Note: These resources are not meant for students. Students should refer to the Canvas Basics guide, or the Learning With Canvas - Student Orientation Course to get familiar with the platform. This page outlines the key steps and training courses to help you begin using Canvas effectively at UIW. Whether you're brand new or need a refresher, these resources walk you through everything from logging in to building a course. Step 1: Review the Highlights and Best Practices Start by reviewing the Canvas Highlights and Best Practices document. It gives you a high-level overview of course building and management at UIW. Download Highlights and Best Practices (PDF) Step 2: Request a Sandbox A Sandbox is a private, blank Canvas course shell where you can explore, experiment, or build a course with no risk. You can copy content into your live course anytime. Request a Canvas Sandbox Step 3: Choose a Training for Your Needs Select the training course that best matches your role and Canvas experience level: Personalize the UIW Canvas Template (Most Faculty) This asynchronous training covers the minimum use requirements for Canvas courses at UIW. Ideal for first-time users or instructors refreshing a course. Start Template Training The Canvas Basics (Administrative Staff & Support Roles) This course introduces you to key Canvas features and is designed for administrative users, staff members, or others who need to help with Canvas but aren't primary instructors. Practice in your Sandbox as you go. Access The Canvas Basics How to Build a Canvas Course - 5-Step Process (Online Instructors & Advanced Users) This comprehensive course walks you through the full process of building a strong online course. Designed for instructors teaching fully online courses or those wanting in-depth Canvas knowledge. Companion guides are included within the course and linked throughout. Start the 5-Step Course Build Next Steps Once you've completed these steps, you'll be ready to explore more Canvas resources or meet with the OTLT team for personalized support. Contact canvas@uiwtx.edu for questions or support.

Canvas at UIW is supported through a collaborative process between departments and systems across the university. While the Office of Teaching, Learning, & Technology manages instructional support and platform administration, other units—including the Registrar, Human Resources, and IT—play key roles in access, course creation, and enrollment pipelines. Below are answers to frequently asked questions about accessing Canvas, course creation, permissions, and user roles. For additional help, contact canvas@uiwtx.edu. How do UIW users access Canvas? UIW users need active university credentials to access Canvas. When a student is admitted or an employee is hired, they receive access to Cardinal Apps, where Canvas is available once the appropriate roles and courses are assigned. If you are having trouble accessing Canvas, resetting your passphrase, or finding Cardinal Apps, contact the Help Desk at (210) 829-2721 or submit a ticket through the Service Portal. Faculty and staff with no enrollments will see a message that they have no courses. Their dashboard updates once they are added to courses in Canvas. What types of Canvas courses are available to faculty? Academic Courses: Created and managed via Banner and reflect the official class schedule. These are automatically populated with instructors and students. Support Courses: Manually created for administrative, training, or support purposes. These are not tied to Banner and can be requested via canvas@uiwtx.edu. Sandbox Courses: Blank courses used for training, testing, or preparing course materials. Faculty can request a sandbox at any time, but should only have a single Sandbox course outside rare exceptions. Development Courses: Courses designed to build and copy forward into academic course shells. Alternatively, these can be used to experiment, as they are tied to a specific subject or course number. How are academic courses created? Step 1: The Registrar creates the schedule A few months before a new term, the Registrar creates the schedule of classes with instructor assignments for the upcoming term, and the information is entered into Banner. Step 2: Banner communicates with Canvas 60 days before the start of the undergraduate term, Banner begins communicating course and enrollment information to Canvas. Canvas uses the information sent from Banner to create the academic course shells and enroll the instructors with Teacher access. If you need a course shell earlier than that, request a sandbox or development course to start building your materials in advance. Step 3: Ongoing communication between Canvas and Banner If there are changes to the instructor, departments update the information in Banner. Banner continues to communicate with Canvas several times daily to update the course enrollments throughout the term. How are users enrolled in academic courses? All student and instructor enrollments in academic courses come from Banner. Canvas imports enrollment changes from Banner several times daily. If you're not enrolled in a course or someone is missing, check that the information in Banner is correct. Faculty can manually add other roles (like Designers or Observers) to their courses, but not students. How do Banner and Canvas work together? Banner is a system that manages data for the university, while Canvas is a learning management system (LMS) that allows you to provide instruction online. A feed is created to allow Banner to communicate with Canvas. The process runs several times each day to update Canvas with changes made in Banner. However, this is not an immediate connection. It may take several hours for changes to appear in Canvas. Important: The Canvas course SIS ID is built using information from Banner—such as subject code, course number, section code, part of term, semester abbreviation, and year. If course details change after the initial Banner feed, Canvas may generate a new course shell. Contact the Canvas administrator if you have questions. What happens after a course ends? After the term ends or participation dates pass, the course becomes read-only for all users. Banner-to-Canvas sync is turned off, and the course remains in Canvas for academic recordkeeping. It can no longer be edited unless reactivated by request. Instructors can adjust course participation dates in the settings before the term ends. To request changes after the course becomes read-only, contact canvas@uiwtx.edu. What does "read-only" mean for a Canvas course? Students: Can view materials and grades but cannot interact or submit work. Instructors: Can copy content and view data but cannot make changes to content or grades. Observers: Can view course content when paired with a student but cannot participate. What if my Canvas course or enrollment is incorrect? First, confirm the course or user is listed correctly in Banner. Academic course issues must be corrected at the source. For support, sandbox, or development courses, the Canvas administrator can assist. If in doubt, email canvas@uiwtx.edu and we’ll help determine where the issue needs to be addressed.

