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Canvas - Course Level Roles Description
Course level roles in Canvas
This is a list of the roles that can be used to enroll users into courses. Note that Canvas users can have more than one role in a course. The roles are additive in nature; enrolling someone as a Student and a Designer would give that person the permissions of both roles.
University roles and course roles in the Student Information System may not align with Canvas roles. It is a best practice to focus on the access a user needs in a course rather than the name of the role.
For information on how various course roles interact with section, course, and term dates, see the Canvas - Managing Course Access with Publishing and Dates guide.
The following roles are available in the UW System Instructional instance of Canvas. They will be deployed to the Training and Development and Continuing Education instances upon request. Click a role name below to see a detailed list of Canvas permissions.
| Role Name | Role Description |
|---|---|
| Student | This role is most commonly used to enroll users who will participate in a course for course credit. Users enrolled as Students can view course content and participate in course assignments and communications. Students cannot view and participate a course until it is published, and the course has started. Students may also use the Canvas Student app to view and participate in courses. Students will automatically be enrolled by the Student Information System into instructional courses. Note: people listed as Teaching Assistants in the Student Information System may be enrolled in courses as the Student role. Assign additional roles to provide the TA access to your course. How do I add users to a course? |
| Teacher | This role is used to enroll users responsible for course creation, instruction, and management. Teachers are also referred to as instructors. In general, users with the Teacher role have permissions that allow them to moderate a course, view course data, and direct daily course communications. Teachers may also use the Canvas Teacher app to view some course content including announcements, assignments, discussions, and quizzes. Teachers will automatically be enrolled by the Student Information System into for-credit courses. The teacher may enroll other users as a Teacher in their course. |
| Designer | This role is used to allow users who will assist with course development. This role has been designed to be primarily used in the Sandobox Course area. |
| Teacher Assistant Grader | This role is designed for individual who will support a teacher in a course to post content, assignments, and assist with grading. They have ability to create, edit, and delete many course components. This role also has access to grade student submissions. |
| Teacher Assistant | This role is designed for individuals who will support a teacher in a course and who do not need to earn course credit. This role will have access to create, edit, and delete many course components. They will be able to see all students enrolled in the course but are not able to see or grade student submissions. |
| Grader | This role is designed for individuals who will support a teacher with grading. This role also has access to grade student submissions, but will not have access to create, edit, or delete most course components. |
| Interpreter Pre-Semester/Semester | This role is intended for captioners, ASL interpreters and others that may need access to the materials in a course without any other interactions. Interpreters do not have the ability to create, edit, or delete course components. They are unable to see student submissions or grades. The "Pre-Semester" version of this role can access course materials before the courses start date. |
| Observer | Observers have limited permissions that allow them to see what is going on in a course without interrupting the flow of daily course communication. Observers cannot view and participate in a course until it is published and the course has started. |
| Teacher Reviewer | Teacher Reviewers have similar access to the Teacher role, but do not have permission to make changes to a course. |
| Facilitator | This role is designed for users to interact with the students in the course and access student grade information, but are not able to add or edit content. |
| Course Librarian - Research | This role is designed for users that need to add content to a course and interact with the students but not be able to access student grade information. This role can see the course roster but not student IDs. |
| Course Librarian - E-Reserves | This role can add or copy content to courses but cannot interact with students or coursework information. |
| Teacher Access - Student Leadership | This role is designed to allow the leaders of non-instructional courses to facilitate a class where the teacher should not have access to ID information in the People or Grades tool. |
| Mentor | This role is similar to the Observer role, but can interact with students in Discussions and Collaborations so people mentoring students can be engaged and participate. The role can also email all or some students in a course. |
| Teacher - Read Only - No Student Info | This role allows the user to view course content only. The role will not be able to view any student information whatsoever in the course. |
Canvas Course Level Permissions
Spreadsheet of permissions for course and account roles
Student:
This role is most commonly used to enroll users who will participate in a course for course credit. Users enrolled as Students can view course content and participate in course assignments and communications. Students cannot view and participate a course until it is published, and the course has started. Students may also use the Canvas Student app to view and participate in courses. Students will automatically be enrolled by the Student Information System into instructional courses.
