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Merged Course Visibility
โ ๏ธ Important Update About Merged Courses in Blackboard
Blackboard recently made a platform change that affects how merged courses are displayed and accessed. Availability and course date settings are now strictly enforced for both parent and section (child) courses.
Previously, section courses could remain closed without affecting access, but this is no longer the case. If a parent or section course is unavailable or outside its course dates, students and instructors may not see the course on their dashboard—even though enrollment is correct.
This article explains what changed, why courses may now appear missing or closed, and what actions are required when courses are merged.
๐ Overview
Why Courses May Appear Missing, Closed, or Different Than Expected
If your Blackboard courses are merged, you or your students may notice that:
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A course does not appear on the dashboard
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Only one section appears instead of multiple
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A course appears “closed” even though the semester has started
These behaviors are expected under Blackboard’s current design and recent platform changes. This article explains what’s happening, why it changed, and what faculty need to do to ensure student access.
๐ฆ TAKE AWAYS
When courses are merged, the parent course and section (child) courses must be available.
Blackboard now strictly enforces availability rules, and closed courses can block access for both students and instructors.
๐งฉ How Merged Courses Work
In a merged course setup:
๐ Important:
Students will never see the parent course tile. This is by design.
๐ What Changed Recently in Blackboard?
Blackboard has begun strictly enforcing course availability and duration rules on merged courses.
Before (Old Behavior)
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Section courses could remain Unavailable
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Parent availability effectively controlled access
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Students and instructors could still enter content
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Many instructors never opened section shells
Now (Current Behavior)
This affects:
โ Why Students May See Only One Section Tile
After courses are merged:
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Blackboard may display only one section tile on the student dashboard
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This is normal and intentional
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The visible section acts as the entry point to the merged content
โ Students only need to click the one English course tile they see
โ All merged content is still accessible from that entry point
This does not mean:
๐ฉ๐ซ Why Instructors May Also Notice Changes
Instructors may report:
“I merged my courses and now they’re gone.”
This usually means:
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The course is Unavailable
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Or hidden due to availability/date rules
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Blackboard now hides unavailable courses more aggressively
Tip:
๐ Enable “Show unavailable courses” in your course list to view all sections.
โ
REQUIRED Actions When Requesting or Completing a Course Merge
๐จ This is the new, critical part ๐จ
When courses are merged and the semester has started, the following must be true:
โ Step 1: Make the Parent Course Available
โ Step 2: Make All Section (Child) Courses Available
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Students enter through section tiles
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Closed section courses block dashboard access
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Best practice is to keep all merged sections available
โ Step 3: Verify Course Duration Dates
๐ Best practice: Open the parent and all section courses after a merge.
โ ๏ธ What Not to Do
โ Do not rely on parent availability alone
โ Do not leave section courses closed
โ Do not ask students to troubleshoot access
โ Do not unmerge courses unless directed by OLT / IT
๐ Troubleshooting Checklist (Support Reference)
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Enrollment correct
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Merge structure confirmed
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๐ฒ Parent course available
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๐ฒ All section courses available
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๐ฒ Course duration dates correct
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๐ฒ No entry restrictions blocking access
๐ฃ Key Takeaway
Blackboard no longer allows unavailable courses to act as invisible access points.
If a merged course looks “missing,” availability is the first thing to check.
๐ Faculty Tip (Optional Callout)
If students report missing access after a merge:
๐งพ Related Resources