Participation Type When can you open the Canvas system? Where do you open Canvas? Who enrolls you? How are course enrollments managed? When are courses available? When can you enter a course? Instructors of Record After HR paperwork & IT account creation Cardinal Apps Department Banner scheduler – action taken in Banner Banner feed After Banner Feed starts Fall: Late June Spring: Early November Summer: Early March Within a few hours after enrollment in Banner Degree Program Students After UIW acceptance, IT account creation, enrollment in at least 1 course, within 60 days prior to the start of the term. Cardinal Apps ABSN courses are in the ABSN Canvas app Enrollment Employees – action taken in Banner Banner feed Instructor managed No account holds & instructor has opened the course Continuing Ed Students After program processes enrollments & emails access instructions Link in emailed instructions Program Coordinator submits request to canvas@uiwtx.edu Manual SIS import Program decision Once emailed instructions & instructor has opened course Employees After HR paperwork & IT account creation Cardinal Apps Instructor of Record – action taken in Canvas People Manually Instructor managed After accepting a manual invitation Participation Types Instructors of Record: Faculty assigned to teach an academic course for credit. Degree Program Students: Students officially enrolled in an academic course for credit. Continuing Ed Students: Individuals participating in a variety of special programs. Employees: Individuals hired by the university with credentials for Cardinal Apps, includes faculty, administrators, and staff. Common Canvas Considerations and Resources All Users Your Dashboard may not show the courses you are looking for, check your All Courses list: Canvas Dashboard and All Courses List Canvas behaviors depend on the web browser or mobile app you use: Canvas Access with a Web Browser | Canvas Access with the Student App | Canvas Access with the Teacher App Most issues can be resolved with Canvas Basic Troubleshooting. Canvas Guides are provided by the Instructure company. Help Desk Solutions for Canvas and OTLT Canvas Video Library are provided as supplemental resources. Instructors of Record The instructor listed in the Banner course schedule gets access to the Canvas course during current terms. Requests to access a past course, such as for new faculty, are submitted by the Instructor of Record to canvas@uiw.edu. If you aren't listed as the instructor, request your department Banner scheduler add you. There can be more than one IOR designated per course, all receive the Teacher role in the associated Canvas course. Instructors are responsible for ensuring FERPA compliance when adding additional users to their courses, but all student enrollments go through Banner. The Canvas Checklist covers all expectations for managing an academic course each term. You manage Canvas course access by publishing content and your course as well as setting participation dates. Degree Program Students Students with business processes still in progress may not have Canvas access yet. If you are new to UIW, you may receive an error upon opening the Canvas LMS app through Cardinal Apps until 60 days prior to your first registered term. Account holds may delay your enrollments. Once enrolled, student course access and participation are locked until opened by your instructor. Continuing Education Students Individuals participating in special programs do not have Cardinal Apps access and receive an email with instructions. Follow all instructions in your access email and save for reference. Once enrolled, student course access and participation are locked until opened by your instructor. Employees Instructors of record can add you to current courses if you have a legitimate educational interest. Requests to be added to past courses must be submitted on your behalf by the Instructor of Record. You receive the Canvas role determined by the instructor.

