How to cross-list in Canvas to combine multiple sections into one course shell
Cross-listing in Canvas occurs when multiple Course Reference Number (CRNs) sections of the same course are combined into a single course shell in Canvas. This process is not able to be completed by instructors.
Instructors cannot cross-list Canvas courses directly. Most cross-listing requests are processed before course shells are released to instructors, typically by your department’s scheduler. These combined courses appear as a single unified shell within Canvas and may share the same schedule, location, and/or instructor.
However, in some cases, cross-listing cannot be completed prior to Canvas shell release, and a manual cross-list will need to be created on your behalf.
How can instructors see if their course has been cross-listed in Canvas?
In Canvas, there are two main indicators that may show your course has been cross-listed.
- In most cases, cross-listed courses will have all Sections listed in the Course Code. The Course Code is displayed at the top of your Canvas course and listed on the Settings page within Course Details.
- In all cases, cross-listed courses will have each Section listed within the Sections tab. Instructions for accessing the Sections tab are listed below.
From the Course Navigation menu within your course, click the Settings link [1].
Click the Sections tab [2].
Under Course Sections, view your sections [3] and the number of users within each section.
When to request a manual cross-list
Instructors primarily request cross-listing in order to improve course management efficiency. Not all courses can be cross-listed, though. The requirements for cross-listing are that all course sections must have the same content and occur within the same term.
Common cross-list request situations:
- An instructor is teaching ABC-460 and DEF-460; these courses share identical content but use different department codes.
- An instructor is teaching ABC-543-001 and ABC-543-002. This course is listed as two different sections due to class size, but the Canvas course content is identical.
- A special studies course, ABC-199, uses the same content as ABC-399.
- An undergraduate course, ABC-435, and a graduate course, ABC-535, share the same content, with only minor distinctions between assignments.
In a cross-listed course, by default, all students will receive the same content and assignments. For this reason, we recommend you consider using the Differentiated Assignments feature.
By using Differentiated Assignments, you can set different due dates and availability dates for quizzes, discussions, and assignments. You can choose if the assignment will be limited to specified students, sections, groups, or assigned to everyone in the course.
For step-by-step instructions, review: How do I assign an assignment to a course section?
How do I request a Canvas course cross-list?
To begin the cross-listing process, submit a cross-listing support request. Include:
- The course names and CRNs for all requested cross-listings.
- The corresponding Canvas URLs, if possible.
- Let us know if you have already begun adding content to one or more of the courses, so we can ensure your content is preserved.
If the request can be completed, our team will reply with a link to the new cross-listed course.
Custom cross-list notification
The Registrar’s Office requests that instructors with custom cross-listing in Canvas add this note to their syllabus or Canvas course:
“This Canvas course is shared by one or more course sections. This means that students enrolled in the other section(s) of this class will be able to see the Canvas course content, and may be able to view various activities such as discussion boards or any activities that are created by the instructor to be shared commonly among the different sections.”
This article was last updated .
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