Student Support

Travel Vouchers

What are the Student Funding Changes for SSCS Courses coming in FY23?

As of FY23, DSCU will no longer create travel orders or issue travel lines of accounting (LOAs) for Security Cooperation courses except for Ministry of Defense Advisor (MoDA) Training courses and the Security Cooperation Officer Spouse course. If needed, DSCA will still provide funds to military departments and other agencies for the purpose of funding include student travel for Security Cooperation (SC) courses. Additional funds should be requested through the normal budget process, by submitting the appropriate funding request to DSCA Comptrollers.

Due to Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness (FIAR) Guidance compliance issues and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) security risks, the DSCU Budget Office is unable to continue administering student travel funds as we have in previous years. Since students of School of Security Cooperation Studies (SSCS) do not belong to DSCU organizationally (i.e. administratively), we are unable to require that students adhere to our policies and compliance procedures. As a result, we have no recourse to collect any missing documentation or recoup overpaid expenses in the event of an error.

Click here to view the Official Memorandum signed by DSCU President Dr. Celeste Gventer for further information regarding this change and how to request additional travel funds for SSCS courses if needed: Formal Notification of Student Funding Changes to the Services (Signed 6.1.2022)

NOTE: The Services, COCOMs, and Defense Agencies should begin planning for this change within their budget baselines during the Title 10 Budget Estimate Submission (BES) process and/or the Title 22 Security Assistance Budget Process Review (SAPBR).

Disability-related Accommodations/Assistance

Who do I contact if I am a student with a disability and I am either:

1. Planning to take an in-resident or onsite class and anticipate needing accommodations or have questions about physical access?
2. Currently taking an online or virtual class and am having problems accessing course materials?

• dsca.wright-patt.dscu.list.registrars@mail.mil
• 937-713- 3330

Common Issues

I am having a problem uploading a file in Blackboard. What do I do?

1. Do not use MS Internet Explorer.
2. Make sure the file of the document you are trying to upload is named using only letters (A-Z), numbers (0-9) and underscores (_), with no spaces.
3. There should be a single period as part of the extension (.txt, .docx, etc.)

Where can I find my grades in Blackboard?
There are two grade locations in Blackboard. From within a course, click on Student Tools > Check Grades. This will give you your grades for this course only. To check your grades for all courses, click on the My Grades button in the Tools sections located on the Home page. If your grades are in neither of these locations, please contact your instructor to find out if he or she is posting grades within Blackboard.

General Information

What is Blackboard?
Blackboard is an internet-based software portal and Learning Management System (LMS) that supports online learning. DSCU uses Blackboard to deliver several online courses.

Which URL address should I use to enter Blackboard at DSCU?
To access Blackboard, you'll want to start at dscu.blackboard.com and click the "Blackboard Sign-In" button. Then after signing in, it will take you directly into Blackboard. If this doesn't work, verify you're enrolled in a course that utilizes Blackboard.

How To Access

How do I get to my courses in Blackboard?
Once you are in Blackboard, you will be able to access your courses from the "My Courses" box on the Home tab, or from the Course List box on the Courses tab.

Do DSCU courses require special access credentials and/or are they CAC-enabled?
Course materials and activities are delivered through the DSCU Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS) which is accessed via login through CornerStone OnDemand (CSOD). CSOD is a CAC-enabled site, but is also accessible with Username and password, using two-factor authentication, which requires a valid email address or SMS-capable phone number on your CSOD profile to provide a one-time use PIN.

Can I access my courses from my home computer?
Yes. CornerStone OnDemand and Blackboard are both accessible from any Internet-connected device.

I previously used DSCU Blackboard, but I now want to take another course. Do I need to request a new account?
If you already have a DSCU Blackboard account, you are an existing user; any new course you register for CornerStone OnDemand will automatically be added to your account and will show up in the "My Courses" list in Blackboard. You will have access to Blackboard 30 days prior to your class starting and until 14 days after the class has completed.

I forgot my user name and/or password. How do I retrieve it?
If you are not able to log in to CSOD, click the "Need help signing in?" button at the bottom of the login screen and follow the instructions.

Does my DSCU Blackboard account ever expire?
Yes and no. Access to Blackboard accounts will remain in place for the duration of the course you are taking plus 14 days. While we will remove access to the account, we will not remove the account from Blackboard unless we are exceeding our active user limit, at which point we will remove the accounts that have been dormant the longest.

Can I access a DSCU course on Blackboard again after I have completed it?
Maybe. If for any reason you are unable to access the DSCU Blackboard website after completing a course, please us using the email address at the top of the page.