Canvas requires an operating system that can run the latest compatible web browsers. Your computer operating system should be kept up to date with the latest recommended security updates and upgrades. Since web browser behavior can vary, we recommend you have at least two options available, such as Chrome and Edge. In the event you experience a technical issue, try the action in a different browser. Firefox and Safari, although listed as supported, may cause unexpected behaviors. Visit the Canvas Browser and Computer Requirements Guide to check your device. Web Browser Access For most, Canvas is accessed through Cardinal Apps using your UIW email and password. Unique situations exist for a few programs, including ABSN and continuing education programs. ABSN instructors and students use the ABSN Canvas app found in Cardinal Apps to open Canvas directly. However, continuing education students see a login portal when following the access instructions provided by email. Instructor Experience Instructors can access the Canvas system as soon as they have a UIW email and password. However, instructors get course access by being listed as the instructor of record in Banner for current terms or by invitation through a colleague. Requests to access a past course, such as for new faculty, are submitted by the Instructor of Record to canvas@uiwtx.edu. Until an instructor is enrolled in a course, an instructor's Dashboard is empty. Student Experience Student access to Canvas is dependent on completion of the UIW registration process and enrollment in at least one academic course. When this process is still in progress, Canvas displays an error: "Failed to Log in Canvas doesn't have an account for user." Holds can also delay student enrollment. Once enrolled in a course, course access is dependent on each instructor's decision to publish and allow access. Access Considerations Canvas course enrollments are updated multiple times each day. If a student has just registered, or an instructor recently assigned a course, it may take a few hours to see your courses. If students have holds, their enrollment is not confirmed, or they have a tuition balance, Canvas access may be delayed until the registration process is complete. Office of the Registrar Office of Financial Aid Students can check DegreeWorks or Banner Web Self-Service, both accessed through Cardinal Apps, for their current enrollments. Contact your advisor if you need help: Advising Frequently Asked Questions Once registered, course access is managed by the instructor. A course must be published before students can open it. Instructors can also customize course settings to let students see a course before allowing participation or allow participation earlier than the first day of class. Don't see a course on your dashboard? Once users have Canvas access, the Dashboard may not display every course enrollment. Use the Course option in the Global navigation menu to open your All Courses list.

The Canvas Student app allows students convenient access to courses and groups using a mobile device. Students can submit assignments, participate in discussions, view grades, and access course materials. The app also provides access to course calendars, To-Do items, notifications, and Inbox messages. However, not all Canvas features are supported on the Canvas Student app. Log in to the Student App Upon opening the app, select the Find My School button. Under "What's your school's name?", search for: University of the Incarnate Word or UIW Select the "University of the Incarnate Word" option that appears, then select next to connect to your courses. Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) students access the ABSN program courses by searching for: uiwabsnonline or uiwabsnonline.instructure.com. With this program, an option won't populate from the search and you'll need to select Next to continue to the login. Recommendations Most instructors build their courses using a web browser and the visual design looks "right" when accessed via Chrome, Firefox, or Edge. We recommend all students: Access each course using a web browser first. Check the course via web browser if you have any issues with the mobile app. Also, consider web browser access instead of the mobile app if: Formatting is problematic, such as if you're in dark mode and info won't show properly until you turn it to light mode. Viewing the subject matter in a smaller display makes it harder to understand or work productively, such as detailed images, complex diagrams, or spreadsheets. Wired Internet is preferred when you want to ensure you don't lose your signal while taking a test. You're typing more text, and a keyboard makes it easier. Your course includes digital textbooks or activities that don't function properly as not every tech is mobile-friendly. Having trouble signing in? In some cases, if you're experiencing difficulties signing into the mobile app, try the following troubleshooting steps. Check your password At UIW, Canvas sign-in information is the same for Cardinal Apps. Ensure your password is correct by: Open a private (aka incognito) browser window. Within a private web browser window, navigate to Cardinal Apps and log in. If your password works and you can log in, ensure you enter the same one for the Student app. If not, ensure you have the correct password and try again in the Student app. Try QR for mobile login You can view a Canvas login QR code in Canvas through your web browser. You can scan this QR code with your mobile device to log in to Canvas mobile apps without entering your institution URL and user credentials. Written guide How do I view a QR code to log in to the Canvas mobile app? Video guide Reference detailed instructions Student App Android Guide Student App iOS Guide

The Canvas Teacher app allows instructors convenient access to their courses using a mobile device. Instructors get access to Announcements, Assignments, Discussions, Quizzes, and Speedgrader for quick grading, communicating, and updating. However, not all Canvas features are supported on the Canvas mobile apps. Enter University of the Incarnate Word in the school search box to connect to your courses. Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) students access the ABSN program courses by searching uiwabsnonline.instructure.com Recommendations We recommend all instructors: Build the course using a web browser. Be familiar with the Canvas features before switching to the mobile app. Try actions in a web browser if you have any issues with the mobile app. Common challenges with mobile app access: Formatting can be problematic, such as course info not displaying in dark mode even though it does in light mode. Subject matter can be difficult to see or understand in a smaller display, such as complex diagrams or spreadsheets. Wireless Internet connection can be slower or unreliable. Typing a larger amount of text is easier with a keyboard. Not all digital textbooks or third-party tools are mobile-friendly. Need detailed instructions? Teacher App Android Guide Teacher App iOS Guide

