How do course terms work?

Course terms are defined time periods that help institutions organize courses according to the academic calendar. Your institution may use terms to group your courses and control availability in bulk. You can make courses available during a specific course term. To learn more about setting course properties, see Managing Courses.

To view the currently defined terms, access the Administrator Panel. In the Courses section, select Terms. On the Terms page, a table displays this information:

  • Name: The name of each term.
  • Duration: The duration for each term.
  • Availability: Whether the term has been made available in the system.
  • Data Source: How the term was created within the system.
  • Courses: The number of courses currently associated with a term. Select the number to see a list of associated courses. To learn more about associating a term with a course, see Creating Courses.

Adjustments to course settings can be made from the Edit Course interface in the administrator panel. Adjusting Course Duration and/or Term Duration will impact the term display logic.

Create or edit a term

  1. On the Administrator Panel, in the Courses section, select Terms.
  2. To create a new term, select Create Term.
    -OR-
    To edit an existing term, open the term's menu and select Edit.
  3. On the Edit Term page, type a Name and optional Description.
  4. For Availability, select Yes to make the term available to courses throughout Blackboard Learn. Select No to make the term unavailable.
  5. Set the Duration for the term.
    • Continuous: Create a term with no beginning or end.
    • Select Dates: Set calendar dates for the beginning and end of the term. The Start Date must be earlier than the End Date. Courses become available on the morning of the start date (00:01). Courses become unavailable on of the evening of the end date (23:59).
    • Days from the end of enrollment: Define a course term as beginning at the close of course enrollment and lasting a specified number of days.
  6. Select Submit.

Delete terms

When you delete a term, the action is irreversible. Use caution when deleting terms that have courses associated with them.

  1. On the Administrator Panel, in the Courses section, select Terms.
  2. On the Terms page, open the term's menu and select Delete. Or, use the check boxes to select one or more terms and select Delete.

View courses associated with terms

  1. On the Administrator Panel, in the Courses section, select Terms.
  2. On the Terms page, open the term's menu and select View Courses. Or, select the number in the Courses column.
  3. The Courses for term page shows all courses associated with a term, as well as:
    • Course ID
    • Course Name
    • Date Created
    • Instructor Username
    • Instructor Name
    • Data Source Key