Timeline

  • October 2011
    • Initiated Project
    • Established Upgrade Project Steering Committee
    • Established Upgrade Project Task Forces for Testing, Training and Communication
    • Train the Trainer sessions occurred for all campus Blackboard Administrators
  • November 2011
    • Announced project to campus academic officers
    • Planned Building Block selection process, update of training materials, communication strategies and system testing approach
    • Began crafting User Testing documentation
    • Began crafting CUNY-specific training documentation
  • December 2011
    • Selected Building Blocks to test
    • Built Test and Training environment
    • Announced project to campus faculty
  • January 2012
    • Began test of upgrade processes in Test and Training environment
    • Crafted communication plan
    • Designed Blackboard resource web page
    • Reviewed Blackboard.com training material
  • February 2012
    • Upgraded Test and Training environment
    • Campus representatives, CIS and Blackboard Inc. performed User Testing and system performance testing
    • Launched Blackboard resource web page
    • Campuses scheduled and announced training sessions
    • Continued communications to and within campuses
  • March 2012
    • Began campus training sessions
    • Began CUNY-Wide virtual training sessions
    • Continued CUNY-Wide and campus communications
    • Blackboard Inc. performed robust system performance testing
    • Blackboard Inc. continued upgrade testing to minimize upgrade downtime
  • April 2012
    • Campuses continued training sessions
    • Continued CUNY-wide and campus communications
    • Continued CUNY-wide virtual training sessions
    • 4/4 – Summer '12 course shells were created
  • May 2012
    • Enhance Blackboard environment as required by results of system performance testing.
    • Campuses continue training sessions.
    • Continue CUNY-wide virtual training sessions.
    • Increase CUNY-wide and campus communications.
    • 5/18: Move all courses and organizations NOT for Spring 2012 to new Blackboard environment.
      • Courses older than Spring 2011 will NOT be brought into new environment.
      • ONLY Spring 2012 courses and organizations will continue to be available in original Blackboard 8.0 environment.
    • 5/18 – 6/14: Spring 2012 courses and organizations continue uninterrupted in original environment.
    • 5/18 – 5/24: Upgrade new environment to Blackboard 9.1.
    • 5/24: New Blackboard 9.1 environment comes up. Summer Course development continues.
    • 5/24 – 6/14: Two active Blackboard environments. Original Bb 8.0 for all Spring 2012 courses and organizations, New Bb9.1 for all other courses and organizations since Spring 2011.
    • 5/29: First Summer 2012 courses begin in new Blackboard 9.1 environment.
  • June 2012
    • 6/15: At end of Spring 2012 for all schools, original Blackboard 8.0 environment becomes unavailable. Upgrade of that environment begins. Link to original environment is removed from CUNY portal. URL from original Blackboard 8.0 environment transfers to new Blackboard 9.1 environment.
    • 6/19: Upgrade of original Bb 8.0 environment completes. Archiving all Spring 2012 courses out of old environment and restoring them to new Blackboard 9.1 environment begins.
    • 6/27: Fall ’12 course shells are created in new Blackboard 9.1 environment.
    • Approximately July 31st: Restore of all Spring 2012 courses to new Blackboard 9.1 environment is complete.
    • All schools are live for Summer or Spring 2 terms in Blackboard 9.1.
    • Continue CUNY-wide and campus communications.
    • Campuses continue training sessions.
    • Continue CUNY-wide virtual training sessions.
  • July 2012
    • Mid-August: Restore of all Spring 2012 courses to new Blackboard 9.1 environment continues.
    • All schools are live for Summer or Spring 2 terms in Blackboard 9.1.
    • Continue CUNY-wide and campus communications.
    • Campuses continue training sessions.
    • Continue CUNY-wide virtual training sessions.
  • August 2012
    • Mid-August: Restore of all Spring 2012 courses to new Blackboard 9.1 environment continues.
    • All schools are live for Summer or Spring 2 terms in Blackboard 9.1.
    • Continue CUNY-wide and campus communications.
    • Campuses continue training sessions.
    • Continue CUNY-wide virtual training sessions.