This article is part of a series explaining the new features and changes that will be introduced as part of the Blackboard upgrade scheduled for 11-13 July 2014.

The Date Management tool allows the availability and due dates for existing items in a Blackboard site to be easily adjusted from a single location. This includes dates for content items, folders, links, assignments, tests, surveys, regular grade columns, discussions, blogs, wikis and announcements. This is a useful tool for reviewing dates of existing items when preparing sites for use with a new cohort, or to check dates in a site before going live with students. Note that Blackboard Collaborate sessions start and end dates are not supported by Date Management.

Date Management can be accessed from the site’s Control Panel and provides the option to either:

1. Adjust all availability start and end dates, and due dates, by a specific number of days. (Note that this is based on the dates that are currently set for each item in the site, not the date that the change is made. Also note that the start, end or due times set on the original date is retained with the new date). When this option is used the Date Management Review page will then list all items with their adjusted dates. These can then be reviewed and adjusted accordingly (as described in 2. below).
2. List all dates for review. This is probably the most useful option as it lists all items with dates in the site, and dates can be reviewed and adjusted accordingly. Individual or multiple items can be adjusted by a specific number of days; individual items can be adjusted to a specific date and time. The revised date and times will automatically update on the Date Management Review page.

An email confirmation is received each time that Date Management is run, summarising all items with dates, and whether any changes have been made to dates as a result of using the Adjust by Number of Days option.

Please remember that after using Date Management you should still review all items for any old dates or other out-of-date information that may have been included in the title, text or files attached to them.