The Canvas Dashboard is designed to surface currently active courses at a glance. Courses move on or off the Dashboard automatically, based on publication status, participation dates, and, in some cases, manual “favorite” selections. Recognizing these rules clarifies where a course card should appear and when further action is required. How Canvas Populates the Dashboard Published and Active – A published course card appears when participation dates are current or left blank. Unpublished (Instructors only) – An unpublished course card appears in a separate Unpublished section, regardless of dates. Unpublished courses do not appear for students. Automatic Limit – When more than 20 courses meet the conditions above, the Dashboard displays only the 20 most-recently added active courses (alphabetical within that set). Course cards disappear automatically when participation end dates pass or newer enrollments displace older ones under the 20-course limit. A card can also vanish if it is manually unfavorited (see “Manage Which Courses Appear on the Dashboard” below). Access Courses Not on the Dashboard All Canvas enrollments remain accessible from the Global Navigation menu, unless hidden by the instructor. Select Courses from the left-hand menu Click All Courses Scroll to Past Enrollments to view concluded courses Courses listed under Past Enrollments are read-only but remain available for viewing and content copy. Customizing the Dashboard View and Course Display Dashboard layout and visual options can be customized, but these adjustments do not override participation-date rules or publication status. Dashboard Layout Options Card View (default) – Course cards and sidebar with To-Do items and alerts List View – Daily agenda view; To-Do list removed Recent Activity View – Stream of recent announcements, submissions, and discussions Manage Which Courses Appear on the Dashboard By default, active course cards are added automatically to keep the Dashboard focused. To refine visibility, mark specific courses as favorites. Select Courses > All Courses Toggle the star icon to include (filled) or exclude (empty) a course Only favorited courses that remain active by date will appear Reorder and Personalize Course Cards Drag course cards into any order (Card View only) Open a card’s three-dot menu to set a nickname or change its color Color selections sync with the Canvas Calendar; nicknames and colors are user-specific FAQ: Canvas Dashboard A course I was enrolled in ended, and I don't see the course anywhere If you cannot find a past enrollment (Instructor or student) anywhere, it's likely the course was set to restrict access before or after the participation dates. The Instructor would need to adjust the course settings, or contact canvas@uiwtx,edu for further assistance. Can a course be brought back to the Dashboard? Participation dates should only be extended for a legitimate academic reason, such as granting a student extra time. Extending dates brings the course back to enrolled users’ Dashboards and can cause confusion if not intended. The course isn’t on the Dashboard—does that mean it’s unpublished or removed? Not necessarily. A course often disappears because its participation end date has passed or a newer enrollment replaced it under the 20-course limit. It remains accessible under Courses > All Courses. Courses stay on the Dashboard until manually removed Canvas removes course cards once participation dates end—unless dates are blank, making the course permanently active. Empty participation dates are discouraged because they clutter Dashboards for both instructors and students. Must a course appear on the Dashboard to copy content? No. Course Copy relies on instructor enrollment only. Any previous course—published, unpublished, or concluded—can be selected during the import workflow. Why do older courses still show on the Dashboard? Open the course Settings panel and check the Participation field. If the field is blank (or if the course was once favorited), Canvas treats the course as active and shows it on the Dashboard. Setting Participation to “Term” or adding dates will remove it for everyone once the end date passes. Can I copy a course if it's not on my dashboard? Content import is independent of Dashboard placement. Any course previously taught can serve as a source, whether it is published, unpublished, or listed in Past Enrollments.

Roles in Canvas define what users can see and do within the platform. Generally, it’s important to know who has access to course information, particularly sensitive and legally protected information like student work and grades. Overview: User Roles In Canvas The table below lists Canvas role options that aren't Teacher or Student. All roles listed below are assigned within the Canvas course and aren't assigned by Banner. An individual may only be assigned to one course role per course. Course role Definition Ideal for... Teacher Users with full administrative and instructional access to all course content, settings, gradebook, and student data. Authorized personnel who have legitimate instructional grounds and FERPA-compliant access to student educational records and course management functions. Student Standard learner access to view course content, submit assignments, participate in discussions, and access their own grades and feedback within the course. Users who are officially enrolled through Banner for academic credit in the course. For academic courses, this role is restricted to students registered through Banner and should not be used for auditors, guests, or unofficial participants. Colleague This role is designed for peers collaborating on a course. Users can view and build course content, manage discussions, and contribute to course development. However, they do not have access to grading or student data. Faculty or peers who are monitoring or collaborating on course materials without grading responsibilities. Designer Designers focus on creating and managing course content. They can build modules, assignments, and assessments and manage course structure. However, they cannot grade assignments, interact with students, or access student data. Instructional designers or staff focused on building and organizing course content. UIW