Frequently Asked Questions
Below is a series of frequently asked questions regarding the Canvas Learning Management System at the University of Northern Colorado. If your question is not addressed below, please visit the User Support page. Visit the Canvas User Support page.
- How do I find and access a past, current, or future course in Canvas?
All courses (past, current and future), are available within the All Courses menu in Canvas. The courses status below relates to course participation availability and is dependent on the scheduled start and end dates for that section.
Past courses are accessible unless the instructor has restricted access to that particular course. Once a course concludes it will be removed from your dashboard unless you have explicitly favorited that course. Once a course concludes, participation is restricted automatically.
Future courses are visible from the All Courses menu, under Future Enrollments. These courses are not available until the instructor publishes the course and will automatically move your dashboard upon the scheduled start date unless you have set another course as a favorite. Participation is restricted until the scheduled start date.
Current courses are visible from the All Courses menu, and appear on your Dashboard unless you have favorited another course. The instructor must publish the course before students can access it.
- How do I set my Canvas notification preferences?
Learn how to change my Canvas notification preferences as a student.
Learn how to change my Canvas notification preferences as an instructor.
For users who have an @unco.edu email address or both an @unco.edu and @bears.unco.edu email address, notifications will be sent to their @unco.edu email address by default.
For students who do not have an @unco.edu email address, notifications will be sent to their @bears.unco.edu email address by default.
- How long are students able to view a course after the term ends?
Upon conclusion of a term, students will retain view-only access to each of their courses indefinitely. See below for additional details:
- Students will retain view-only access to their final grades, feedback and course materials.
- Students will not be able to view quiz questions or answers.
- Students will not be able to submit assignments or participate in discussions.
- The "End of Term" is defined as the Sunday after finals week.
- View-only access is independent of a course's participation dates.
- Instructors can override the default setting on a course by course basis.
A student's view-only access will persist as long as he or she is active at UNC or until the instructor overrides the setting for that course. Learn how to restrict course access.
This decision was made by the Learning Management System Advisory Group February 27th, 2018.
- As an instructor, how do I publish my course in Canvas?
Learn how to publish a course in Canvas. Students cannot access a course until it is published.
- As an instructor, how do I message an entire class in Canvas?
Learn how to send a message to all of the students in the class at once. To do so, the course must be in a published state.
- As an instructor, how do I add a guest or assistant to a course in Canvas?
Only students who have officially registered and the instructor of record are automatically enrolled in a course in Canvas. The appropriate college’s Course Scheduler must individually approve each additional enrollment.
To request a guest enrollment, fill out the Canvas Non-Banner User Add Form here.
- As an instructor, how do I copy content between courses?
Learn how to copy content to a course, from another course. This method works well when you have access to the shell of the original content being copied.
- As an instructor, when can students view my course before it officially starts?
Students can view a course as soon as it is published, up to 30 days before the start of the associated term.
- As an instructor, how do I submit final grades?
Final grades can be submitted for each student individually through Ursa or en masse from Canvas.
- As an instructor, when will I have access to my future courses in Canvas?
New courses will be available in Canvas 120 days before the start of the term.
- As an instructor how does a student with an incomplete finish my course?
The instructor needs to place a request with the Technical Support Center to have an incomplete section created in the course for the student. Note that before the section can be created the student will need to have an incomplete grade in Banner. Once the section is created, the instructor will need to add an assign to date to their assignments, quizzes, etc. that the student needs to finish. The student will then be able to finish the original course.
To submit the request, you can contact the Technical Support Center at 970-351-4357. If you would like to enter your request online please visit the IM&T support site at support.unco.edu, login into the support portal at support.unco.edu or send an email directly to heIp@unco.edu.
