Click The Download Icon To Open Syllabus

Canvas Administration Faculty FAQ

This page has commonly asked questions regarding administering your Canvas course:

When will my courses be available in Canvas?
My syllabus has changed, how do I update the Word document in my course?
When I upload a file, students are getting an 'unauthorized' error message. How can I fix this?
How do I access a course from a previous term?
How do I grade work in a course from a previous term?
How do I make a course card that displays on the dashboard?
I had a Canvas Course on my dashboard, but it disappeared. What happened?

When will my courses be available in Canvas?

Canvas courses are loaded with content at least 6 weeks before the start of a block.
Students will have access 2 weeks prior to the start of a block or term.

My syllabus has changed, how do I update the Word document in my course?

Go to the Files section of your course.
Locate the syllabus template and click on it. You can download from this document preview section.
Open the file in Microsoft Word, enable editing. Edit your syllabus as needed and save to your local computer.
Go to the Files section of your course. Click on the Upload button to upload your edited syllabus.
Click on the Syllabus link in your course menu.
Click on the edit button.
Highlight the word Syllabus and click on the document icon. You can browse your computer for your syllabus or you can locate the file in your files section. Click submit.
Save your syllabus page.

When I upload a file, students are getting an 'unauthorized' error message. How can I fix this?

Upload your file to the Course Files first by clicking on the Files section within your course. Then click the Upload button and follow the instructions to upload your file.
Then, go to the page where this file was originally placed. Edit the page, and use the Insert menu to locate the file in your course files section.
Insert the file, and remember to Save your changes.

How do I access a course from a previous term?

After a course has officially ended, you can still access it in a read only state by following these steps:

Click on Courses in the Global menu.
Scroll down and click on All Courses.
On the All Courses page, scroll down to Past Enrollments and click on the course you wish to view. You are not able to add a past enrollment course to your dashboard.

How do I grade work in a course from a previous term?

You may need to grade work in a course from a previous term for students who have received an Incomplete. If you need to grade work, or if a student needs to submit work after the course ends, you will need to adjust the course access dates.

First, locate your course under past enrollments:
- Click on Courses in the Global menu.
- Scroll down and click on All Courses.
- On the All Courses page, scroll down to Past Enrollments and click on the course that you need to grade or have students submit work. You are not able to add a past enrollment course to your dashboard.
Next, click on the course.
Then, click on course Settings in the course menu.
Under Settings, first change the course Participation from Term to Course by clicking on the toggle arrow and selecting Course.
Then, set the course to end on date in the future. Clicking on the calendar icon will open a calendar for you to choose a date.
Click Update Course Settings at the bottom of the page to save your changes. Now the course will be active for students to submit and for you to grade.

How do I make a course card that displays on the dashboard?

The Canvas instructor guide has an overview of how to make a course card: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Instructor-Guide/How-do-I-add-an-image-to-a-course-card-in-the-Dashboard/ta-p/624
For a template with branded WilmU colors, please download this file: canvas/documents/How-to-create-and-update-a-Canvas-course-card-that-displays-on-your-Dashboard.pptx
If you use the website Canva.com and have an educator account, there are many Canvas course card designs and templates.