Librarian The librarian role allows users to administer and view course content while having access to grading and participation aspects of the course. Librarians providing academic resources or instruction into a course. Only Librarians Observer Observers can view course content without interacting or contributing. Paired observers can also see grades for the indicated student. Users previewing course content. Guardians or stakeholders monitoring a student’s progress in the course. TA (Teacher Assistant) The TA role retains most of the permissions of the Teacher role. While TAs cannot manage sections, users, or learning outcomes, they can edit and view grades, post announcements, and work on most course content. This role is ideal for individuals who support the instructor by managing course content and communication while handling grading tasks. It’s perfect for those who need robust access without the full administrative responsibilities of a Teacher. Tutor Tutors have limited permissions to view course materials and assist students. They can preview assignments (quizzes included), provide feedback, and assist with discussions but do not have access to grading, student record adjustments or course editing. Tutors providing academic support in areas like quizzes and discussions, while giving feedback to students without managing grades. Permissions: User Roles In Canvas Expand a permission below to see what it allows, who has it, and how it may impact your course. Analytics – View Pages What it does: Allows users to view aggregated course and student page-view data from the Course Home Page or People page. This can help identify patterns in student engagement and access. Who has this permission: Teacher Student TA (Teacher Assistant) UIW Librarian Things to consider: Analytics data may not reflect real-time student activity and should not be used to assess attendance or participation in isolation. Instructors should be cautious about making assumptions based on page views, students may access content through different navigation paths or mobile devices. Access to analytics includes visibility into individual student engagement, which should be interpreted with care under FERPA guidelines. Announcements – View What it does: Allows users to view announcements posted in the course. These may include reminders, updates, or policy changes shared by the instructor. Who has this permission: Teacher Student TA (Teacher Assistant) Colleague Designer UIW Librarian Tutor Things to consider: Anyone with this permission can read all course announcements, including those with grade-related or policy-sensitive content. FERPA implications may arise if announcements include identifiable student information (avoid naming or discussing individual performance). Conversations – Send Messages to Entire Class What it does: Allows users to send a message to all course members at once using the Canvas Inbox. This is often used for general announcements or urgent class-wide updates. Who has this permission: Teacher TA (Teacher Assistant) Colleague UIW Librarian Tutor Things to consider: This permission grants broad communication access, ensure the role holder understands appropriate use and tone for mass messages. Messages sent using this tool are not moderated or queued; misuse can result in mass confusion or information overload. In large courses, messages are sent individually to each recipient but may still be seen as a privacy concern if content references student actions or grades. Conversations – Send Messages to Individual Course Members What it does: Allows users to send private messages to individual students, faculty, or other course members through the Canvas Inbox. Who has this permission: Teacher Student TA (Teacher Assistant) UIW Librarian Tutor Things to consider: Ensure messages do not disclose confidential academic information unless the sender is the official instructor of record or has FERPA-authorized responsibilities. Course Calendar – Add / Edit / Delete Events What it does: Allows users to manage events on the course calendar, including creating, editing, or removing due dates, meetings, or reminders. Who has this permission: Teacher TA (Teacher Assistant) Colleague Designer UIW Librarian Things to consider: Calendar events are visible to all students, so added events should align with course plans and expectations. Users editing calendar items should coordinate with the instructor to avoid conflicts or confusion. Courses – Change Visibility What it does: Allows users to control whether a course is published or unpublished, controlling student access to course materials. Who has this permission: Teacher Things to consider: Unpublished courses are inaccessible to students. Use this to prepare courses before they go live, but be cautious with deadlines. Visibility changes should be communicated clearly to students to avoid confusion or missed content. Discussions – Create What it does: Allows users to create new discussion topics for the course, which students can reply to and engage with as part of their coursework. Who has this permission: Teacher Student TA (Teacher Assistant) Colleague Designer UIW Librarian Tutor Things to consider: Discussion prompts set the tone for student interaction. Instructors should review content created by others for alignment with course goals. Uncoordinated discussion topics may confuse students or duplicate required activities. Communicate clearly when others are supporting your course. Discussions – Moderate What it does: Allows users to manage discussion threads by editing, deleting, or locking posts. This helps keep the conversation appropriate and on-topic. Who has this permission: Teacher TA (Teacher Assistant) UIW Librarian Things to consider: While not clear, this allows users to create and send announcements in the course when paired with the "Announcements - View" permission. This permission enables someone to remove student posts. Use moderation tools sparingly and transparently to maintain trust in the course environment. It’s helpful for large classes or courses with sensitive topics but should be paired with clear discussion guidelines set by the instructor. Discussions – Post What it does: Allows users to participate in course discussions by replying to existing discussion topics and engaging in threaded conversations. Who has this permission: Teacher Student TA (Teacher Assistant) Colleague Designer UIW Librarian Tutor Things to consider: Posting in discussions may give the impression of instructional authority. Ensure expectations are clear if support roles are involved in conversation threads. Replies should avoid referencing student-specific