Information Services Notifications and Outages

Be the first to know about system upgrades, outage notifications, and more from Information Services.

System Update – Sunday, March 5, 2023

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On Sunday, March 5, the authentication system will be updated and therefore unavailable:

  • 6:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Blackboard and all other systems reliant upon CAS authentication will not be available during this time.

There will be no impact to other systems such as: University networks, phone systems, main websites, Banner, Office 365, email services, video surveillance systems, electronic door access, and the application for admission.

To maintain the University’s technology infrastructure at the level required to ensure reliable and secure delivery of services and technologies, Information Services will be applying updates to the Banner environment on Sunday.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact Stacey Tune directly at 417-836-6555 or via email at StaceyTune@MissouriState.edu.

Resolved: Blackboard Error Loading Documents

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Update: As of 1:30PM (10/25), there is a fix in place and the issue is now resolved.

Blackboard is currently experiencing an error when loading documents as shown below. This can impact general content in a course as well as assignment files of all types for both students and faculty. The problem is related to Blackboard’s cloud storage vendor and a fix should be in place shortly. We will update this blog post with additional information as soon as possible.

Blackboard Learn SaaS Error

 

Blackboard App Not Functioning as Intended After Update (Resolved)

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The Blackboard app has been updated, and login issues have now been resolved. You should be prompted for Web Login. If you receive an invalid username/password error, you may need to clear your cache (Android only) or delete and re-download the Blackboard Learn app (iOS) from the relevant app store. Once you have done so, you should be appropriately directed to the web login page and be able to sign in as expected.

Additions information regarding the app can be found in our Knowledge Base.

Steps for clearing cache (Android only). 

Step 1: open settings and locate the Blackboard app:

Step 2: Under App info, click Storage, then Clear Cache.

Step 3: Confirm the cache deletion (this will not impact your assignments or other data within Blackboard, just your local app data).

 

Previous Issue:

Updated: September 14, 2022

Some versions of the app are currently returning an error message of Incorrect username/password.

If you are routed through the Missouri State Web Login page as shown below, you should be able to login as expected with the standard app experience. We will continue to provide updates as Blackboard refines their fix to this issue.

 

 

 

If users receive errors regarding inability to reach the institution’s server, they may need to update their app. See the screenshot below for an example.

In addition, once users update the app, they will need to accept the new privacy agreement. This may not be sized correctly for many mobile devices and users may need to swipe across to see the OK button and accept the new terms.

Finally, the mobile app is currently not functioning as expected. Users will see the mobile version of the Blackboard site in their app interface. This is a temporary bug and we will update users when we have a solution or a workaround for this issue.

 

Blackboard Course Clean-Up: Summer 2018, Fall 2018, and Spring 2019

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As part of the regular Blackboard maintenance schedule and the ongoing effort to clear up valuable space on our servers, Computer Services will begin the Blackboard course clean-up process for all Summer 2018, Fall 2018, and Spring 2019 courses on Monday, June 27, 2022. You will see ‘Scheduled to be deleted’ added to the names of all impacted courses to indicate which courses will be removed from Blackboard. The clean-up process will end on July 8, 2022.

What does this mean for you?

If you taught a course in the Summer 2018, Fall 2018, or Spring 2019 semester, those Blackboard courses are scheduled to be deleted. If you need to save any content or grade data from these courses you must do so before June 27, 2022.

Resources:

How to Export Your Course – This article provides instructions for creating a course export file. This will allow you to save a copy of your course content and settings, but it does not include any student enrollments, data, or grades.

  • It is recommended that you save your course export file in a secure location that you will continue to have access to. We recommend storing the file in your MSU OneDrive for Business account, which you will have access to for as long as you are employed by Missouri State University. See How to Store Files in OneDrive for Business for detailed instructions.

How to Download the Grade Center – This article provides instructions for downloading your course Grade Center as a spreadsheet. This will allow you to save a copy of your students’ grades offline for future reference.

End of Semester Blackboard Checklist for Faculty – This article provides best practices and tips for regular maintenance of your Blackboard courses.

Request Help:

If you have any questions or need help with this process, please submit a request to the Help Desk. Click the Request Help button and then please complete the short form so we can assist you promptly. If you are referencing a specific course in your request, make sure that you include the exact course name or ID as it is shown in Blackboard.

Upgrade Day – Saturday, May 28, 2022

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On Saturday, May 28, 2022, several university systems will be down for scheduled maintenance:

  • 12:01 a.m. – 1:00 a.m. – Internet for Springfield, West Plains and Mountain Grove campuses will be unavailable.
  • 5:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. – Power to the university’s primary data center will be offline. Many campus services and systems will not be available during this time.  These include: My Missouri State, Banner, Blackboard, personal websites, departmental file servers, web forms, and systems supporting Magers Health and Wellness Center, Bookstore, Foster Recreation Center, etc.

There will be no impact to other systems such as: main university websites, Office 365, email services, video surveillance systems, electronic door access systems, and the application for admission.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact Stacey Tune directly at 417-836-6555 or via email at StaceyTune@MissouriState.edu.