Blackboard Integration Request Guidelines

These guidelines were developed in an effort to provide consistent and timely responses for incoming integration requests. The vetting process for new integrations will ensure that third-party add-ons meet security standards for protecting student information in accordance with FERPA.

Make a Blackboard Integration request

Visit the CIT Support portal to request a Blackboard Integration.

Please contact CIT as early as possible when requesting a new REST API or LTI integration.

We recommend contacting our office a full semester in advance of implementation to allow for the approval process to take place.

Integration Requirements

Integrations must have a UA campus contact.
All new integrations must be LTI 1.3 or API. Beginning August 12, 2021, no new building blocks will be added to UA’s instance of Blackboard Learn.
A VPAT and HECVAT/HECVAT Lite are required for each integration.

Timeline for Integration Requests

Integration requests pass through several stages prior to being made available to UA faculty and students:

Functional review: Evaluates added functionality and compatibility between the add-on tool and UA’s Learning Management System (LMS).
Security & Accessibility review: Examines the process by which student information passes to the third-party tool, vendor privacy documentation, and FERPA compliance. Additionally, evaluates the product’s compliance status with regard to WCAG 2.0 AA.
Support planning: Develops a support plan based on campus and vendor support channels
Testing: New tool is added to our testing systems for LMS system administration and end-user functionality tests.
Installation: New tool is added to our Production system between academic terms.

Following the LMS Functional review, the UA faculty sponsor or delegate requesting the new tool will need to seek approval from UA Legal and the UA Registrar for the new tool to access FERPA-protected student data. The Center for Instructional Technology can help facilitate this approval process.

Upon approval for installation on our Production system, CIT will schedule the new integration during the next system update window. These update windows occur between academic semesters while classes are not in session.

Please note that each integration is unique and there are circumstances that can affect the timelines for testing and implementation. Vendor responsiveness, time for CIT to complete testing, and the complexity of the integration can all affect the time needed for implementation.