---
title: "Communicating with Messages in Ultra Course View"
canonical: "https://kb.uconn.edu/space/TL/26044629007/Communicating%20with%20Messages%20in%20Ultra%20Course%20View"
format: markdown
---
# **Overview**

Messages are a communication tool that can be used by instructors, TAs, and students. 

- From the Messages tab, instructors, TAs, and students can view and create messages to anyone in the course.
- Messages can be sent to all course members, all students, all groups, all instructors, or individually selected course members or groups.
- Instructors and TAs can also create messages from other course areas by click on the letter icon [✉️].
- Messages can be disabled by instructors, however students will still be able to contact instructors from within the course, but the message will be sent to the instructor’s email. Disabling messages from the course will remove the messages top from the navigation bar.

---

<details>
<summary>Sending Messages</summary>

1. Navigate to your Ultra course.
2. On the top navigation bar, click **Messages. **
  
3. To create a new message, click the **New Message** button and new message window will open.
4. Enter the **Recipients**, a **Message**, and optionally if you want to **Send an email copy to recipients** and/or **Allow replies to this message. **
  
5. Click **Send.**
</details>

<details>
<summary>Sending Messages from the Gradebook</summary>

1. Select the three-dot menu at the right end of a student row. Select the **Message Student** option. The Message panel will open at the right side of the screen.

![Screenshot of Blackboard Message Student option in the dropdown menu accessed from the three dot icon](media://a0c11104-84d1-40cb-9ad4-95a73ab1e4e2)
</details>

<details>
<summary>Sending Messages from Assignment Submission Page</summary>

1. Go to an assignment and then go to Submissions page. There will be an option to **Send Message** to the students.
</details>

<details>
<summary>Send Reminders from the Anonymous Submission Page</summary>

1. To remind students about their outstanding anonymous work, select **Send Reminder** from the anonymous submission page. This will send an automatic message to the students while keeping their personal details anonymous.

![Screenshot of Blackboard Send Reminder in Submissions](media://e6977cb7-15d2-4a51-8583-e96ef181599e)

2. After selecting Send reminders, you get a confirmation message that shows how many students will receive the reminder.

![Screenshot of Blackboard Send reminder pop up](media://80283c2c-b3b6-45bc-bef3-ea68a4573e7c)
</details>

<details>
<summary>Viewing Messages</summary>

1. Navigate to your course in HuskyCT.
2. If you have unread messages, a number indicator will appear on the **Messages **tab**. **Click the **Messages** tab to view all messages.
3. All received messages will appear on this page.  Unread messages will have a number indicator.
  
4. Click on any message to view the full conversation. Clicking on new messages is necessary to clear the number indicator.
</details>

<details>
<summary>Replying to Messages</summary>

> ⚠️ Course members can only reply if “**Allow replies to this message”** was enabled when the initial message was sent.

1. Navigate to your course in HuskyCT.
2. On the top navigation bar, click **Messages. **
3. Click on the message you want to reply to.
4. Enter your reply in the text box at the bottom, and optionally if you want to **Send an email copy to recipients. **
  
5. Click **Reply **to send the message.
</details>

<details>
<summary>Disabling the Messages tool</summary>

1. From your Ultra course, click **Course Settings**.
  
2. From Messages, click the toggle switch to disable messages.
  
3. When disabled, the Message tab will disappear from the top menu.
</details>

> ℹ️ For more information or assistance with HuskyCT, please contact the** Educational Technology Office** at [edtech@uconn.edu](mailto:edtech@uconn.edu) or **(860) 486-5052 **