Students can:
- Create student collaborations
- Post to discussions
- See the list of users
- Send messages to individual course members
- View announcements
- View discussions
Teacher:
This role is used to enroll users responsible for course creation, instruction, and management. Teachers are also referred to as instructors. In general, users with the Teacher role have permissions that allow them to moderate a course, view course data, and direct daily course communications. Teachers may also use the Canvas Teacher app to view some course content including announcements, assignments, discussions, and quizzes. Teachers will automatically be enrolled by the Student Information System into for-credit courses. The teacher may enroll other users as a Teacher in their course.
The Teacher Role can:
- Add, edit and delete events on the course calendar
- Add/remove other teachers, course designers or TAs to the course
- Add/remove students for the course
- Manage Course Sections
- Change course state
- Create and edit assessing rubrics
- Create student collaborations
- Create web conferences
- Edit grades
- Import learning outcomes
- Manage (add / edit / delete) assignments and quizzes
- Manage (add / edit / delete) course files
- Manage (add / edit / delete) pages
- Manage (create / edit / delete) course sections
- Manage (create / edit / delete) groups
- Manage alerts
- Manage all other course content
- Manage learning outcomes
- Moderate Grades
- Moderate discussions (delete / edit other's posts, lock topics)
- Post to discussions
- Read SIS data
- See other users' primary email address
- See the list of users
- Send messages to individual course members
- Send messages to the entire class
- View all grades
- View all students' submissions and make comments on them
- View analytics pages
- View and link to question banks
- View announcements
- View discussions
- View login ids for users
- View the group pages of all student groups
- View usage reports for the course
Designer:
This role is used to allow users who will assist with course development. This role has been designed to be primarily used in the Sandbox Course area.
The Designer role can:
- Add, edit and delete events on the course calendar
- Create and edit assessing rubrics
- Create student collaborations
- Import learning outcomes
- Manage (add / edit / delete) assignments and quizzes
- Manage (add / edit / delete) course files
- Manage (add / edit / delete) pages
- Manage (create / edit / delete) groups
- Manage all other course content
- Manage learning outcomes
- Moderate discussions (delete / edit other's posts, lock topics)
- Post to discussions
- See the list of users
- View and link to question banks
- View announcements
- View discussions
- View the group pages of all student groups
Teacher Assistant Grader:
This role is designed for individual who will support a teacher in a course to post content, assignments, and assist with grading. They have ability to create, edit, and delete many course components. This role also has access to student submissions to be able to grade.
The TA Grader role can:
- Add, edit and delete events on the course calendar
- Create and edit assessing rubrics
- Create student collaborations
- Edit grades
- Manage (add / edit / delete) assignments and quizzes
- Manage (add / edit / delete) course files
- Manage (add / edit / delete) pages
- Manage (create / edit / delete) groups
- Manage alerts
- Manage all other course content
- Moderate Grades
- Moderate discussions (delete / edit other's posts, lock topics)
- Post to discussions
- Read SIS data
- See the list of users
- Send messages to individual course members
- Send messages to the entire class
- View all grades
- View all students' submissions and make comments on them
- View analytics pages
- View and link to question banks
- View announcements
- View discussions
- View the group pages of all student groups
- View usage reports for the course
Teacher Assistant:
This role is designed for individuals who will support a teacher in a course and who do not need to earn course credit. This role will have access to create, edit, and delete many course components. They will be able to see all students enrolled in the course but are not able to see or grade student submissions.
Example use cases include: graduate assistants or TAs.
The TA role can:
- Add, edit and delete events on the course calendar
- Create and edit assessing rubrics
- Create student collaborations
- Manage (add / edit / delete) assignments and quizzes
- Manage (add / edit / delete) course files
- Manage (add / edit / delete) pages
- Manage (create / edit / delete) groups
- Manage alerts
- Manage all other course content
- Moderate discussions (delete / edit other's posts, lock topics)
- Post to discussions
- Read SIS data
- See the list of users
- Send messages to individual course members
- Send messages to the entire class
- View analytics pages
- View and link to question banks
- View announcements
- View discussions
- View the group pages of all student groups
- View usage reports for the course
Grader:
This role is designed for individuals who will support a teacher with grading. This role also has access to grade student submissions, but will not have access to create, edit, or delete most course components.
Example use cases include: Graduate assistants who will grade or TAs who are expected to grade student work.
