MySCU Transition - Southern Cross University

MySCU updates and resources supporting the Blackboard Ultra learning environment at SCU

MySCU & You: Consistent - Connected - Accessible

Welcome to MySCU & You, your central place for FAQs, project updates, and training to support the move to the new MySCU Learning platform (Blackboard Ultra).

This transition is a key step in advancing our ongoing improvement of learning and teaching in the Southern Cross Model, through educational uplift. It strengthens learning design consistency across units and enhances the student learning experience through improved alignment, enriched content, and a clearer overall learning journey.

Aligned with the Southern Cross Model curriculum principles, the MySCU Learning platform (Blackboard Ultra) provides a modern, consistent, and intuitive learning environment with easier navigation, improved accessibility, and stronger engagement. Mobile-friendly access also supports teaching and learning on the go, making it easier to review learning materials, monitor assessments, and stay across key unit activity across devices.

The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) will lead and support you in this quality transition of units from Blackboard Classic to Ultra. Creating unit master sites and coordinating a unit integrity review process for all learning sites with Faculties and Colleges to support unit readiness for term delivery. The transition will progress across 2026, commencing with Term 1 units for new commencing students at SCU.

You’ll find updates and information below, including FAQs, links to training, support, and ongoing project updates. Your feedback is an important part of this journey. If you have any questions, please contact the Centre for Teaching and Learning at ctl@scu.edu.au.

Benefits for Staff and Students

What It Looks Like

Timeline

FAQ's

Workshop and Training

Recorded Ultra Training Sessions

Benefits for Staff and Students

For Staff

Enhanced activity tracking
Always-on activity tracking provides greater insight into how students engage with learning materials.
Searchable grade book
The ability to search the grade book to quickly locate students in classes with large cohorts.
Streamlined unit setup and course rollovers
Faster, simpler workflows for preparing each teaching period.
More intuitive course building tools
Easier to upload, organise, and update content.
Clearer rubric integration
Feedback and criteria displayed directly alongside submissions.
Connection to a wider set of learning tools
Enabling richer collaboration opportunities and a broader range of assessment formats.

For Students

Consistent layout across all units
Know exactly where to find learning materials, activities, and assessments in every unit.
Enhanced activity tracking
Provides students with the ability to track the progress within units, identifying what they have engaged with and the ability to mark elements as complete.
Mobile-friendly design
A seamless experience on phones, tablets, and computers.
Grades & Feedback page
All assessment details, grades, and feedback in one place.
Simplified navigation
Get to what you need with fewer clicks

The New Look and Feel

Mobile Friendly Interface screen capture

Track Progress Through Collapsible Table of Contents Navigation

Simplified Interface to Add and Update Content

A More Intuitive Assignment Interface

Tracking Students Progress

Timeline

The MySCU Transition is being introduced in stages to ensure a smooth transition. The new and enhanced MySCU experience has also commenced with seven units (4 transitioned from the Original MySCU experience and three new units developed from scratch using the enhanced MySCU layout) running in T5 2025.

High-level project timeline

Term 1/Dual Term 2: Units for commencing student cohorts to be transitioned to Ultra, so that students starting their study in Term 1, 2026 will experience the new MySCU environment
Term 2: 2026: Units will continue to be released in the new MySCU with a focus on the commencing / first year cohorts, while the remaining units will also be transitioned progressively throughout the year
By the end of 2026: All SCU learning sites will run on Ultra, providing a consistent experience for every student. Additional learning tools will be available for staff to leverage.

MySCU & You FAQ's

This change is a key step in advancing the Southern Cross Model through educational unit curriculum uplift. It strengthens learning design consistency across units and enhances the student learning experience by improving alignment, enriching content, and clarifying the overall learning journey.

SCU is migrating from Blackboard Classic to Blackboard Ultra throughout 2026, with full integration in place before Term 1 2027. Ultra enhances the teacher and student experience with simpler navigation, better accessibility and mobile use, and a more intuitive, engaging interface.

Term 1, 2026 – Initial transition: Ultra units released for commencing cohorts, so students starting in Term 1 will experience the new MySCU environment.

Terms 2–5, 2026 – Progressive transition: More units move into the new MySCU, prioritising commencing/first-year cohorts, with remaining units transitioning throughout the year.

By end of 2026 – Project finalisation: All units are expected to be transitioned to Ultra.

