What Roles can I assign to users in my course?
People have different roles in Canvas courses. This FAQ will help identify which roles faculty can give to users in their course and what permission they gain from each role.
Answer
In general, the roles available to all courses are Designer, Observers, Students, TAs, and Teachers.
For courses created through Colleague/MU-HUB, the roles of Teacher and Student are controlled by the Registrar. If you are wanting to add a Teacher or Student to one of those, contact the Registrar (or Dr. Sarah Zahl if the course is in COM).
For non-Colleague/MU-HUB courses, Teachers and Students can be added by any one in the course with a Teacher role.
Roles available in all courses
- Designer
- "What is the Designer Role" from Canvas
- These users are able to create and edit content but they cannot see student information (such as grades or submissions).
- Observer (
- "What is the Observer Role" from Canvas
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These users have view-only access to Canvas courses. They can see pages and files but cannot edit or participate.
- Teaching Assistant (TA)
- "What is the Teacher Assistant Role" from Canvas
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These users have almost complete access and control of the courses in which they are enrolled. They can edit content, grade assignments, and see student information. Instructors are highly encouraged to view this link and become familiar with what these users can do before giving them access. Also, it is important to note that TAs gain access to grades and grading. Instructors are responsible for ensuring that their TAs are educated in and bound by FERPA regulations.