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Your Canvas course roster is managed by various groups at MIT Sloan. Some enrollments are automated; others are not. This guide for teaching teams is broken down in two key parts:
Tip: You must have a Canvas account at MIT in order to be enrolled in a Canvas course. To learn more on how guests can access Canvas, see How to Add a Teacher-Like Guest to a Canvas Course for teacher-like roles and How to Add a Cross-Registered Student to a Canvas Course for student-like roles.
The following table reviews the different roles in Canvas that have a base role of Student, which means they provide student-like access to the enrolled user. Determine the appropriate role for a user before enrolling them in your course.
| Role | Definition | Use Case(s) | Role Expires | Same permissions as student role? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student | Student access to your Canvas course for official registrants. | - | - | - |
| 48-Hour Student Pass | Temporary student-like access to your Canvas course. | Give a student immediate, short-term access to your Canvas course so they can stay on track while they complete the official registration process. | After 48 hours | Yes |
| Listener | Student-like access to your Canvas course for an officially registered Listener. | - | - | No - Must pay for Study.Net materials |
| Non-Registered Participant |
Student-like access to your Canvas course for a student with registration processing delays lasting longer than 48 hours.
Note: An official Student or Listener role will overwrite the Non-registered Participant role when MITSIS and Canvas sections match. |
Sloan Educational Services (SES) approves all Non-Registered Participant requests and provides Canvas access to the student at that time. | - | Yes |
| Pre-Registered Student | Temporary student-like access to your Canvas course for an official pre-registrant. | - | 10 days after the term start date | Yes |
| Waitlist | Temporary student-like access to your Canvas course for a student who wants to register for your course after it reached capacity. | - | 3 days after the last add date of a term | Yes |
The following table reviews the different roles in Canvas that have a base role of Teacher, which means they provide teacher-like access to the enrolled user. Determine the appropriate role for a user before enrolling them in your course.
| Role | Definition | Use Case(s) | Same permissions as teacher role? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher | Teacher access to your Canvas course for appointed teachers who will be evaluated | - | - |
| Course Admin | Teacher-like access to your Canvas course for staff supporting the Primary Course Admin (PCA) | Administrative assistants who will co-support a course alongside the PCA | Yes |
| Designer | Teacher-like access to your course for instructional designers or simliar who will build your Canvas course | Instructional Designers, Graphic Designers, Learning Experience Designers, etc. | No - Cannot view grades |
| Faculty Observer | Teacher-like access to your Canvas course for non-appointed, non-evaluated teachers who need to observe your content | Guest Lecturers, PhD students, or somebody teaching or TA'ing the course in an upcoming semester | No - Cannot view grades |
| Grader | Teacher-like access to your course for grading student work | Undergraduates or other student workers hired to assist with grading | No - Limited to permissions required for grading student work |
| Mentor | Teacher-like access to your course for anybody working with your students in a mentor capacity | Executive coaches/field experts, and sometimes alumni. This role is mostly used by Lab courses. | No - Limited to permissions required for interacting with students in a mentor capacity (e.g., grading work, sending messages via inbox, etc.) |
| Primary Course Admin (PCA) | Teacher-like access to your Canvas course for staff that coordinates and builds the Canvas course | Every course is assigned an Administrative Assistant as the PCA | Yes |
| TA | Teacher-like access to your Canvas course for TAs employed by MIT Sloan through the official TA appointment process | TAs, RAs | Yes |
These tables for teaching teams outline how you can add, drop, or change the section of an enrollment for each type of Canvas role.
Note: You can manage certain roles yourself using the Membership Tool in Canvas. Other enrollments are managed by other groups at MIT Sloan to ensure accuracy and appropriate access to content.
| Role | Add/Drop from Canvas | Change Section in Canvas | Contact Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48-Hour Student Pass | Membership | Membership | Sloan Canvas Support |
| Listener | Instruct student to complete Add/Drop/Change form |
Membership Note: For section changes to a different Canvas site, make request to Sloan Educational Services. |
|
| Non-Registered Participant |
Make request to Sloan Educational Services (SES) |
Membership | |
| Pre-Registered Student | Instruct student to complete Add/Drop/Change form | Membership | |
| Student | Instruct student to complete Add/Drop/Change form |
Membership Note: For section changes to a different Canvas site, make request to Sloan Educational Services. |
|
| Waitlist | Membership | Membership |
If your students are having trouble accessing your Canvas site, share this guide with them: FAQ: Course Registration & Canvas Access as a Student. It answers common student questions about course registration and Canvas enrollments in MIT Sloan courses.
| Role | Add/Drop from Canvas | Contact Support |
|---|---|---|
| Course Admin | Membership | Primary Course Admin |
| Designer | Membership | Primary Course Admin |
| Faculty Observer | Membership | Primary Course Admin |
| Grader | Membership | Primary Course Admin |
| Mentor | Membership | Primary Course Admin |
| Primary Course Admin |
Make request to the Directors of the Academic Areas |
|
| Teacher |
Make request to Sloan Educational Services (SES) |
|
| TA | Instruct candidate to set up TA employment |
Need access or want to share a past Canvas site? Teaching teams can add MIT faculty, course admins, and TAs to a past course using the Faculty Observer role—no support ticket needed. This role allows them to view all course content, but not student grades or submissions—ensuring FERPA compliance.
