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Introduction
Introduction
Welcome to the MSW program! Whether you’re taking classes online, in person, or a mix of both, you’ll use Blackboard to access materials, participate in discussions, and submit your assignments. Learning new systems can feel overwhelming at first, but don’t worry—you’re not expected to figure everything out on your own.
There are several teams and resources available to support you. This page will help you understand who to contact when you need help with technology, Blackboard, field education tools, or general IT access. Reaching out to the right team can save you time and reduce frustration, especially during busy times like the start of the semester.
Top Tips:
Top Tips:
Use the “Help!” link in your course, or email ideateam@ssw.umaryland.edu for fast help.
Instructors manage assignment access and due dates—contact them first for missing or locked items. using the outlook directory or UMB Directory
Only contact CITS Helpdesk for login or access issues (e.g., if you can’t sign into Blackboard).
You must setup and regularly check your @umaryland.edu email.
On this Page:
On this Page:
General Technology Support
General Technology Support
Please view this handy flowchart to determine who to contact when you need support.
Your Instructor: First Contact for Course-Specific Content
Your Instructor: First Contact for Course-Specific Content
Your instructor controls most of what you see in your Blackboard course - including when it becomes visible. If you’re missing a course from your homepage, it likely hasn’t been published yet. Instructors often publish courses the first day of class.
📌 Contact your instructor for:
Missing or locked course content
Confusing due dates or closed assignments
· Broken links inside the course
📬 How to reach your instructor:
You can find your instructor’s email in your syllabus or the UMB SSW Directory
When composing an email in Outlook, start typing their last name to find suggestions from the directory
Include in your message: course number, a clear description of the issue, the item name, and a screenshot or link if possible
⚠️ Important
At the beginning of the semester: The availability of your course and the course content is set by your faculty member.
If you see your course unavailable or don't see content in your course that you expect to, first reach out to your instructor.
Your Go-To for Educational Technology Support: The IDEA Team
Your Go-To for Educational Technology Support: The IDEA Team
The IDEA Team (Instructional Design, Education, and Assessment) is your first stop for anything related to Blackboard course access, navigation, or technical issues once you’re logged in. If you’re not sure where to find something, encounter an error message, or have trouble submitting work, we’re here to help.
📌 Contact the IDEA Team for:
Trouble uploading assignments or accessing course content
Quiz errors, discussion board glitches, or broken links
General Blackboard questions or how-tos
📬 How to reach us:
Use the “Help!” link at the bottom of your Blackboard course
Email: ideateam@ssw.umaryland.edu
Phone: 410-870-9663 (M–F, 8 AM–4 PM)
Live Support: (https://bit.ly/ideateamlivesupport) (M–F, 8 AM–4 PM)
(Works best on a laptop or desktop. Screensharing helps us support you more efficiently. There may be a brief wait in the Zoom waiting room before someone joins.)
⚠️ Please do NOT reach out to IDEA Team (or its members) using Blackboard's messages or email tool.
🌙 Even the IDEA Team Sleeps! Need Help After Hours?
If you’re working outside of business hours and need help, you’ve still got options:
Visit our IDEA Team Knowledgebase for step-by-step guides and how-tos:
IDEA Knowledgebase HomeCheck out the official Blackboard Student FAQs for help navigating common issues:
Blackboard Help – Student FAQs
Both resources are available 24/7 and are a great first stop for troubleshooting when live support isn’t available.
Who are the IDEA Team?
Who are the IDEA Team?
The mission of the University of Maryland School of Social Work IDEA TEAM is to support quality teaching, learning and research.
Below is an image of the five IDEA Team members (in order of appearance): Senior Instructional Technologist, Colin Fagan, MS; Cathy Hanssens-Passeri, MA; Dr. Clark Shah-Nelson, DBA, MA; Instructional Designer, Alexis Guethler, Ph.D., CPACC; and Instructional Technologist, Rodney Urand, MS.
Technology or Equipment Issues? Contact Informatics
Technology or Equipment Issues? Contact Informatics
The SSW Informatics Team supports your technology setup and on-campus hardware. They’re who to call if you’re having trouble with:
Wi-Fi connections or printing
Computer hardware or software
Projectors or A/V equipment
Microsoft Office, Outlook, or device setup
📬 Contact SSW Informatics:
Email: sswinformatics@ssw.umaryland.edu
Computing Support: 410-706-5113
Media Support: 410-706-7232
Questions About Practicum Education or the Practicum Notebook?