details, especially in graded or sensitive discussion forums. Discussions – View What it does: Allows users to read all discussion threads within the course, including student responses and instructor prompts. Who has this permission: Teacher Student TA (Teacher Assistant) Colleague Designer UIW Librarian Tutor Things to consider: Observers and tutors with this access can see peer interactions, so it’s important that discussion spaces remain professional and inclusive. Grades – Edit What it does: Allows users to enter, change, or override grades in the Gradebook. Also enables access to quiz moderation tools such as granting extra attempts or time. Who has this permission: Teacher TA (Teacher Assistant) UIW Librarian Things to consider: This permission includes the ability to moderate quizzes. Anyone with this permission can directly affect a student’s grade, which may impact transcripts, GPA, and academic standing. If support roles are granted this access, the primary instructor should clearly define who is responsible for grading and grade adjustments. Changes made through quiz moderation are not always visible in the grade history, so it’s important to document accommodations as needed. Grades – Select Final Grade for Moderation What it does: Allows users to mark a student's final grade for review before it is officially posted. This is part of the moderated grading workflow in Canvas. Who has this permission: Teacher Things to consider: This permission is only relevant when moderated grading is enabled for an assignment. Users with this permission should coordinate to ensure only one final grade is selected, especially in team-taught courses. Moderated grading can support fairness in subjective assessments, but may also delay grade release if roles are unclear. Grades – View All Grades What it does: Allows users to view the entire Gradebook, including scores for all students and assignments in the course. Who has this permission: Teacher TA (Teacher Assistant) UIW Librarian Things to consider: This permission gives access to sensitive academic records for every student in the course. Anyone with this access should avoid sharing or discussing grade information unless directly involved in course instruction or academic support. If support roles are granted this permission, instructors should clarify whether they are expected to provide feedback or only observe. Grades – View Audit Trail What it does: Allows users to view a record of changes made to grades, including who made each change and when it occurred. Who has this permission: No active course roles have this permission. Things to consider: This permission is restricted to Teachers and administrators. Support roles do not have access by default. Audit trails are useful for resolving grade disputes, but are not visible unless explicitly granted by Canvas admin roles. Groups – View All Student Groups What it does: Allows users to see all student-created and instructor-created groups within the course, regardless of membership. Who has this permission: Teacher TA (Teacher Assistant) Colleague Designer UIW Librarian Tutor Things to consider: This permission allows visibility into all group activity, which may include private discussions and collaborations. Users with this access should avoid intervening unless their role includes oversight or support of group work. Item Banks – Manage Account What it does: Allows users to create, edit, and share item banks at the account level for use in New Quizzes across multiple courses. Who has this permission: No active course roles have this permission. Things to consider: This permission is restricted to the Teacher role and administrators who managing district- or program-wide content. Account-level banks can be accessed by anyone with sharing privileges, so users should avoid including course- or student-specific questions in these banks. Learning Outcomes – Add / Edit / Delete What it does: Allows users to create and manage learning outcomes within the course. Outcomes can be aligned to assignments and assessments to track student mastery over time. Who has this permission: Teacher Designer Things to consider: Changes to outcomes may affect course- or program-level assessment tracking if outcomes are tied to institutional standards. Outcomes aligned to assignments will impact student feedback and analytics, so coordination with the instructor is important before editing or removing them. Learning Outcomes – Import What it does: Allows users to import existing outcomes from other courses or account-level repositories into the current course. Who has this permission: Teacher Designer Things to consider: Imported outcomes should be reviewed for relevance and accuracy, especially if they reflect departmental or program standards. Duplicate or outdated outcomes can clutter the course and confuse grading rubrics if not managed carefully. Manage Assignments and Quizzes - Add / Delete / Edit What it does: Allows users to create, edit, and delete assignments and quizzes in the course. This includes setting due dates, points, submission types, and instructions. Who has this permission: Teacher TA (Teacher Assistant) Colleague Designer UIW Librarian Things to consider: Only Teachers have the option to delete content. Other roles can contribute but cannot delete. This permission impacts both the course structure and gradebook, so assignments created or removed may affect student grades and deadlines. When support roles are granted this permission, instructors should review assignment setup to ensure alignment with course policies and expectations. Manage Course Content - Add / Delete / Edit What it does: Allows users to add, edit, move, or delete any content in the course, including modules, pages, files, and links. Who has this permission: Teacher TA (Teacher Assistant) Colleague Designer UIW Librarian Things to consider: Only Teachers have the option to delete content. Other roles can contribute but cannot delete. Users with this permission can overwrite or remove published content, which may affect student access or instructional flow. Since Canvas isn't a collaborative platform by default, when multiple users manage content, it's important to coordinate changes to avoid confusion or duplication or loss of work. Manage Course Files - Add / Delete / Edit What it does: Allows users to upload, organize, rename, and delete files in the course Files area, including media, documents, and folders. Who has this permission: Teacher TA (Teacher Assistant) Colleague Designer UIW Librarian Things to consider: Removing or renaming files can break links in modules, pages, or assignments if not carefully managed. File