Getting Started:

1. How the courses work
2. Participation in discussions
3. Time Commitment
4. FAQs from the Certificate in Nonprofit Management program

Access your courses via Blackboard here: http://blackboard.uic.edu

We use an online application called Blackboard. All of the course content is online – we do not use any textbooks. Instead, students are directed to websites and PDF files for the weekly required reading assignments. The majority of the time spent on course work each week entails active participation in the various discussions posted in the discussion board.

Most courses begin on a Thursday with weekly assignments due the following Sunday – Tuesday. The modules then end on Wednesdays, but it is always possible to return to any previous module and read or print the discussion threads.

Students are required to answer weekly discussion questions that are based on the week’s topic and the students’ work experience. These questions are designed to promote a healthy debate on possible solutions to common management problems faced by nonprofit and public sector staff. The course instructor follows all of the discussions and participates as necessary – to clarify or correct statements being made and to help guide further thought and debate on the topics. A primary goal throughout all of our courses and programs is to promote critical thought and analysis, changing the students’ attitudes and behavior to in turn improve organizational practice.

The weekly time commitment varies depending on the courses and as the cohorts need to be customized. In general, we ask that students log into their Blackboard course a minimum of 4 times each week and dedicate approximately 8 – 10 hours for weekly course work.

New to Online Learning or Blackboard?
Be sure to read through our "How to Login" manual to familiarize yourself with logging in and and setting up your personal preferences. (Adobe is required to view this file).

To accommodate the many students who are new to online learning, students are given access to courses prior to the first day of class. During this time, students are expected to complete an online orientation which allows them the opportunity to become familiar with the course Web site and menu options. Orientation also gives students a chance to get to know each other through the development of personal homepages and other introduction exercises.

Also, our Technical Support team provides online support 24 hours a day and live support during business hours (M - F, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Central Time).

Tutorials:
The following clips will provide an overview of many features of online courses. To view these files, you will need the free Macromedia Flash Player to be installed on your computer. Install Macromedia Flash Player.

Login - click here to learn how to access your course.

Technical Requirements - click here to learn more about Blackboard technical requirements.

Technical Support - click here to learn how to request technical support.

Change E-mail - click here to learn how to change your primary e-mail address.

Check Grades (students) - click here to learn how to access the gradebook as a student.

Discussion - click here to learn how to post to your course's discussion board, reply to existing comments and attach documents to postings.