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please feel free to contact the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning at 815-753-0595 or citl@niu.edu. If you experience technical issues while exporting a course or downloading your grades, please contact the Division of IT Service Desk at it.niu.edu, 815-753-8100 or servicedesk@niu.edu.

About Blackboard

Get Help

Technical Support and Student Help

Division of IT Service Desk

815-753-8100
servicedesk@niu.edu

Teaching Support and Faculty Help

Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning

815-753-0595
citl@niu.edu