organization directly affects student access, clear naming and folder structure can improve usability. Ensure files are stored within the course they're being shared to. Manage Course Sections - Add / Delete / Edit What it does: Allows users to create, edit, and delete course sections, as well as assign users to specific sections within a Canvas course. Who has this permission: Teacher Designer Things to consider: Modifying sections can affect how assignments, discussions, and grades are filtered or assigned. Unintended changes to section enrollment can restrict student access or remove them from critical communications. This permission should be used cautiously and typically in coordination with the Instructional Technology team. Manage Courses - Conclude / Delete / Publish / Reset What it does: Allows users to modify high-level course settings, including the course name, start and end dates, visibility, features, and grading policies. Who has this permission: Teacher TA (Teacher Assistant) Colleague Designer Things to consider: Only the ability to Publish courses is included in this permission. Users cannot reset, conclude, or delete a course in academic accounts. Altering course settings can affect student access, grade calculations, and term-based enrollments. This permission to publish a course is powerful and should be used only when the user understands the broader impact on course availability and structure. Start and end date changes can override term settings, unintentionally locking students out or extending access beyond institutional policy. Manage Differentiation Tags - Add / Delete / Manage What it does: Allows users to create, edit, and delete differentiation tabs in a course. Who has this permission: Teacher Things to consider: Review the Differentiation Tag Overview for an explanation and FAQ on the feature. Manage Groups - Add / Delete / Manage What it does: Allows users to manually create, modify, or remove student groups within a course. This includes managing group sets, assigning members, and customizing group names. Who has this permission: Teacher Things to consider: This permission is reserved for the Teacher role, because group membership can impact assignments, discussions, and peer reviews. If group structures are set by the instructor, uncoordinated changes from other roles may disrupt collaboration or grading workflows. Manage LTI - Add / Delete / Edit What it does: Allows users to add, configure, or remove external tools (LTIs) in the course, such as textbook integrations, plagiarism checkers, or third-party apps. Who has this permission: Teacher Things to consider: Removed LTIs, even accidentally, can cause disruption in a live course. Improperly configured LTIs can create access issues for students or expose data to unapproved vendors. Instructors should verify tool compatibility and data sharing policies before enabling integrations. LTIs added at the course level may behave differently than institution-approved tools and could lack support. Manage Pages - Create / Delete / Update What it does: Allows users to create, edit, publish, unpublish, or delete content pages in a Canvas course. This includes the ability to change the course home page if it's set to a page. Who has this permission: Teacher TA (Teacher Assistant) Colleague Designer UIW Librarian Things to consider: Only Teachers have the option to delete content. Other roles can contribute but cannot delete. Pages often serve as the core instructional content in a course. Uncoordinated edits may disrupt lesson flow or student access. Canvas is not a collaborative platform. Anyone with this permission can overwrite or delete instructor-created content unless version history is reviewed. Changing the front page can affect the first impression students receive when entering the course. New Quizzes - View Multi Session Information What it does: Allows users to view detailed student activity in New Quizzes, including client IP addresses for quiz questions and information about multiple session access. Who has this permission: Teacher Things to consider: For multi-session activity to be recorded and viewable, the Detect Multiple Sessions setting must be enabled by the instructor within the quiz settings. Multi session information can be viewed from the Moderate area of a New Quiz Outcome Mastery Scales – Add / Edit What it does: Allows users to modify the rating scale used to evaluate mastery of learning outcomes. This affects how performance is categorized (e.g., Exceeds, Meets, Does Not Meet). Who has this permission: No active course role has this permission. Things to consider: Changing mastery scales can impact consistency across sections or programs using shared outcomes. This permission is reserved for admin or assessment leads and is rarely used in individual courses. Outcome Proficiency Calculations – Add / Edit What it does: Allows users to adjust how Canvas calculates overall proficiency for outcomes, including setting thresholds and calculation methods like "most recent" or "highest score." Who has this permission: No active course role has this permission. Things to consider: Changes to proficiency calculations can affect reporting, progress tracking, and consistency across sections or departments. This setting is rarely needed at the course level and is typically managed by assessment coordinators or Canvas admins. Question Banks – View and Link What it does: Allows users to view existing question banks and link questions from those banks into classic quizzes within the course. Who has this permission: Teacher TA (Teacher Assistant) Colleague Designer UIW Librarian Things to consider: Question banks may contain outdated or misaligned questions. Review thoroughly before linking to active quizzes. This permission does not allow editing of banked questions, only viewing and linking. Question banks are not shared automatically between courses, so cross-course collaboration requires intentional setup. Reports – Manage What it does: Allows users to run course-level reports, such as student activity, grade exports, and outcomes reports, depending on enabled features in the course. Who has this permission: Teacher Colleague Things to consider: Reports may include sensitive student data such as grades, participation metrics, or submissions. Generated reports should be handled securely and stored only in approved systems if downloaded or shared. This permission is useful for data-driven instruction, but instructors should ensure they're interpreting the results within context. Rubrics – Add / Edit / Delete What it does: Allows users to create, modify, or remove rubrics in the course and attach them to