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All About Images & Alt Text - USM December Accessibility Newsletter

Sponsored by the USM Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation

The December issue of the USM Digital Accessibility Newsletter is now available. Here's what's inside: Why Alt Text Matters Quick Fix Guide: Images & Alt Text Tools & Tactics: Alt...

Posted: December 17, 2025, 12:37 PM

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Blackboard Revamps Course Navigation to Streamline Workflows

A cleaner, faster course experience arrives around Jan 8-9

Blackboard will roll out a refreshed interface in early January, introducing a cleaner, more intuitive design that aims to make everyday teaching tasks faster and more efficient. One change is...

Posted: December 10, 2025, 2:47 PM

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Yuja Migration Delayed to Mid-January

Blackboard Panopto access remains through Spring Break

As we prepare for Winter 2026, we need to update the campus on our transition from Panopto to YuJa as UMBC's new video capture and hosting platform. While you can begin using YuJa for recording...

Posted: December 9, 2025, 5:07 PM

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Blackboard to Launch New FAQs in mid-December

DoIT to review UMBC-related Bb FAQs as a result

Blackboard is rolling out a significant upgrade to its documentation experience this month, and UMBC users will begin seeing the first changes on December 10. Blackboard's new help site features a...

Posted: December 9, 2025, 1:55 PM

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5 Ways to Create “Born Accessible” Course Materials

If you can click it, you can fix it.

As UMBC continues strengthening digital accessibility across teaching and learning, many faculty have already taken steps to reduce, remake, and remediate existing documents, videos, and course...

Posted: December 9, 2025, 8:59 AM

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Set Clear Expectations for Discussions in the December Ultra Update

New options for releasing content

What if your discussion assignments could set clear expectations up front? Could your students benefit if your course could respond to their questions before you checked your inbox? The December...

Posted: December 2, 2025, 2:57 PM

Black and white robot dog running with the words "New to Ultra" written on  light turquoise background

WT/SP2026 Courses Created on November 21, 2025

Prepare your Ultra courses for the upcoming term

Blackboard course shells for Winter and Spring 2026 were created on November 21, 2025. All Winter and Spring 2026 courses listed in the UMBC Schedule of Classes (SOC), regardless of designation...

Posted: November 24, 2025, 8:36 AM

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