Students and TAs who cannot log in to Canvas should contact the IT Support Center. Instructors who have trouble logging in should contact the Instructional Media Lab.
Once you have logged in to Canvas, you can access your courses from Canvas Dashboard. If you don't see your course under Published Courses, scroll down to Unpublished Courses, you should be able to find your course there.
If your course is appearing under Unpublished Courses, it is hidden from students but visible to you. You have the option to publish it for preview week. Courses are automatically published at the start of the semester. If you requested your course after those dates, you would need to publish the course manually.
Please note that Canvas courses will remain available to instructors for 18 months after the end of the semester when the course is taught, after which the course will be archived.
To make your course available (or unavailable) to students, see Published vs. Unpublished: Making Things Visible to Students.
Your course will be empty except for a template to help you get started.
Your departmental Academic Scheduling Representative is responsible for enrolling your TA(s) in SPIRE. Once associated with a class in SPIRE, TA(s) will automatically be given access to the Canvas course.
To allow a TA to add content to your course or manage the gradebook, see Assigning a Canvas Role in CAPS.
Please visit the Support for Canvas at UMass Amherst to find the way you prefer to get support.
Instructors are responsible for following applicable rules when posting copies of other people’s work on Canvas. It is best to get permission or use open access materials (such as public domain or Creative Commons licensed works). You can freely link to electronic materials available in the UMass Library (databases, eBooks, digital reserves, etc.)
However, if none of these are available, instructors should familiarize themselves with the rules of fair use before posting. Post only the minimum amount that is necessary to meet instructional goals or that fits within a reasonable fair use assessment.
To learn more about copyright and to access a fair use assessment worksheet, see Copyright Resources.