Setting up Blackboard access for associate members of staff
Temporary or part-time members of staff e.g. e-tutors, external examiners, visiting lecturers will need an associate account (A-Code) to access and Ulster system, including Blackboard.
When created, an Associate user will get an ulster.ac.uk email address which is a Microsoft Single Sign On account.
Associate accounts can be set up (sponsored) by any member of staff via the A3M system.
Once created, specific faculty and departmental staff must authorise the account. Find your department’s authoriser in this list of A3M authorisers.
Associate accounts should be requested a few days before the account is required. This allows sufficient time for the account and Microsoft Single Sign On credentials to be set up and for the user to respond to emails.
Instructions
Request an associate account (A-Code) using A3M
Before you start you’ll need the associate’s full name, Date of Birth, a valid email address and their National Insurance number (unless they are not a UK national).
When you place a request for an associate account you act as a sponsor.
Login to A3M. A3M uses SSO (Single-Sign-On), if you are already logged into the Ulster portal you’ll arrive at the home page, otherwise login in with your university email and network password.
Once in the home page select Full Associate option.
This takes you to the the Associate User Creation form
Fill in each field carefully, errors in information will result in a delay in the request and in their access to Blackboard.
All fields with a red asterisk (star) must be completed.
Duplicate National Insurance numbers in A3M will result in the account not being approved until any issue is resolved.
If you are requesting a Full Associate account and you know the user already has a staff account, you can complete the Previous E-Code field with the user’s staff number to start the initial rename process.
When you have completed all the fields, double check the entries and select Submit.
The request will then go to an authoriser to be approved. You can email authoriser to flag the request.
Remember the default duration of an associate account is one year, after that the account will need renewed. Authorisers will receive emails warning of the associate’s expiry date. If necessary, use the link in the email to extend the account duration or login to A3M and select users to change the expiry date
Once the request has been approved and processed, you will receive an email notifying you of the creation of the associate member’s account. This email will contain the A-Code and new email address of the associate’s account.
Forward this notification email to the associate’s personal email.
Associate’s need their A-Code and email to proceed with their login process
Associates get an automated welcome email to their personal email address advising an Ulster University associate account has been set up for them, along with a link to set an initial password. However, it is the responsibility of the sponsor and/or authoriser to advise them of their Associate Account number (A-Code) and email before they can proceed in setting their password
Associates set their own passwords but the password chosen must follow the current password complexity standard and when typing the new password the associate will see complexity guidance.
Associate’s can follow this guide to logging into Blackboard for the first time.
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