Relevant to: faculty and staff
This article contains information considered accurate at the time of publishing. Technology updates, changes in University security practices, and/or policies and procedures may affect the information in this article - updates to articles are scheduled on a periodic basis and will address any required changes.
Introduction
Brightspace is SUNY Empire’s Learning Management System. All Empire State University course sections of all delivery types and modes will utilize a Brightspace course shell beginning in the Summer 2026 term.
Instructors teaching Educational Planning (EDPL), Independent Studies, Just in Time Studies (JIT), Study Groups, Virtual Study Groups, Residency, School of Graduate Studies, School of Labor, and International Education courses will need to copy content into their courses in Brightspace each term from one of their primaries (a template of a course) or from one their previous term courses.
When to make a course request via a service desk ticket
You do not need to submit a ticket if you are teaching a fully online course within the School of Undergraduate study or School of Allied Health and Nursing. Courses are automatically created and made available to instructors prior to the start of term for these course types. For information about key dates for a specific term, check Empire Online’s MySUNY Empire page.
Undergraduate line faculty teaching online mode of study sections with faculty primaries will have their primaries mapped as copy sources during this process and do not need to submit a request.
You do not need to submit a ticket if you are teaching graduate courses (excluding School of Nursing and Allied Health), International Education, or one of the following course types within the School of Undergraduate Studies. These courses will be created automatically. However you will need copy (import) content from from one of your primaries or from a previous term course. Please see the knowledgebase article for instructions:
- EDPL
- Independent Study
- Study Group
- Virtual Study Group
- Residency
If you need to you need to use content from an Academic Coordinator managed primary or another instructor's course content you will need to submit a service desk ticket to have the content copied.
What information do I need to submit for a course copy request service desk ticket?
- Term, course number, and section number for the course you will be teaching (available in Self-Service Banner).
- Term, course number, and section number for the course you want content copied from.
- The name of the Academic Coordinator or instructor for the course you want content copied from.
What content is included when a course is copied?
All content from your source will be copied, including:
- Announcements
- Assignments
- Discussions
- Intelligent Agents
- Gradebook settings
When content is requested from another faculty member the entire course is copied. You can customize when copying from your own content. Please Note: Announcements copied from an another instructors course content will have that instructor name attached - you will need to create new announcement to show your name.
How long does it take to have a content copied after I make a request?
Requests asking for content from another instructor can take additional time to obtain approval to use that content - typically it can take 1-3 business days to process.
If you do not see your course content after this period, please follow up in your existing service desk ticket.
How do I know if another instructor’s content that I requested was approved?
You’ll receive an email notification from the service desk ticket system indicating the course content has been copied.
How do I respond if another instructor requested to use my content?
You can reply to the service desk email or use the Open in TDNext link to enter your response directly in the ticket.
What do I need to do next if my request to use another instructor’s content was denied?
You need to submit a new request to have a course created with different content selected.
Why do I not see all courses I have been an instructor for in the Brightspace course copy interface?
Past live term sections with coordinator-managed (previously known as adjunct-ready) content are not available for selection in the Brightspace copy content search list. Instructors needing coordinator-managed content need to request, via service desk ticket, the Primary containing the content from their Academic Coordinator to ensure you have the most accurate/up-to-date content.
What do I do if I copy the wrong content or I requested the wrong content?
You need to submit an incident ticket through the SUNY Empire IT Service Desk. In your ticket, you should include:
- Term, course number, and section number
- CRN (optional)
- The Primary OR Term, course number, and section number of the accurate content.
Can I get a course created if I’m developing content for a new course that will be taught in the future?
To request a new Primary to develop in, use the OAA “Create a Primary” request system. Primaries are not connected to a specific term or course; they can be used to develop content for a future course. Note: Any updates or changes made to a primary will not impact any of the live courses you’re currently teaching.
Can I merge sections that I’m assigned to teach in Brightspace?
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prohibits the merging of sections on Brightspace. Please read the FERPA regulations from the Office of the Registrar to determine whether sections can be merged. All requests for merged sections must first be sent to and approved by the Office of the Registrar. Submitting a request that does not follow the regulations can delay the creation of your course(s) on Brightspace.
Can I add a co-teacher to my courses?
Instructors wishing to co-teach a course need to submit a request and have it approved by the Office of the Registrar before any action can take place in Brightspace. If you have questions regarding the procedure, please consult the Office of the Registrar.
I am an Academic Coordinator (AC), how do I update my primaries?
You need to submit Empire Online's project intake form to edit a coordinator-managed course.
Can Academic Coordinators submit requests on behalf of instructors?
No, Academic Coordinators (ACs) cannot submit requests for courses or primaries on another’s behalf. Each course’s primary instructor must submit requests and note what content they need to be copied into the courses. For courses with no coordinator-managed primary, ACs should provide copy source recommendations to instructors based on the AC's knowledge of what is available.