Category:Enrolling Instructors
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Attaching staff to modules in SITS
At Birkbeck we use a system called SITS which contains details of all modules and student enrolments in them. This data is then extracted from SITS and used to populate the BLE/Blackboard.
The document available from the link below explains how to add staff to modules. This is normally done by department/school administrators.
* Enrolling Staff as Instructors in Blackboard via SITS (click to open).
Please note:
- The staff member must exist (have a Personnel or PRS code) in SITS for this to work (see below for more info).
- Staff who are on the HR system will automatically go into SITS (i.e., get a PRS code).
- A staff member who has been assigned to a module in SITS, whether as an 'Assessment Marker' (on the MKR screen) or as the 'Module Tutor' (within the MAV screen), will be enrolled as an 'Instructor' of the corresponding module shell in Blackboard. (School/ department administrators should use the MKR screen to attach staff as they may not have permission to store in the Module Tutor field - this field is normally updated by the BSIS team).
- This data (like the student enrolments) is passed from SITS to Blackboard twice daily on weekdays, so access is gained quickly.
Looking up a staff member's PRS Code
When you log in to SITS and the main menu appears, there is a field where you can type in MAV, PRS, etc to open the screen you require.
Type PRS to open the PRS screen.
You can then type a name in the surname field, and click the retrieve icon above (the opening folder), to find all records matching that surname. In the PRS record, a field called 'usercode' displays the person's ITS username. Some staff members may have more than one PRS record/code (usually only one is current) - if that is the case it is important to select the PRS code which is linked to their correct ITS username.
Notes regarding Sessional Lecturers
Sessional lecturers, once set up by HR with a payroll number and appearing in SITS with a PRS code, should now automatically receive an ITS username and password via email to their external contact address (if present in the HR system).
Please note:
Once HR/Payroll have allocated the person a payroll number in the AltaHR system they will gain an identity (PRS code) in SITS.
It is important that
1) they are set up by Payroll as sessional lecturers, not as casual staff, because only the former will trigger account creation
and
2) the person's external email address is entered in the HR system so they get sent their username and password details.
To see if an account has been allocated to a staff member, search for them in SITS via the PRS screen - the ITS username is found in the usercode field. If there is nothing shown in the 'usercode' field, or the account is there but they never received an activation email, please contact ITS Blackboard Support or they can call in to the ITS Helpdesk.
If returning sessional lecturers are not able to log in yet as they are waiting to be processed by HR, ITS can reinstate their access by putting a temporary 'override' on their account. Someone from the school should act as 'authoriser' by sending the ITS Helpdesk an email indicating the override is needed and for how long. For new sessional staff not yet set up by HR please see the information on Associates below.
You can change a sessional lecturer’s email address and it will be reflected in Blackboard - please see: Media:To_change_SL_email.doc.
Associates
A further category of 'staff' who are not actually Birkbeck staff can now be set up as Associates using the new "associate database". This is a new feature of our identity management system which will address the perennial problem of sessional lecturers not appearing in the HR/Payroll system in time to allow a computer account to be created, and people who need a Birkbeck account but who are not employed by Birkbeck. This associates database is more closely tied to the MIS systems than the existing computer account registration system.
IT Services will need the following details for each associate, in order to create the computer account and feed them into this new database (which will link the ITS account into the HR system if/when they do appear in it).
- Title
- Surname
- Forename
- Middle Names
- Username
- Email Address
- Gender
- Date of Birth
- Authoriser's name
- Authoriser's e-mail
- End date of override
- Notes (e.g. reason for override)
After receiving the username and password:
- Once the person has a PRS code in SITS and an ITS account created, they should be able to go to www.ble.ac.uk and log in using those details.
- They can also be added to any modules required via SITS (as per the instructions above).
Bulk enrolment to all modules in a range
You can bulk enrol admin staff to all modules in their subject area(s). To add someone to all modules in a range, call up the MKR1 screen (from the main menu instead of MAV etc).
This looks similar to the usual MKR – fill in the PRS code and academic year – then you can just put in the module prefix – e.g. ABCD, then right click, and put in wildcard * to select all ABCD modules. Choose Use MAV. Click on Generate.
Note regarding removal from MKR: Admin and Learning Technology staff have add, but not remove permissions from MKR records. Once a staff member is attached to a module code via MKR, only the BSIS team can remove them. Should you need to remove someone from an MKR please contact BSIS Help. They are also able to bulk remove from a range.