Questions About Practicum Education or the Practicum Notebook?
For anything related to your field placement, supervision, or the Electronic Practicum Notebook (EPN) (formerly known as Electronic Field Notebook (EFN) , reach out to the Practicum Education team.
📬 Contact Practicum Education:
Email: practicum@ssw.umaryland.edu
Phone: 410-706-7136
When to Contact the CITS Helpdesk
When to Contact the CITS Helpdesk
You may hear about the CITS Helpdesk, and they’re great - but their role is specific. CITS stands for Central Information Technology They manage university-wide tools like logins and email and they cannot provide course-level help.
📌 Contact CITS only if:
You can’t log into Blackboard, Zoom, or your UMaryland email
Blackboard appears completely down or unreachable
You have a Duo or UMID issue
You cannot access Eduroam Wireless
You cannot reach the UMB campus portal,
📬 CITS Helpdesk:
Phone: 410-706-HELP
Email: help@umaryland.edu
Website: www.umaryland.edu/helpdesk
⚠️ Important
Please don’t contact CITS for course or content problems inside Blackboard. These get forwarded to the IDEA Team, which causes delays. It’s faster to contact IDEA or your instructor directly.
Tips to help us help you faster
Tips to help us help you faster
When you email any of our support services, its imporant to include as much information as you can so we can begin working on your ticket as soon as possible. We aim to respond within 24 hours on business days—and often much faster during core hours.
When you email about a course, include:
Your course number and section (e.g., SOWK 600 SY1)
The name of the assignment or exam.
A direct link (URL) to the item if possible
(Copy and paste the web page address into your email)
A screenshot, especially if you’re getting an error
We suggest CC'ing your instructor so that they know you are having a technical problem and are seeking support.
When you email about something not in a specific course, include
Your full name and program
The system or service you’re asking about (Blackboard login, email, Wi‑Fi, EPN, Duo, etc.)
Whether you’re on campus or off campus
Your device type (laptop, tablet, phone) and browser, if relevant
A short description of the problem, including when it started
A screenshot or exact error message, if you can
Location details, if it’s about equipment or a room (building, room number)
Important: Setting Up Your @umaryland.edu Email
Important: Setting Up Your @umaryland.edu Email
Your @umaryland.edu email is where all official communication from UMB and the SSW will go, so getting it set up is a key early step.
Your account is created after you pay your confirmation deposit and register for classes. This may take a few days.
Watch for an email titled “Welcome to Office 365 – University of Maryland, Baltimore – Action Needed.” It might go to your spam or junk folder.
To activate your email, log in at directory.umaryland.edu with your UMID and password. If the option isn’t available, your account is still being processed.
Once activated, you can access your email at portal.office.com.
If your Blackboard Profile doesn’t show your Umaryland email after setup, send a message from your @umaryland.edu account to ideateam@ssw.umaryland.edu to request an update.
⚠️ Note: The IDEA Team and Informatics can’t speed up this process—please allow time and check your folders carefully.
NOTE: If you haven't yet reviewed the Minimum Technology Requirements page, please do so, as it addresses some very important basic information about hardware/software needs for the MSW program, as well as how long you have access to materials in Blackboard.
Page Summary
Page Summary
If you’re having trouble in Blackboard or need help understanding your course layout, the IDEA Team is your go-to resource. We support all technical issues inside your course, from quizzes to uploading assignments. Need to reach out? Use the “Help!” link in your course or email ideateam@ssw.umaryland.edu. To get the fastest support, include your course name, assignment title, a link, and a screenshot if you can. Contact your instructor first if you don’t see your course, a due date has passed, or content is unavailable. CITS Helpdesk is only for full login issues—when you can't access Blackboard or your UM email at all.
Step 1: Actions to Take
Step 1: Actions to Take
On each page of this introduction, we will suggest one or two things you can do right now to ensure you are ready for your first day of class.
Bookmark this page on the computer you will use most often for class so you always know where to go for help.
Ensure your SSW email is set up
Take the optional interactive knowledge check quiz to ensure you know who to contact for help.
This page was last edited 3/17/26.
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