Blackboard FAQ

Getting Started

The college's secure online web portal is powered by Blackboard. It is your online source for Blackboard courses, student announcements; college resources; and customized information.

• Identifying Your Username and Password
  • Students
  • Employees
• How To Access Student Computer Systems
• Check System & Browser Requirements
• Request Help

How do I access Hudson Valley Community College’s Web portal?

To access Blackboard, you must:

• Be an employee or registered student of Hudson Valley Community College;
• Have a personal computer/Mac/laptop system that meets the minimum requirements;
• Have an internet connection;
• Know the URL: my.hvcc.edu.

When is my account active?

• Student accounts become active within 24 hours of payment of your tuition bill.
• Employee accounts become active within 24 hours following completion of your Human Resources paperwork.

What should I do if I cannot log in?

Read the Common Login Problems section of this page

Can I log in as a guest?

No, Blackboard currently does not allow guest access.

When is Blackboard available?

Blackboard is continuously available.

Why is it important that I log out when I am finished?

It is very important that you log out when you are finished to prevent others from viewing your personal information. To log out, click the logout icon at the top of the page. To complete the logout process, you must also close your browser.

Common Log In Problems

Some common reasons for not being able to log in to Blackboard are:

• You are entering the wrong username or password. For example:
  • You include the @hvcc.edu for your username instead of using the numbers.
  • The caps lock is turned on, and incorrect case characters are being supplied.

  Visit Accessing Student Computer Systems for information about your username and password.

• You have scheduled your courses but have not yet paid your tuition bill.
• You have JUST paid your bill. Your student account is not active immediately. Within 24 hours after the tuition bill is paid, your accounts will become active.
• You have a Pop-Up Blocker configured. Some of the college’s Web services will launch a new Web browser for certain interactive tools or course content.
  • If a pop-up blocker is configured, it can prevent tools and/or content from being displayed properly. You may have to temporarily disable the pop-up-blocker while using Hudson Valley Community College’s Web services.
• You have a Firewall configured.
  • Personal firewalls such as those found within the Windows operating system could prevent content from displaying. If you are having trouble accessing content, you should check the personal firewall settings. Contact your firewall vendor for assistance with configuration.
  • Corporate firewalls such as those found at banks or government agencies could prevent content from displaying. If your company has a firewall preventing you from accessing content, you would need to contact the System Administrator of your workplace to see if granting access to this content is possible.
• You get a message that “JavaScript is not enabled.” Visit Enabling Cookies and Javascript on Blackboard Help for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser.
• You get a message that “Cookies are not enabled.” Visit Enabling Cookies and Javascript on Blackboard Help for instructions on how to enable cookies in your browser.
• A system-wide outage has occurred. In this case, communication will be made to the campus community.

If you are still having trouble logging in, you should contact the Computer Learning Center (CLC) at (518) 629-7891.