Technical Requirements

Do I need any special software on my PC to run Blackboard?
No. Blackboard is accessible from any computer with a broadband connection to the internet and an approved operating system/internet browser (see below). Note that JavaScript and cookies should be enabled in your browser. You may also need software on your PC that is commonly used for files, such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Quick Time, and Adobe Acrobat Reader.

What are the approved operating systems/browsers for Blackboard?
Technical requirements that your computer must meet to use Blackboard can be found at help.blackboard.com/Learn/Student/Ultra/Getting_Started/Browser_Support.

General Information

What is CornerStone OnDemand (CSOD)?
Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD) is a learning/student management system that provides DSCU’s students with a single interface to manage their learning experience, including course registration and completion and access to student records.

Why did DSCU deploy Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD)?
Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD) improves the student experience, especially to maximize efficiency and flexibility for the online learner. The single point of entry reduces time spent logging in as well as the time to manually request certificates and other student records. Upon registration in the CSOD learning management system, students are able to access online courses immediately. This feature supports maximum flexibility to meet the needs of DSCU students, while maintaining continuity with Blackboard for both student and faculty learning experience.

Which URL address should I use to enter Blackboard at DSCU?
Please use dau.csod.com to login to CSOD.

What if I have trouble logging in to Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD)?
If you are not able to log in to CSOD, click the "Need help signing in?" button at the bottom of the login screen. If you still have difficulties, you will likely need to submit a System Authorization Access Request (SAAR) to request an account.

Why do I see "DAU" on some of the Cornerstone pages?
While the login page is through DAU, this should not affect access to CSOD and will take you to DSCU content after logging in with your account.

What if I see the DAU Landing Page (red-themed) instead of the DSCU Landing Page (blue-themed)?
If you are listed in CSOD under the wrong sub-organization within DSCA, you can submit a "User Record Update Request" from the landing page in CSOD to make the necessary adjustments. Even while under the DAU hierarchy, you can register for and take DSCU classes, as we share classes within CSOD.

What is the benefit to students of Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD)?
Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD) offers a one-stop-shop student experience, allowing students to access course information, register for courses, complete courses, and access their student record via a single sign-in system interface. Upon registration in the CSOD learning management system, students will be able to access online courses immediately in Blackboard. This feature supports maximum flexibility to meet the needs of DSCU students, while maintaining continuity with Blackboard for both student and faculty learning experience.

When was Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD) deployed?
Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD) was officially deployed June 30. After June 30, students register for all courses via Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD). Using their CSOD CAC-enabled login, students are able to access and complete courses as well as to access their student record, including accessing and downloading certificates instead of having to request those records from the Registrar.

What is different for student users now that Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD) is deployed?
Now that Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD) is deployed, DSCU students use CSOD as the single point of entry to manage their learning experience. Rather than having to access multiple systems with separate logins to register, access courses, and view student records, students are able to complete all of these actions via CSOD login.

Does Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD) replace Blackboard?
No. Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD) is the single point of entry system that manages the learning experience, inclusive of Blackboard, where the student will continue to take classes.

Will I need to create a new login and password to access Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD)?
Yes. Students will need to register in Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD). Most students will be able to use their CAC to access CSOD for DSCU School of SC Studies courses.

Why are my previously-taken classes missing in Cornerstone onDemand?
While transferring student records from the old student management system to Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD), only classes that were completed by a student with an EDIPI on file in the old system were able to be migrated to CSOD. If a student can identify what records should have been migrated for them, we can often verify them and migrate them manually.

Migration Issues

If I didn’t complete a course on Blackboard before June 30th, what will happen?
If the online course is not completed by June 30, all progress will be lost and the course will have to be started over from the beginning through Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD). Instructor-led courses and virtual instructor-led courses that were in progress during the transition period were completed and recorded in CSOD.

Will I get two usernames and passwords, one for Blackboard and a different one for Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD)?
No. You will have access to both Blackboard and CSOD with the same login. After successfully logging in at dau.csod.com, you will be able to choose either Blackboard or CSOD. For most personnel, they will login using their CAC/PIV. (They will also have a CSOD ID and Password). Non-CAC/PIV personnel will be able to log in using a CSOD ID/PW.

Can I go directly to the Blackboard login page without logging into Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD) first? Will the address to the Blackboard login page remain the same?
Yes. You can go to the DSCU Blackboard login page, click on the “CornerStone OnDemand” button, which will take you to the id.dau.edu authentication page, and then be automatically returned to Blackboard once authenticated.