First Steps
Step 1: Get In Contact With Your School or Program
It is very important to get and stay in contact with the school, department, or program through which you will be taking your distance education course(s). Orientation and registration procedures, technical requirements, and schedules will vary from program to program. Check with the program office to make sure that you know what is required, and when, or if you have any questions, no matter how basic. Most programs will have extensive printed and online information, as well as email and phone contact option.
Step 2: Create Your Onyen
Before you can access your Blackboard courses, use your UNC email account, or use the Student Central services, you have to create an Onyen. The Onyen is the name for the identifier you use to gain access to various electronic resources on campus. It stands for the "only name you'll ever need." This page allows to create and manage your Onyen.
To create your Onyen, you'll first need your 9 digit PID. Use the "Create An Onyen" button on the Onyen page.
Step 3: Test Your Computer
Use the link below to begin the online skills test, which will test your computer for compatibility. This test helps students ensure that they have the computer capabilities and technological skills necessary to successfully take most distance education courses.
Step 4: Go Through the Blackboard Orientation
Use the link below to login to the blackboard orientation course. This course will give you an introduction to Blackboard, the course management system used for the majority of online or web-enhanced courses at UNC Chapel Hill.
When you click on the link above, login using distedbborient for the username AND password. Then click on the Distance Ed Blackboard Orientation Course link.