This information applies only to the Original experience. Your institution controls which tools are available.

Set up your profile

You set up your profile in the My Blackboard menu. If allowed, you can add your profile picture that appears throughout the system and within the greater Blackboard academic network.

If your institution has turned on social media integration, you can copy your Facebook and Twitter picture, description, and email address. If prompted, you must agree to the terms of service and provide an email address before you can set up your profile.

Watch a video about profiles

The following narrated video provides a visual and auditory representation of some of the information included on this page. For a detailed description of what is portrayed in the video, open the video on YouTube, navigate to More actions, and select Open transcript.


Video: My Blackboard Profiles shows how to set up your profile and view other profiles.






Privacy settings

Set who can see your profile and what they see.

  • Public (recommended): Anyone with a Blackboard profile can find and view you on the People page. They don't have to be enrolled in the same institution, course, or organization as you. Your name and profile picture appear throughout your courses, and users can view a preview of your profile from there. You will also have a Google profile that is optimized for search engines so that others can search for you on the web.
  • Hidden: No users can find and view you on the People page. Your name and profile picture appear throughout your courses, but users can't view a preview of your profile from there.
  • My Institution: Anyone at your institution can find and view you on the People page. They don't have to be enrolled in the same course or organization as you. Your name and profile picture appear throughout your courses, and users can view a preview of your profile from there.
  • All Institutions: Anyone with a Blackboard profile can find and view you on the People page. They don't have to be enrolled in the same institution, course, or organization as you. Your name and profile picture appear throughout your courses, and users can view a preview of your profile from there.

If you don't see some of these options, your institution hasn't turned them on.

Facebook and Twitter integration

When you create or edit your profile, you can pull in your profile picture, Facebook-specific email address, and a brief "about me" description from your Facebook or Twitter profiles.

If you don't see Facebook and Twitter integration, your institution hasn't turned it on.

Profile walls

Use your profile wall to update and have conversations with your followers.

  • Type a message in the Share Something box and select Post.
  • To comment on a user's post or comment, hover over it and select Comment.
  • To edit one of your own posts or comments, hover over it and select Edit. An EDITED label appears and shows this information:
    • The post or comment has been edited from its original state
    • When the most recent edit occurred