When will my Canvas course be available?

markers in a container and notebook in background

EdTech Support ensures that all courses and class roster enrollments are handled for each course that appears in the UC San Diego Schedule of Classes and has an instructor of record assigned. Please refer to the below dates for a rough estimate of when your course shell will become available for the term, and when students are typically added.

Please note that while we do our best to stick to the time frames listed below, our department reserves the right to modify these dates based on technical or policy changes. For questions or concerns, please email canvas@ucsd.edu.

Schedule

Spring 2024

01/24/2024: CINFO request form opens for the quarter
02/26/2024: Course shells available to instructional staff only
03/28/2024: Students added to course
03/28/2024: Canvas notifications enabled
04/01/2024: First day of instruction
04/15/2024: Waitlisted students who did not get enrolled are removed from course roster
06/22/2024: Student submission period ends in Canvas
07/01/2024: Course archived (read-only state)

Winter 2024

09/12/2023: CINFO request form opens for the quarter
11/14/2023: Course shells available to instructional staff only
12/21/2023: Students added to course
12/29/2023: Canvas notifications enabled
01/08/2024: First day of instruction
01/22/2024: Waitlisted students who did not get enrolled are removed from course roster
03/31/2024: Student submission period ends in Canvas
04/08/2024: Course archived (read-only state)

Fall 2023

06/12/2023: CINFO request form opens for the quarter
08/23/2023: Course shells available to instructional staff only
09/14/2023: Students added to course
09/15/2023: Canvas notifications enabled
09/28/2023: First day of instruction
10/16/2023: Waitlisted students who did not get enrolled are removed from course roster
12/22/2023: Student submission period ends in Canvas
01/02/2024: Course archived (read-only state)

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm new to Canvas. What's the best way to get started with building my course?

We have created a Start of Term Checklist and End of Term Checklist to help guide you through some of the key steps for setting up, or closing your course for the term. Still unsure what module setup to use? The Teaching + Learning Commons staff is available to help you determine the best module structure for your course.

I want to start building my course right now. How can I get my course site ahead of schedule?

If you'd like to start building out course material in Canvas before your official course site is created, we recommend that you use your Practice Course. Once your course site is officially created, you can use the Canvas 'Import Content' tool to copy desired materials from your Practice Course into your course site.

How can I add people to my course that are not registered students?

TAs, observers and other instructional staff can be added to a Canvas course by the instructor of record by accessing the Add TA tool in the right sidebar of the course homepage. Similarly, observers and instructional staff can be removed using the same steps.

How can I contact my students before the date they are added as students to my Canvas course?

Students will be added to your course about a week before the quarter begins. Please note that if you intend to communicate with your students before the first day of the quarter, you will need to customize your course term dates and publish your course in advance of sending messages. Alternatively, as an instructor you may access the Classlists tool in the Faculty Resources section of BLINK to message the students enrolled in your course.

Course sites have been set up for the upcoming quarter, but I don't see mine. Where is it?

Course sites that are set up are done so via an automated feed from the Registrar's database to Canvas. One of the requirements for your course to be created is that it be officially listed on the Schedule of Classes (if not, contact your department) and have an instructor name designated to the particular course and/or section. Some course types (e.g. Field Work, Independent Study, etc) are not created automatically, and will require you to submit a request. If you need to submit a request or if you think there is an error, please contact canvas@ucsd.edu, describing the nature of your situation, and EdTech Support will assist.

Will my waitlisted students have access to my Canvas course?

Yes, all formally waitlisted students will have access to your course through the end of the automated student information system (SIS) waitlist processing period. This normally occurs at the end of week 2 of the quarter, with summer terms having a much shorter period. Instructors and students should ensure that they have moved off the waitlist, and into the class roster by the end of this period if they plan to continue as a registered student of the class.

Instructors who intend not to allow a waitlist for their course(s) will need to contact the Registrar's Office to request the option for students to add a waitlisted course be turned off for their sections.

How can I request the setup of non-Canvas computing resources, such as software, lab access, DSMLP, Google Apps, etc.?

Examples of resources obtained through an Instructional Technology Request (CINFO) include discipline specific and productivity software, access to computer labs managed by ITS including door codes, additional disk space, and provisioning of cloud resources such as Google groups, Amazon Web Services, Jupyter Notebook etc.

Instructors are asked to submit an Instructional Technology Request at cinfo.ucsd.edu. If you have a question or would like a consultation prior to submitting the request, please email ets-consult@ucsd.edu. Additionally, after you submit the Request, you may check the status by logging into cinfo.ucsd.edu.

How can I give students additional time, if they are taking an Incomplete in my course?

Once your a course concludes, it becomes read-only. To regain access to the course for yourself and the affected student who needs to complete the course, you will need to create an extended access section within the past term course the student received the incomplete in.

Navigate to the Canvas course where the student will need to complete their coursework
Go to Settings
Select Extended Course Access
Choose the section end date - when you wish for the course to go back into read-only state.
Choose Create Section
Start typing the name of the student(s) or UC San Diego email of the student(s) to choose the student(s).
Choose the section you just created from the dropdown.
Select Assign to Section

Multiple extended access sections can be created, or students can be added to an already existing extended section.

How do concurrent enrollment students (UC San Diego Extension) get added to my course roster?

Concurrent enrollment (UC San Diego Extension) students taking your class for credit may appear in your Canvas roster with usernames that begin with "ax0" once they have completed a self-service add process with Educational Technology Services (ETS). They have student IDs that begin with U instead of A. They will not be present in your SIS TritonLink class list. They MUST also formally enroll through UCSD Extension. If you, or your department, do not allow or have room for concurrent enrollment for credit, you may request that ETS configure your class to disable the student self-add process. It may be that there are other steps you need to take with the Registrar or UC San Diego Extension, related to allowing or preventing such enrollments, and you will need to coordinate directly with the student and Extension regarding grading, eGrades upload to the SIS does not apply.