assignments, discussions, or quizzes for grading and feedback. Who has this permission: Teacher TA (Teacher Assistant) Designer UIW Librarian Things to consider: Changes to a rubric after grading has started can confuse students or disrupt grade transparency. Rubrics influence how students interpret expectations. If support roles create them, instructors should review for clarity and alignment. Deleted rubrics cannot be recovered once detached from an assignment, so version control is important. SIS Data – Read What it does: Allows users to view student information imported from the Student Information System (SIS), such as SIS IDs and enrollment data tied to institutional records. Who has this permission: Teacher Things to consider: This permission typically exposes backend identifiers not needed for day-to-day instruction. Because it connects directly to institutional records, this access is reserved for administrative staff. Even read-only access can reveal sensitive enrollment or identity information that should not be broadly shared. Student Collaborations – Create What it does: Allows users to create collaborations using integrated tools like Google Docs or Microsoft 365, where students can work together on shared documents within Canvas. Who has this permission: Teacher Student TA (Teacher Assistant) Designer UIW Librarian Tutor Things to consider: Collaborations created without clear instructions or context may confuse students or result in unused resources. Shared documents created through this feature may be visible to all students added, ensure appropriate grouping and privacy. Instructors should monitor who creates collaborations and when, especially if support roles are involved in setup. Submissions – Submit on Behalf of Students What it does: Allows users to upload and submit assignments on behalf of students in the course. This can be used to assist with technical issues or accessibility accommodations. Who has this permission: No active course role has this permission. Things to consider: This permission is rarely needed in typical teaching roles and is restricted to administrative or support personnel. This action represents the student’s academic work, so it should only be used in coordination with the student and for documented reasons. Submissions made this way are not always flagged, so instructors should note when and why this method was used during special circumstances. Users – Add / Delete What it does: Allows users to add or remove individuals with a designated role in a course. Who has this permission: Teacher Things to consider: Nobody, included Teachers, have the ability to add Students to academic courses. Students are excluded from this permission. Managing user roles can introduce risk if someone is granted unintended access or oversight. This permission should be reserved for admins or instructional leads (Teacher role) and is not available to support roles. If a course involves confidential materials, limit who can assign access to ensure appropriate control over course content. Users – Allow Administrative Actions in Courses What it does: Grants broad administrative powers within a course, including the ability to manage enrollments, roles, course settings, and access logs. Who has this permission: Teacher Things to consider: Rarely needed at the instructor level and is reserved for Canvas support staff. This permission effectively grants course-level admin rights and should be limited to highly trusted users with institutional oversight. Incorrect use may unintentionally expose student information or override important course settings. Users – Generate Observer Pairing Codes for Students What it does: Allows users to generate pairing codes that link Observers (such as parents or advisors) to specific students, granting read-only access to that student’s activity and grades. Who has this permission: Teacher Things to consider: This feature is managed at the institutional or administrative level to maintain consistency and oversight. Observers can see assignment grades, comments, and interactions, students should be made aware when a pairing code is issued. Users – Manage Students in Courses What it does: Allows users to view and interact with student details from the People page, including viewing login IDs, accessing user settings, viewing prior enrollments, and resending course invitations. Who has this permission: Teacher Things to consider: Access to login IDs and enrollment history is useful for troubleshooting but should be handled with discretion. This permission does not allow changing enrollments, but it enables deeper visibility into how and when students access the course. Use the ability to resend invitations carefully, especially with students who may have multiple accounts or email addresses. Users – View List What it does: Allows users to see the full roster of participants in a course, including roles and section enrollments, from the People page. Who has this permission: Teacher Student TA (Teacher Assistant) UIW Librarian Tutor Things to consider: This permission grants access to all users in the course, including student names and roles. Support roles with this access should avoid contacting students unless their responsibilities have been clearly explained in the course. Users – View Login IDs What it does: Allows users to see the institutional login ID for each student, typically used to identify accounts in external systems or SIS exports. Who has this permission: Teacher TA (Teacher Assistant) UIW Librarian Things to consider: Login IDs are institutional identifiers and should not be shared or copied outside approved use cases. This permission is helpful for resolving account issues but not necessary for most day-to-day teaching tasks. Users – View Primary Email Address What it does: Allows users to view the primary email address associated with each student's Canvas account, as listed in the People page or user profile. Who has this permission: Teacher Student TA (Teacher Assistant) UIW Librarian Things to consider: Email addresses are considered personal contact information. Use only for official communication and never share externally. Some students may have multiple email addresses tied to their Canvas profile. The one shown here is the default for notifications. Web Conferences - create What it does: Allows user to create new conferences in courses and groups and to start conferences they created through the BigBlueButton app. Who has this permission: Teacher Student TA (Teacher Assistant) UIW Librarian Designer Tutor Things to consider: Review the "How do I create a conference guide" for more information and considerations.