How do you get a course out of the recycling bin?

James.B.599

I put a course in the recycling bin without removing the students first. How do I get the course out? If I leave the course in the recycling bin will this cause a problem?

brad.r.503

If you accidentally put a course in the recycling bin in Brightspace without removing the students first, you generally have a period during which you can restore the course. Here's what you can do:

1. Restore the Course from the Recycling Bin:
   • Navigate to the recycling bin in your Brightspace environment. This is typically accessible through the admin tools or course management section.
   • Locate the course you accidentally deleted.
   • Use the restore option to bring the course back. The exact steps can vary depending on the version of Brightspace you are using, but usually, there will be a "Restore" button or link associated with the course in the recycling bin.
2. Impact of Leaving the Course in the Recycling Bin:
   • If a course is left in the recycling bin, it's generally not accessible to instructors or students. It's akin to being in a state of limbo – not completely deleted but not active either.
   • However, depending on your institution's policies and the configuration of your Brightspace environment, courses in the recycling bin might be permanently deleted after a certain period. This duration can vary; some institutions might have a policy of deleting courses after 30 days in the recycling bin, while others might have different timelines.
3. Check the Status of Students:
   • After restoring the course, it's a good idea to check the status of the students. In most cases, when you restore a course, the student enrollments are also restored to their state at the time of deletion.
   • However, it's prudent to verify that all student data, enrollments, and course progress are intact after restoration.
4. Future Precautions:
   • To avoid such situations in the future, it might be beneficial to have a checklist or a set of procedures before deleting any course. This might include removing or unenrolling students, backing up grades and essential data, and confirming that the course is ready to be deleted or recycled.

If you are not able to restore the course or if you are unsure about the steps, it's best to contact your institution's Brightspace administrator or technical support team. They can provide specific guidance based on your institution's configuration and policies.