The Grader Role can:
- Edit grades
- Moderate Grades
- See the list of users
- View all grades
- View all students' submissions and make comments on them
- View announcements
- View discussions
- View the group pages of all student groups
Interpreter Pre-Semester/Semester:
This role is intended for captioners, ASL interpreters and others that may need access to the materials in a course without any other interactions. Interpreters do not have the ability to create, edit, or delete course components. They are unable to see student submissions or grades. The "Pre-Semester" version of this role can access course materials before the courses start date.
Interpreters can:
- View Announcements
- View Discussions
Observer:
Observers have limited permissions that allow them to see what is going on in a course without interrupting the flow of daily course communication. Observers cannot view and participate a course until it is published, and the course has started.
Observers can:
- View Announcements
- View Discussions
Teacher Reviewer:
Teacher Reviewers have similar access to the Teacher role, but do not have permission to make changes to a course.
Teacher reviewers can:
- Announcements - view
- Courses - view usage reports
- Discussions - view
- Grades - view all grades
- Groups - view all student groups
- Question banks - view and link
- Users - view list
Facilitator:
This role is designed for users to interact with the students in the course and access student grade information, but are not able to add or edit content. Example use cases: program manager or sandbox courses not using a blueprint course. The Facilitator Role can:
- Add, edit and delete events on the course calendar
- Create and edit assessing rubrics
- Create student collaborations
- Edit grades
- Manage (add / edit / delete) assignments and quizzes
- Manage (create / edit / delete) groups
- Manage alerts
- Moderate Grades
- Moderate discussions (delete / edit other's posts, lock topics)
- Post to discussions
- Read SIS data
- See the list of users
- Send messages to individual course members
- Send messages to the entire class
- View all grades
- View all students' submissions and make comments on them
- View analytics pages
- View and link to question banks
- View announcements
- View discussions
- View the group pages of all student groups
- View usage reports for the course
Course Librarian - Research
This role is designed for users that need to add content to a course, interact with the students in the course, but not be able to access student grade information.
- Add, edit and delete events on the course calendar
- Manage (add / edit / delete) assignments and quizzes
- Manage (add / edit / delete) course files
- Manage (add / edit / delete) pages
- Manage (create / edit / delete) groups
- Manage all other course content
- Post to discussions
- See the list of users, but not student IDs
- Send messages to individual course members
- Send messages to the entire class
- View all students' submissions and make comments on them
- View announcements
- View discussions
- View the group pages of all student groups
Course Librarian - E-Reserves
This role can add or copy content to courses but cannot interact with students or coursework information. An account level role exists with the same permissions.
- Manage (add / edit / delete) assignments and quizzes
- Manage (add / edit / delete) course files
- Manage (add / edit / delete) pages
- Manage all other course content
- View announcements
Teacher Access - Student Leadership
This role is designed to allow the leaders of non-instructional courses to facilitate a class where the teacher should not have access to ID information in the People or Grades tool.
The Teacher Access - Student Leadership role can:
- Analytics - view pages
- Announcements - view
- Assignments and Quizzes - add / edit / delete
- Conversations - send messages to entire class
- Conversations - send messages to individual course members
- Course Calendar - add / edit / delete events
- Course Content - add / edit / delete
- Course Files - add / edit / delete
- Course State - manage
- Courses - change visibility
- Courses - view usage reports
- Discussions - create
- Discussions - moderate
- Discussions - post
- Discussions - view
- Grades - edit
- Grades - select final grade for moderation
- Grades - view all grades
- Groups - add / edit / delete
- Groups - view all student groups
- LTI - add / edit / delete
- Learning Outcomes - add / edit / delete
- Learning Outcomes - import
- Manage Pages
- Question banks - view and link
- Rubrics - add / edit / delete
- Student Collaborations - create
- Users - add / remove students in courses
- Users - add / remove teachers, course designers, or TAs in courses
- Users - view list
- Users - view primary email address
Mentor
This role is similar to the Observer role, but can interact with students in Discussions and Collaborations so people mentoring students can be engaged and participate. The role can also email all or some students in a course.
The Mentor role can:
- Announcements - view
- Conversations - send messages to entire class
- Conversations - send messages to individual course members
- Discussions - moderate
- Discussions - post
- Discussions - view
- Groups - view all student groups
- Student Collaborations - create
- Users - view list
- Users - view primary email address
Teacher-Read Only-No Student Info
The role, while based on the teacher role, can only view course content. The role has no access to student information whatsoever.
The Teacher-Read Only-No Student Info specific permissions are:
- Announcements - view
- Question banks - view and link
- Reports - manage