By default, Canvas courses are available via the Dashboard according to the term dates set by the university (approximately 1 week before classes begin and 2 weeks after grades are due). Outside of these dates, students will have read-only access to all content and assignments by going to All Courses.
Understanding term, course, and section dates
Dates can be specified in a number of places. To clarify their inheritance:
- Term dates are specified by the university. If you’ve made no changes to your course, you can see these dates by going to ISU AdminTools: View Additional Course Settings and looking at the Course Visibility Timeline.
- Course dates may be specified by the instructor via course settings and will override the term dates only if the “Students can only participate in the course between these dates” box is checked.
- Section dates should only be used when absolutely necessary and may be specified by the instructor in ISU AdminTools. Section dates will override course dates and term dates only if the “Override Term/Course Participation Dates” box is checked. Note: Section dates are not reflected on the Course Visibility Timeline inside ISU AdminTools.
Make it happen: customize availability dates
To customize when the course appears on the Dashboard and students can interact with it, you may either:
- Specify alternate course dates and check the box in course settings that "Students can only participate in the course between these dates."
- Specify alternate section dates via ISU AdminTools and check the box to "Override Term/Course Participation Dates."
See also Course Conclusion in Canvas for additional information on restricting student access after the semester.