A Canvas course must be “published” by the instructor before students can access the course. If the course is published before the course start date, students can view published content, but cannot participate (i.e. submit an assignment, post a discussion, etc.).
For instructors, an unpublished course appears towards the bottom of your Dashboard. For students, an unpublished course only shows on their All Courses page. It moves to the student’s Dashboard after it is published.
Note: a course must be published for students to receive Announcements notifications via email.
Publish a Course
To publish a course, click on the Publish button on the right side of the course homepage. Students do not receive a notification that the course was published.
- Be sure your check the published status of Modules, and other areas like Assignments and Pages. Students can only see published content.
- Once a course contains a graded submission, you can no longer unpublish the course (although you can change participation dates and options.
Course Participation Start Date
Participation = Submit assignments, discussions, etc.
Students can only participate in Canvas courses within the participation start and end dates on the course’s Settings page. If a course is published BEFORE the course participation start date, students can access/view the course but cannot participate.
Canvas courses courses at George Mason default to course dates (not term) and have the student participation dates set 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after your course dates. Instructors can modify start and end dates (see below for end of semester information).
If you want to publish the course before the semester begins so that you can communicate with students, but don’t want them to view the course content, you have several options:
- On the course Settings page, under the Course Start and End Dates, check the box for “Restrict students from viewing course before course start date”
- Make sure the course content you don’t want them to see in not published or hide course navigation items
Course Participation End Date
By default, courses in Canvas use Course Participation dates – the Participation end date is set for two weeks after the end of the course (i.e. four weeks after end of the semester, but varies for part of term and summer courses). Instructors can view and modify these dates on a course’s Settings page.
After the Course Participation End date the course is considered “Concluded.”
- Students can continue to access the course, but only to view content (read only mode) - they can no longer submit assignments, post discussions, etc. Instructors can no longer enter grades for students.
- If an instructor does not want students to access the course at all after the course ends, on the course’s Settings page check the option for “Restrict students from viewing course after course end date.” (Note, you cannot un-publish a course once it contains student work, use this setting instead.)
- For students, concluded courses will no longer appear on their Dashboard. Instead, it will be moved to the All Courses page - Past Enrollments section.
- For instructors, concluded courses will appear on the Dashboard page for several months after the end of the course in order to allow for full access to course settings for incompletes.
- Students and instructors cannot message students in concluded courses.
FAQs
Can I add a user to a course that has already concluded?
No, instructors cannot add students or other instructors to a concluded course. To reopen your course, please contact [email protected]. Instructors can create new sections for up to three months after the semester ends, primarily to grant access to students who need to complete coursework for an Incomplete.
Can I un-conclude my course?
No, once a course is concluded, instructor cannot undo this action. To un-conclude your course, please contact [email protected].
How can I extend a course for one student?
Instructor can create a new Section under the Course settings.
Will students be able to participate in the course based on the course date or section date?
The section date overrides the course date. Before or after the section date, the course will be in read-only mode for the student, with a reminder displayed at the top of the course page.
Can I create a new Section with a different date?
Yes, instructors can create a new sections at any time. However, new sections cannot be created in a concluded course.
Will the section date override the course date?
Yes, section dates will override course date, even if you have "Restrict students from viewing course before (or after) course start date" option is checked.
Can I create a new section after the course has concluded?
No, if this request is made after the course has concluded, an admin will need to change the course end date first, before you can create a new section. Instructors can create new sections for up to three months after the semester ends, primarily to grant access to students who need to complete coursework for an Incomplete.
Can I set custom dates for when my students can access the course?
Yes, you can set custom access dates for your students. Go to Course Settings, scroll down to the Participation section, and enter your preferred start and end dates.
How can I completely remove student access to a course after it ends
Navigate to your course settings, and check the box labeled "Restrict students from viewing course after end date"; this will prevent students from accessing the course once the designated end date has passed.
Why can't my student see my course on their Canvas Dashboard?
Here are a few things you can check:
- Ensure the course is published
- Verify if the course appears under the All Courses page
- If the course is published, review the course settings to check if an incorrect start or end date is restricting access
Why can't I edit my course start and end dates?
Once two weeks have passed after the course end date, the course will enter a view-only state, and instructors will no longer be able to edit the course dates. If you need to adjust participation settings for an older course, please contact [email protected]. Instructors can create new sections for up to three months after the semester ends, primarily to grant access to students who need to complete coursework for an Incomplete.