Deleting a section in Blackboard
Why delete a section in Blackboard
The Blackboard service is designed for the delivery of teaching.
The service was not designed and is not resourced to be used as an archive facility.
Each staff member is responsible for keeping backups of the materials they upload to Blackboard.
It is recommended to backup and keep an archive copy of sections that are no longer required for teaching.
Things to do before deleting your section
- Ensure the section is no longer required for teaching
- Check for linked files
- Ensure all lecturers enrolled in the section have been notified.
The process for deleting a section in Blackboard Manager will create a back up of the section prior to deletion. This ensures you will have a copy of the latest section content prior to deleting the section.
If a section is accidentally deleted it can be restored from this backup file.
Please ensure you download and store the back up file, this file will be stored on the server for one week.
How to delete a section
The section deletion process in Blackboard Manager is available to Unit Administrators, School/Department administrators and Faculty Administrators.
The process performs a backup prior to deleting the section. The backup file created should be downloaded and kept as the final record of the section.
Once the backup of the section is complete the section will automatically be deleted from the service.
Steps:
- Navigate to the section page in Blackboard Manager
- Click the delete Section link
- Confirm the section deletion, you will receive an email stating the section has been scheduled for backup and deletion
- You will receive an email informing the backup is successful with instructions to download the archive file, and the deletion has occurred
- Download the archive file and store in a secure place
- Section deletion is complete
Linked files
In Blackboard, sections can make use of files that are located in other learning contexts by:
- inheriting files from the template it used ; or
- subscribing public files from the repository in course level and above
The file remains in the original folder e.g. template folder or repository, but is linked to the section that uses it.
Before deleting the original files and/or learning contexts or templates containing original files, it is required to create a local copy of the file in the section to prevent the broken links in the section content.
Breaking the link of a shared file or unsubscribing will create a copy of the file in the section.
Breaking the link of a shared file
File Manager files that are subscribed are indicated by the icon:  .
To place a local copy of the file in the section:
- Click on the Build tab.
- Click on File Manager
 in the Designer Tools menu.
- To unsubscribe click the drop down menu next to the file name and select unsubscribe. Alternatively if there is more than one file: check the boxes next to the files and click the Unsubscribe button at the bottom of the list of files.
Restoring a section backup containing linked files
When the section is backed up, the linked files are copied into the section as part of the backup, but tagged as linked files. This means that the backup contains a copy of all files used in the section at the time of archival.
Choose the following options that suites you:
Option1: Restore shared file structure as save in the archive, if shared file exists
If this option is selected, links to files will be re-established.
This means that if the original files have changed since the backup, upon restore, they will be updated.
Choose this option for user error recovery as the purpose of linking to other files to use the latest version of those files as it re-creates the same file structure (link) as the designer intended before the error occurred.
However, if the original files have since been deleted, moved or renamed, the links will be broken.
Option 2: Do not restore shared file structure, restore files save in the archive
If this option is select, upon restore, no existing links will be re-established. The exact contents of all files saved in the backup will be used to restore the section.
Choose this option if the original files no longer exist or if the file content is required to remain exactly as it was when the section was archived.
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