Preparatory Information for Fall 2008 Distance Learning Courses

Welcome to online study at JTS! This memo contains important information for you as you begin your studies this semester. This includes the information about your username and password that you will need in order to log into your course.

Blackboard, the new eLearning system for our distance-learning courses, is used by hundreds of universities throughout the world. It provides a variety of tools to enable students to interact with faculty in an online environment. We believe that this software will lead to a more effective distance-learning program with an increased range of options and opportunities for JTS.

In order to access the course resources available to you, you must first be familiar with your JTS email account as the Blackboard username is identical to your JTS username. For example, if your email address is jodoe@jtsa.edu then your Blackboard username is jodoe. If you have already accessed JTS's electronic article reserves (eReserves) and have since changed your password, your Blackboard password will be the password that you specified during that process. Please do not share this information with anyone else; this is your personal password. If for any reason you still need assistance with your username and password, please contact our Blackboard Support at (212) 280-6114  or by email.

All JTS Fall 2008 Distance Learning courses will begin on September 2, 2008. While you will only be able to access the introductory units for any course prior to the start date listed above, you are encouraged to begin participating in our online orientation here and here.

At this orientation site, you will find tutorials and tip sheets and reading lists, information about configuring your computer for Blackboard, activating your account, and other resources available to online students. Ensuring that your personal computer has all of the necessary software is vital to successfully learning online. If you have trouble with configuration, please contact the support desk at the number or email address above. You will also find important contact information for those departments who work closely with distance-learning students.

You should also take a moment to familiarize yourself with JTS academic policies and the academic calendar; for instance, the procedures and deadlines for adding and dropping courses. These can be found on the main JTS website:

If you have any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Blackboard Support  by email or phone: (212) 280-6114. Thank you for your time and good luck this semester!