Student FAQ
If you find that your question or query is not addressed in the Student FAQ pages or the online Blackboard User Manual and tutorials, please send an email to helpdesk@sf.edu with your questions.
Technology Requirements
Blackboard Browser Compatibility
Additional System Requirements
Blackboard Manuals and Tutorials
Technology Requirements
In order to have the best learning experience possible in your course, you will need to have an update-to-date computer and a high-speed Internet connection (i.e. DSL, cable modem, FiOS). A dial-up connection with 56K telephone style modems cannot transfer data effectively.
Blackboard Browser Compatibility
You will need to make sure that your Internet browser is compatible with Blackboard. Please see the following compatibility information:
Certified: fully tested and supported.
Compatible: partially tested but should function properly.
Unsupported: either impossible or not tested.
| Microsoft® Windows® Operating System | |||||
| Internet Explorer® 9 |
Internet Explorer 8 |
Firefox (Final Release) |
Firefox 3.6 | Chrome (Stable) |
|
| Windows® XP (32-bit) | Unsupported | Compatible | Compatible | Compatible | Compatible |
| Windows Vista® (32-bit) | Certified | Compatible | Certified | Compatible | Compatible |
| Windows Vista (64-bit) | Compatible | Compatible | Compatible | Compatible | Compatible |
| Windows 7 (32-bit) | Certified | Compatible | Certified | Compatible | Certified |
| Windows 7 (64-bit) | Compatible | Compatible | Compatible | Compatible | Compatible |
| Apple® Mac OS® Operating System | ||||||
| Safari® 5.1 | Safari 5.0 | Safari 4.0 | Firefox (Final Release) |
Firefox 3.6 | Chrome (Stable) |
|
| Mac OSX 10.5 "Leopard®" | Unsupported | Compatible | Compatible | Compatible | Compatible | Compatible |
| Mac OSX 10.6 "Snow Leopard®" | Compatible | Certified | Compatible | Certified | Compatible | Certified |
| Mac OSX 10.7 "Lion®" | Compatible | Unsupported | Unsupported | Compatible | Compatible | Compatible |
- Firefox is the recommended browser for use with Blackboard. If you do not have the latest version of Firefox, you can download it at http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/new/.*
- If you prefer to use Internet Explorer 8 or Internet Explorer 9 as your browser, you may need to click the compatibility icon at the right end of the address bar to be able to access all of the content within Blackboard.
- Blackboard Learn requires the latest version of Sun JRE 6 (Java). JRE 7 is not supported. Java can be downloaded from http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp.*
- The following technologies are not supported by Blackboard:
- Internet Explorer 6 and Internet Explorer 7
- Firefox 1.x, 2.0, 3.0, and 3.5
- Safari 2.0, 3.x (or any version on Windows)
- Mac OSX 10.4 "Tiger"
- Java 5
Additional System Requirements
- The most recent version of iTunes, which can be downloaded free of charge at http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/. This download will also provide you with the latest version of Quicktime.*
- The latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader, available for free at http://get.adobe.com/reader/.*
- The current version of Windows Media Player free from Microsoft at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/windows-media-player.*
- A current version of virus and spyware software.
*The University of Saint Francis does not control and is not responsible for the contents of this linked site or any link contained within this linked site. The inclusion of this link(s) does not imply the University of Saint Francis endorsement, either directly or indirectly, of the site, entity, product(s), or service(s). The University of Saint Francis assumes no responsibility for the content of this linked site(s).
Blackboard Manuals and Tutorials
Blackboard Student User Manual
Blackboard Student SafeAssign Manual 
