You can create course-level roles in Canvas. Course roles are granted to each Canvas user and define the type of access each user has in the course. Default roles include student, teacher (instructor), teacher assistant (TA), designer, and observer, but you can also create custom course-level roles depending on the needs of your institution.

Once a role is created, you can set course-level permissions.

Note: When a user receives an enrollment invitation for a course role, the invitation displays the name of the base role.

You can create rubrics for instructors to use across your institution. Instructors can add account-level rubrics to their assignments, graded discussions, and quizzes. Instructors can also create their own rubrics in their courses.

You can create Question Banks at the account-level.

By default, users can login in directly to Canvas using Canvas authentication. However, all Canvas users must have a Canvas account before they can log in to Canvas.

Canvas authentication includes an option called self registration, which displays a registration banner on your account login page that allows users to create their own Canvas accounts. By default, Canvas authentication is enabled for all institutions, but self registration is disabled.

Note that Canvas authentication can be used without self registration. For instance, some institutions want to create user accounts with a student information system (SIS) and import SIS data into Canvas but allow users to log in using the default Canvas login page. Canvas authentication also supports Single Sign On (SSO) authentication, which allows you to customize your login information, and can be used in addition to third-party authentication providers.

Self Registration Accounts

You can allow self registration for all user roles (students, instructors, observers) or only observer roles.

• Student Accounts: Self registration is used with self enrollment. When users sign up as a student, a join code is required to access the course. Self enrollment creates the join code, which instructors can give to students to sign up in the course. Learn more about self enrollment options in your account.
• Instructor Accounts: Instructors can sign up for a Canvas account through self registration if your institution does not already create instructor accounts.
• Observer Accounts: Parents and other users who want to observe a student sign up through Canvas through the observer role.

Notes:

• You cannot delete Canvas authentication as an authentication option.
• Canvas authentication passwords require a minimum of eight characters.

Within Admin Tools, admins can view the login/logout activity of users within their institution.

Note: Canvas will only register a user’s logout when the Logout button is clicked in the User Account menu. Closing the browser window does not create a logout request.