5.2 - Canvas Course Access and Life Cycle

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At LATTC College, every credit and non-credit class scheduled in PeopleSoft automatically results in a Canvas course shell being created and populated with the instructor and enrolled students. After the term concludes, the Canvas course does not disappear, but does change in how it may be accessed and used. 

Canvas Course Lifecycle/Timeline

• Canvas course shells created 
  • Usually a few months prior to the start of the academic term
• Canvas course rosters populate with enrolled students
  • Once registration begins
• Canvas "start of term" means that you can publish courses and use Canvas to send notifications to students (though PeopleSoft is recommended to communicate with students before the semester)
  • In Settings, the Participation drop-down has two options: Term and Course. Term dates are chosen by the district. You may want different start/end dates; choose Course and the desired dates.
• Start of semester: Make sure your courses are published!
• Ongoing: as students add and drop in PeopleSoft, Canvas rosters are updated within 24 hours typically
• Canvas "end of term" moves courses into "concluded" status
  • By default, concluded courses remain available in read-only mode to students and faculty
  • Concluded courses can be found in the All Courses listing

FAQs Regarding Canvas Course Creation and Roster Management

Click any question to view the answer.

What if I want to start building a future class prior to the creation of the Canvas course shell?

How do I use a previous Canvas course as the basis for a new one?

How do I manage the courses that are on my Canvas dashboard, and/or access courses that are not listed there?

What if I need to give access to a Canvas class to someone who is not on the PeopleSoft roster?

What if a class is taught by multiple faculty?

What if a class is reassigned to another faculty member?

What if a class section is cancelled (e.g. due to low enrollment)?

What if a class is cross-listed in PeopleSoft (i.e. the same class is listed under two different departments)?

What if a class has multiple (non cross-listed) sections that a faculty member is teaching, and the faculty member would like these to be combined into one Canvas course shell?

How do I handle Incomplete grades?