Pilots (Term 5, 2025 & Summer Term 2026): 7 units were piloted in Term 5, 2025, and a further 5 units are running in Ultra in Summer Term 2026 to validate the Grades process.

CTL is leading the migration from Blackboard Classic to Ultra. The process includes:

1. Migration of unit content from Blackboard Classic to Ultra;

2. Digital and Quality Uplift, ensuring the unit meets the Advancing SCM criteria;

3. Learning site integrity review focused on functionality and integrity of links and unit completeness.

Once this is completed, the learning site is ready for the teaching term.

Ultra introduces features not available in Classic and will enhance the student experience through:

Greater consistency via an improved unit structure and quality.

Stronger connection with better collaboration tools and more intuitive engagement.

Improved accessibility with stronger course security, seamless navigation across devices, and support for Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

CTL will complete the initial transition of units from Classic to Ultra and work with Faculties and Colleges as needed during the digital and education uplift phase. Faculties and Colleges will then conduct an integrity review once the site is in Ultra, after which Unit Assessors can prepare units for term readiness. Workshops, training and support materials will be added to this page progressively.

Ultra supports integrated tools, and SCU is expanding these to enable greater collaboration as part of the student learning experience.

Yes.

1. Grade submission button removed: Unit Assessors (UAs) must select Extract Grades to transfer overall grades to the student management system for approval and release (being validated in Summer Term 2026).

2. Final Grades renamed: Final Grades is now Overall Grades. UAs only enter an overall grade when NA (Not Available), Incomplete, or an interim grade is required. Overall grades are otherwise calculated from running grades/marks, and UAs must verify the calculation includes all required components.

3. More information: Refer to the training resources in SCOUT.

Specific training (e.g. the grades submission process) will be available in SCOUT.

Microlearning videos and support materials will be added to this page progressively.

Friday Zoom drop-in sessions are now running via the Friday Free For All

Site owners for all Blackboard Classic sites will be contacted from January 2026, and a transition plan will be developed to complete site migration by the end of 2026.

Priority is being given to units for commencing undergraduate and postgraduate students throughout 2026. All other units will transition on a scheduled basis (final dates to be confirmed). CTL will contact Faculties and Colleges ahead of scheduled transitions so sites can be locked down, and no new content is added. If you haven’t been notified, your site is not scheduled for transition in the coming term.

Ultra works on both desktop and mobile. For the best experience, use the latest version of your browser or app.

Desktop: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Apple Safari

Mobile: Android (Chrome), Apple iOS Safari

Training Resource Links - Academics

The following table provides direct links to microlearning videos and pages across SCU and the Blackboard Ultra Help Centre. The table will enable you to self-direct learning across key topics, optimising their experience. The Blackboard Ultra support site presents both descriptive and video micro-learning options. Click the link, and you will notice that both the right- and left-hand navigation are displayed depending on the page topic to help optimise your search.

Topic	Link	Description
An introduction to MySCU	CTL – Introduction navigation video	Walk through the new layout, navigation and functions of Backboard Ultra.
Editing your profile	Your Profile	How to update your profile, photo, notifications and personal details.
Navigation	Navigate Inside a Unit	How to navigate the MySCU layout.
Notifications	Notifications	To set how and when you would like to receive notifications.
Assessment Grades in MySCU	Gradebook	Centralised Gradebook allows you to view all assessments that have assignments needing attention and how to include feedback.
Unit Calendar	Calendar	Central calendar that lets you manage all your units and activities in one place. How to select your view, create a list of all due dates and add events.
Unit Activity Report	Unit Activity Report	How to monitor a student's activity and progress across specific content areas and identify those students requiring early intervention.
Student Activity Report	Student Activity Details for Assessments	How to monitor how a student is interacting with the unit and their progress to date within specific content areas. You can also download a report as a CSV file.
Interacting with Students	Interact with Students	MySCU offers a wide range of tools to foster communication and engagement with students. View the left-hand navigation to explore messages, discussions, announcements, groups, email, conversations and record audio and video.
Ultra Site Readiness Checklist	Ultra site readiness checklist	This checklist is your primary tool for verifying that your unit site meets the functional requirements for delivery under the Southern Cross Model. Each task represents an essential setting or configuration that is required before students gain access to your site.
Blackboard Ultra Support Request (Microsoft form)	Blackboard Ultra Support Request – Fill out form	This form is for staff that require specific support related to Blackboard Ultra that is not covered in the support resources or webinar recordings.

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MySCU & You