Use this checklist to get your Canvas courses ready before your course begins. It works for full-semester courses and for courses in the first or second 8-week terms. CEITL is happy to help with any step. Just contact us.
Canvas courses go live automatically at 12:00 a.m. on the first day of the course’s term, and students can see them at that time. Start dates differ for full-semester courses, 8-week terms, and some partner programs, so check the academic calendar for your course. Make sure your content is in place before your course goes live.
Copy Content into Your New Course
CEITL can copy content from a previous course into your new course shell for you. Submit your request as early as possible, especially before busy start dates.
To request a copy, email CEITL@citadel.edu with:
- Source course: course name and number, section number, and CRN if known
- Destination course: course name and number, section number, and CRN if known
- Content to copy: for example, the entire course or specific modules
Copying from another instructor’s course? Get their written permission and forward it to us by email. We can’t share content without the original owner’s consent.
Prefer to copy content yourself? See How do I copy content from another Canvas course using the Course Import tool?
Post Your Syllabus
Post your syllabus on the Syllabus page in Canvas. Use the accessible syllabus template in your course shell, since syllabi from earlier terms may not meet current accessibility standards. See Syllabus Design for step-by-step guidance, or How do I upload a document in the Rich Content Editor?
Personalize Your Generative AI Statement
Personalize the generative AI statement in both your syllabus and the Generative AI Statement page in your course’s Start Here module, and make sure they match. Whether you prohibit, limit, or integrate AI, see Teaching in the Age of AI for help deciding and explaining your approach.
Set Up Your Gradebook
Match Your Syllabus
Make sure your grading scale and assignment weights in Canvas match your syllabus. See How do I weight the final course grade based on assignment groups? CEITL is happy to double-check your setup.
Save Time with Gradebook Settings
Move total grades next to student names
- Go to Grades in your course menu.
- Scroll to the far right to find the Total column.
- Click the three vertical dots on the Total column header.
- Select Move to Front.
Sort assignments by due date
- Click the Settings (gear) icon in the top right corner of the Gradebook.
- Select the View Options tab.
- Under Arrange By, choose Due Date – Oldest to Newest.
- Click Apply Settings.
Hide unpublished assignments
- Click the Settings (gear) icon.
- Select the View Options tab.
- Uncheck Unpublished Assignments.
- Click Apply Settings.
Automatically enter zeros for missing work
- Click the Settings (gear) icon.
- Select the Late Policies tab.
- Check Automatically apply grade for missing submissions.
- Set the grade to 0%.
- Click Apply Settings.
Canvas enters a zero once the due date passes. If a student submits late, Canvas replaces the zero with the new grade.
Organize Your Canvas Dashboard
- Nickname your courses so they’re easier to find. Only you see nicknames. See How do I view my courses in the Card View Dashboard?
- Favorite your current courses so only they appear on your Dashboard. Older courses are still under All Courses. See How do I customize my Courses list?
Check Your Course Before It Goes Live
- Publish what students need. Check that modules, pages, and assignments for the first weeks are published.
- Check due dates. Update dates copied from a previous term. If you’re moving a course between a full semester and an 8-week term, adjust the pacing and workload too.
- Attach rubrics. Make sure each graded assignment has a rubric or clear grading criteria. See Assessment, Grading, and Rubrics.
- Set up LockDown Browser. Turn it on for any online quiz or exam where AI and other resources aren’t allowed.
- Check accessibility. Run UDOIT to find and fix accessibility issues. See Accessible Canvas Content.
- Test links. Make sure links to outside resources and videos still work.
- Use Student View. Preview your course the way students will see it.
Plan Your First Week
The first week sets the tone for the whole course, and in an 8-week term, it’s an even bigger share of the time.
- Welcome students. Post a welcome announcement and an introduction to yourself in Canvas.
- Explain how the course works. Walk through the syllabus, the Canvas layout, and how students will be graded.
- Set expectations for AI. Explain your generative AI expectations and why they matter for learning in your course.
- Get students talking. Use a short activity so students start interacting with you, with each other, and with the content. See Active Learning Techniques.
- Find out what students know. A short, ungraded background knowledge check helps you plan. See Evidence-Based Teaching Practices.
Help Students Find Your Course
Students can’t see a course until 12:00 a.m. on the first day of its term. After that, students who can’t find a course can check Courses, then All Courses, in Canvas. Point students to Student Help for step-by-step directions.
Have a question? Contact CEITL by phone, email, or in person in Bond Hall, Room 363.