Getting Started

BU Login

After you receive your university ID number, you will need to create your BU Login Name & Password, which will grant you access to most technological resources at BU. These credentials will be used whenever you need to log into a BU site and may be used in conjunction with Duo Security for a two-factor authentication.

General support for getting started with technology at BU can be found on the BU Tech Web Support site.

Among the many digital resources available to members of the BU community, you will be able to access the application HearMyName, where you can record your name. The recording will be visible in the BU Directory and can be manually added to your email signature.

Email Access

Once you have your BU login information, you will be able to use Microsoft Exchange, BU’s integrated email and calendaring services. You can access it by signing into Office 365.

Terrier Card

A BU Terrier Card is the official ID card for University faculty, staff, and students, which is used to grant building access, borrow books at BU Libraries, dine at the BU Club, and give discounts to BU events and museums in the metro Boston area.

Commuting

There are a variety of ways to commute to BU. To apply for a parking permit or subsidized MBTA pass, visit the Transportation Management Portal. Other options include finding a carpool partner, using Bluebikes, Metro Boston’s bike share system, and the BUS (BU Shuttle), a free transportation system that services the Charles River Campus (CRC), Fenway Campus, and Medical Campus (BUMC).

BUworks

BUworks is the Employee Self-Service portal. There, you will be able to enroll in direct deposit and access salary statements and tax documents.

Resources from the Office of the Provost

The Office of the Provost also has a list of resources that can help you with onboarding at Boston University.

Preparing to Teach at BU

CTL Support & Consultations

The CTL staff is available to support faculty’s teaching. Prior to the start of the semester and at any time during the year, you can request a consultation with the CTL office or the Peer-to-Peer Pedagogical Partners (P2P) group.

You are also welcome to drop by our offices in the Garden Level, 141 Bay State Rd, to meet us and browse the many teaching and learning books in our office library.

Once classes begin, the CTL staff can also provide feedback on your teaching after an in-class observation. You can also request a learning analysis poll, in which a CTL consultant can gather and analyze feedback from your students.

CTL Programming

Throughout the year, the CTL offers a variety of programs, including learning communities and workshops, as well as informal meet-ups like Hub & Pub and Open Office Hours for AI. Check the CTL calendar for upcoming events.

Faculty Link & MyBU Student

Faculty Link has been the main portal for instructor information and instructor-specific resources and tools. There, you will be able to view and search schedules, reports, course lists, course websites, and grading information of courses taught before Fall 2024.

Beginning Fall 2024, all course information will be available on the new MyBU Student portal. To learn how to use MyBU Student, here is a comprehensive guide.

Syllabus

The most important document for your course is the syllabus, which should contain a list of policies that will give your students a sense of the course’s learning objectives, materials and schedule, assignments, attendance policy, grading policy, and who you are as an instructor.

The CTL has a guide on designing your syllabus that offers suggestions on syllabus organization and content.

Individual departments or schools may also have suggestions for your syllabus design. For example, here is the CAS syllabus guide. Ask if your department or school has a similar resource.

BU Hub

The BU Hub is Boston University’s innovative general education program for all BU undergraduate students. Along with the major, the Hub forms the core of an undergraduate education at BU. For more information about how faculty and their courses are involved in the program, please visit the Faculty & Staff section of the Hub website.

The CTL also offers several guides that address the teaching and learning aspects of BU Hub courses.

For a quick overview, here is an introductory video on the Hub for faculty.

Classrooms

Once you have your course schedule finalized, you will work with your department coordinator to have a classroom assigned to each course. The Find a Classroom website will help you learn about your classroom: its location, layout, size, and technological resources.

To learn how to project in your classroom using your own laptop or how to use the media system, there are a number of instructions to help you properly utilize each classroom.

Learning & Event Technology Services (LETS) offers training (group or one-on-one) for faculty before the semester begins and by request throughout the academic year.

