Canvas: Post-Term Course Access FAQ

Summary

This article answers some commonly asked questions concerning post-term course access in Canvas.

This article applies to Keene State College (KSC), Plymouth State University (PSU), UNH Durham & Manchester (UNH), and the UNH College of Professional Studies (CPS).

 

Questions

Below is institution specific information.

Q1 - How long is a course available to students and faculty after the end of the term? (KSC, PSU, UNH, CPS)

Q2 - I don't want the students to have any access to the course and course materials after the term has ended, how do I control this? (KSC, PSU, UNH)

Q3 - After the 4 weeks what access do students have? (PSU, UNH)

Q4 - What access do faculty have to the course after that term end date 4 weeks after classes end? (PSU, UNH)

Q5 - What about students who have an 'Incomplete' grade and need to continue course activities after the 4 week cutoff date? (PSU, UNH)

Q6 - College of Professional Studies specific course access (CPS)

Q7 - What does Read Only in Canvas mean for Students? (KSC, PSU, UNH, CPS)

 

Answers

A1 - How long is a course available to students and faculty after the end of the term? (KSC, PSU, UNH, CPS)

KSC students retain access to the course unless the instructor has closed it, in which case students may not have access to the course.

PSU students and faculty continue to have full access to the course until the end of the next full, standard term.  Fall and early spring courses will remain open until the end of spring term.  Spring and summer courses will remain open until the end of fall term.

UNH Durham & Manchester students and faculty will continue to have full access to the course until the term end date which is set to be 4 weeks after Commencement for Spring Semester. Full access means you can view all content and grades, interact with any quizzes or assignments that are still available and change grades. 

UNH CPS students retain access for 3 weeks after the semester ends, at which point the course is automatically removed from their dashboard. For CPS graduate students, their access turns to read only after 3 weeks.

Back to Questions

 

A2 - I don't want the students to have any access to the course and course materials after the term has ended, how do I control this? (KSC, PSU, UNH)

You can update the course settings as shown below.  In the course Settings, check the box to 'Restrict Students from viewing course after end date' and then click on 'Update Course Details'. This must be applied prior to the course being concluded.  This area is automatically updated for CPS faculty.

The settings tab in a course with the restriction selection circled.

Back to Questions

 

A3 - After the 4 weeks what access do students have? (PSU, UNH)

After 4 weeks for UNH students or the end of the following term for PSU students, the course will go to a read-only state and will be removed from the Dashboard and Default Course list for the student. It will now appear in an area called 'Past Enrollments' that they can see if they go to the 'View All Courses' link after clicking on the 'Courses' navigation link.  See this Canvas guide for more details on the course list - How do I customize my Courses list?  . Note that all course materials are still accessible by students in the 'Past Enrollments' area as read only resources.  The restrictions on the course are for interacting with the course or other course participants. This includes using Inbox email tool, messages, and notifications which are no longer active.

Back to Questions

 

A4 - What access do faculty have to the course after that term end date 4 weeks after classes end? (PSU, UNH)

Faculty access will match that explained for students in A3 above.  The course will be available in a read-only state under the 'Past Enrollments' area.  Faculty will continue to view the course content and student submissions and grades but will not be able to make changes or interact with course participants.   Faculty will be able to copy or import the course content into a new course/term.  Details are found in this article - Canvas: Using Course Copy 

Back to Questions

 

A5 - What about students who have an 'Incomplete' grade and need to continue course activities after the 4 week cutoff date? (PSU, UNH)

If the student requires access to the course in Canvas to complete course work through the next semester you will need to request that the course be extended for that one student.  See the KB article about Requesting course extension for incomplete coursework.

Back to Questions

 

A6 - College of Professional Studies specific course access (CPS)

Course access for UNH CPS students is based on their degree program.

  • Undergraduate and Post-baccalaureate students will retain access to their courses for 3 weeks after the course end date. 
  • Graduate students will retain access to their courses. Student access will be converted to read-only 3 weeks after the course end date which means they will no longer be able to submit assignments, post discussions, or utilize Canvas tools within that course.  Assignments, course resources, feedback, quiz results, and grades will remain visible.

Students with an approved incomplete in their course will be automatically included in a Registrar's office list and have their Canvas course extended to the completion deadline. There is no action needed on the part of an instructor or student beyond submitting the Incomplete Request Form. For more information, contact the College of Professional Studies  

Back to Questions

 

A7 - What does Read Only in Canvas mean for Students? (KSC, PSU, UNH, CPS)

By default, once the term ends, students can view content such as their submissions (excluding quizzes), instructor feedback, and grades. Here are all the things that students can and cannot do in past-term courses with default access settings:

  • Cannot submit assignments, participate in discussions or send/receive conversation messages
  • Cannot view quiz questions unless the instructor has enabled the quiz option is see their quiz results. The student's quiz submission to the questions could show the question and the answers. 
  • Can download assignments they submitted
  • Can view grades for assignments, quizzes, and discussions
  • Can download course documents from Files (if enabled) and from published modules
  • Cannot use Canvas inbox to email the instructor

Back to Questions

 

Further Readings

Canvas: Using Course Copy

PSU, UNH Canvas: Requesting Course Extension for Incomplete Coursework

UNH Course Catalog  

How do I customize my Courses list?  

 

Need additional help?

Submit a Canvas (myCourses) support request or visit the Technology Help Desk Support page to locate your local campus contact information or to submit an online technology support request.  For password issues you must call or visit the Help Desk in person.  

 

 

 

 

Print Article