A supersection is when you combine two or more Blackboard courses. Using the Blackboard Learn Section Maintenance tool in MyBama, instructors of record can combine courses to be more efficient. Often cross-listed courses, individual sections, or lab sections are combined.
What happens when an instructor creates a supersection?
When you combine your courses into a supersection, you create a new shell in which you add content. Blackboard calls the supersection a “Parent Course.”
A supersection course name looks like this in Blackboard: 202240-SS-CIT-100-001-CIT-100-002
The individual sections, or “child courses”, contain the enrollment for the supersection. Instructors cannot add content to these sections. Your students will still access the individual courses but will see content from the supersection.
Child courses do not appear on an instructor’s Courses page.
Guidelines for combining courses
Do NOT combine courses that match any of the following:
Courses with overlapping enrollment, such as labs and lectures.
Courses containing student data/submissions. Student work that has been completed does not transfer to the newly created supersection.
Courses with content. The supersection will not retain the content when merged with the Section Maintenance Tool. Contact CIT to transfer course content.
Courses that are coded OL (Online - DL/Gadsden Students) with any sections not coded as OL.
Rationale: In order to maintain compliance with accreditation standards and U.S. Department of Education regulations, Main Campus programs must offer at least 50% of instruction face-to-face. If it is possible for a student to acquire a degree or certificate with 50% or more of instruction by distance, then the program is a distance program and subject to approvals by the UA Board of Trustees, the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, and SACSCOC. Additionally, F-1 or J-1 students are subject to strict requirements regarding online instruction, i.e. no online classes for J-1 students and only one three-credit hour course per semester for F-1 students.
What happens when a student drops a course?
Enrollments continue to sync with Banner, so if anyone drops or adds, they will do so in Blackboard.
Can instructors still import grades into myBama from a supersection?
Yes. You can still import grades into myBama for your course using the Import from Blackboard Learn button in MyBama.