For a classroom technology emergency, call the LETS Hotline (617-353-3227). For a facilities emergency in a classroom, call the Facilities Operation & Service Center (617-353-2105).

Textbooks & Course Materials

The official bookstore for BU is Barnes & Noble @ Boston University. To order textbooks for your course, you will receive an email with instructions from Barnes & Noble before the semester begins. You can also submit your requests through the bookstore’s Adoption & Insights portal. 

Additionally, you may also place books and other materials on reserve at the BU Libraries. The Libraries staff can create electronic course materials, as well as reserve physical materials that will be held at the Library Services Desk in Mugar Memorial Library or the circulation desk at the Pardee Management Library.

BU Libraries

The BU Libraries staff provides several services for faculty at BU. You can request an instructional workshop for your students to get them familiar with library resources and using the library for their research and study. The librarians are also able to hold research consultations should you or your students need help with research.

If the BU Libraries does not own a book that you are interested in, you can suggest a resource or use the Interlibrary Loan system.

Academic Calendar

For important dates and a list of holidays that may affect your course, refer to the Official Academic Calendar.

For a list of all campus-wide events, refer to the BU Calendar.

Faculty Handbook

The Faculty Handbook provides a collection of policies for full-time faculty of any status (Tenure-Track, Tenured, Instructors, Lecturers, Clinical Professors, and Professors of the Practice) on the Charles River Campus (CRC) and Medical Campus (BUMC) regarding appointments and promotions, ethics, human resources, and leave and absences. Individual Schools and Colleges may have additional procedures, expectations, and policies that are consistent with the handbook.

BU Directory

The Directory provides a current list of faculty, staff, and students with contact information and affiliation.

Abbreviations

To learn the many abbreviations and codes used throughout the university, refer to this list.

Teaching & Learning Technologies

There are many technological resources available at BU to support teaching and student learning.

Educational Technology Support

The EdTech team at Digital Learning & Innovation helps BU faculty and staff to learn how to utilize technological tools for more effective teaching. They offer one-on-one and small group consultations, technology training and troubleshooting, and technology assessment that can help integrate a variety of technologies into your courses. The calendar for learning opportunities can be found on the BU Tech Web Instructor-led Training site.

Your department or school may also offer technology support.

Courseware

Blackboard Learn is the primary learning management system at BU and can be used in on- and off-campus courses. We encourage instructors to use Blackboard so that the technology for a student’s coursework will be similar as they move from course to course. This familiarity reduces cognitive load for students and enables them to focus on their learning in the class.

There are two formats for Blackboard Learn: Original and Ultra. To understand the difference between the two, see this comparison.

Beginning Fall 2024, Blackboard sites will be created automatically for every course in the Original format, which can be accessed on Blackboard Learn. However, you can change your course to the Ultra format. The CTL staff recommends faculty use Ultra because it has a simplified interface, works well on all devices, and is more intuitive for both faculty and students. 

Information Services & Technology (IS&T) also offers a range of training for Blackboard Original and Blackboard Ultra and workshops on how to use Blackboard’s various assignment and assessment tools.

There are also additional grading support tools to help assess and grade in Blackboard, including Google Assignments, Turnitin, and SafeAssign.

MyMedia & Kaltura

MyMedia is a cloud-based video platform streaming service for delivery of BU-licensed or produced content. It helps manage audio visual content and can be used with your Blackboard course sites.

To create recorded presentations, Kaltura Capture is a recording software that connects with MyMedia and can be installed on your computer.

Software Licensing

BU licenses several softwares available to faculty that may be used for your teaching or research.

To complement your access to Microsoft365, faculty can also download Microsoft Office.

Cloud Storage

If you would rather save space on your laptops and computers and would like easier access to your files, you can use BU OneDrive (1 terabyte of space). If you need more space or would like to use a different cloud system, you can also request access to BU Google Drive or Dropbox.

Updated July 10, 2024