What are User Roles in my Canvas course?
Except for Canvas administrators, everyone who has access to your course will have a user role assigned in your Canvas course. You can view these roles in the People tab. Within your course Settings (1) you can view a quantitative breakdown of each role (2).
Student roles
Primary use: Students enrolled in a course site.
Permissions: The student role grants permissions to view course content and engage in course activities, including submitting assignments, participating in discussions, and viewing the course roster.
Limitations: Students cannot view or modify settings for a course.
Primary use: For users who need viewing access only to a Canvas course. These users are not waitlisted.
Permissions: Observers have “read only” access to the course content. This role can also be linked to a student enrolled in a course to monitor their progress. In that case, the role is Observing: [student name].
Limitations: Observers do not have permission to edit or participate in course activities. As in the classroom, students trying to get into a waitlisted class need to stay up to date with course activity during the add/drop period in case they are accepted. When that period is over, students who were not admitted will no longer appear on your roster with this role.
Primary use: To identify students who have been waitlisted. This role is identical to Observer except in name. It exists to provide instructors a view of how many waitlisted students there are in the Settings tab and to be able to filter in the People tab.
User status
User statuses indicate the course enrollment status when a user is not actively enrolled in the Canvas course.
Inactive
- What this means: The student has withdrawn from the class after the start of the term.
- How to remove: You can “conclude” their enrollment, but we strongly advise leaving inactive students in your roster if they’ve submitted any coursework.
Note: Students using financial aid or Veterans’ Benefits may need to request a record of their enrollment and activity in your course, even after they’ve dropped it.
If you understand and accept the risks associated, view the guide for concluding a student's enrollment.
Pending
- What this means: The user has not yet accepted the course invitation.
- How to remove: Instructors can resend course invitations to prompt users to accept.
Teaching roles
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: Teachers cannot modify course section dates or delete course sections. For assistance with course sections, contact OAI Support.
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 can they 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 can add, edit, and delete content and activities, manage groups, and facilitate discussions.
Limitations: Community Partners can view the user list, but cannot add/delete students or view grades.
Community Partners must have an Affiliate Account and an 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: Graders are restricted from editing the course, and graders can only grade student work.
Limitations: This role is limited to grading only.
Staff roles
Primary use: For instructional designers/technologists (and staff with similar responsibilities) who write and manage course content, but do not 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 Disability Resource Center (DRC) contracted workers who need access to the course 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.
Primary use: For specialty providers to observe and support students.
Permissions: This role has “read only” access to the course content and grades. Additionally, this role can send messages in Canvas to all enrolled students and moderate Discussions.
Limitations: Support Providers do not have permission to edit or participate in course activities beyond communicating with other users and moderating Discussions.
This article was last updated .
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