User Roles in Canvas

Student Roles

Primary use: Students enrolled in a course site.
Permissions: The student role has permissions to view course content and engage in course activities, including the ability to submit assignments, participate in discussions, and view the course roster.
Limitations: Students cannot view or modify settings for a course.

Primary use: To identify students who have been waitlisted.
Permissions: Observers have “read only” access to the course content. This role can also be linked to a student enrolled in a course in order to monitor their progress. In that case the role is Observing: [student name].
Limitations: Observers have no permissions to edit or participate in course activities. As in the classroom, students trying to get into a waitlisted class need to keep up with course activity during the add/drop period in case they get in. When that period is over, students not admitted will no longer be in your roster with this role.

This is not a role, but a status that means the student has withdrawn from the class after the start of term.
You can “conclude” their enrollment (see the tutorial for this), but we strongly advise leaving inactive students in your roster if they’ve submitted any coursework. If a student uses financial aid or the GI Bill, they may need to request a record of their enrollment and activity in your course, even after they’ve dropped it.

Primary use: For instructors who need full access to the Canvas features for instruction.
Permissions: Teachers have all course-level permissions, including the ability to add, edit and delete all content in a course, edit course settings, and manually add individuals with active Canvas user accounts.
Limitations: None.

Primary use: For instructors who are not the instructor of record to participate in and facilitate some parts of the course.
Permissions: Guest Teachers have most course-level permissions, including the ability to add, edit and delete all content in a course.
Limitations: Guest Teachers cannot add or delete individuals from a course, nor publish the course.

Primary use: The community partner role is for community-based learning partners to be able to participate and co-author elements within a course (such as co-creating learning objectives) in partnership with the instructor of the course.
Permissions: Community Partners have the ability to add, edit and delete content and activities, manage groups, and facilitate discussions.
Limitations: Community Partners can view the user list, but cannot and/delete students or view grades.
Note: Community Partners must have an Affiliate Account and Odin username to access Canvas.

Primary use: For assistant instructors and teaching assistants.
Permissions: TAs have permissions similar to the Teacher role. They have all course-level permissions, including the ability to add, edit and delete all content in a course, edit course settings, and manually add individuals with active Canvas user accounts.
Limitations: TAs cannot add other Teachers or TAs into the course, nor publish the course.

Primary use: For graders.
Permissions: Mentor/Graders are restricted from editing the course and is designed to exclusively grade student work.
Limitations: This role is restricted to only being able to grade users.

Primary use: For instructional designers/technologists (and staff with similar responsibilities) who write and manage course content, but do not actually teach courses or grade student work.
Permissions: Create course content, discussions, announcements, assignments, quizzes, and other content features.
Limitations: Designers cannot view or modify grades. Designers cannot add Teachers or TAs to the course, but can add students.

Primary use: For DRC contracted workers who need access to the course in order to provide accommodations.
Permissions: Same permissions as the student role. Has permissions to view course content and engage in course activities, including the ability to submit assignments, participate in discussions, and view the course roster.
Limitations: DRC Service Providers cannot view or modify settings for a course.