Requesting SAS Canvas Access for Non-Registered Participants

  • Faculty & Staff

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Overview

Since 2017, the University has limited instructors' ability to add Students and Observers to Canvas sites by themselves to prevent misunderstandings about course credit and room capacity. Our streamlined form allows authorized personnel to request Canvas access for non-registered participants.

IMPORTANT: If you've done this before and have the information you need, you can go directly to https://computing.sas.upenn.edu/add-to-canvas.

Who can be added:
  • Observers and other unregistered students
  • Collaborators
  • Other Guests

Request Process

1

Gather information

2

Complete form

3

Form review

4

Access granted

Step 1: Gather Required Information

Collect all the information listed in the "Information You'll Need" section below.

Step 2: Complete the Form

Once you have the information you need, please complete this form to route your request appropriately: https://computing.sas.upenn.edu/add-to-canvas

Step 3: Review Process

We'll either add the individuals directly within 24 hours or seek approval from the divisional Registrar as needed.

Typical Registrar processing time: 1-2 business days

Who Can Request Canvas Access

Only the following roles can submit requests to add a person to a Canvas site:

  • Instructors
  • Teaching Assistants
  • Department Administrators
  • Lecture Demonstration Coordinators
  • Lab Coordinators

If you don't fall into one of these categories, please ask the appropriate person to complete the form.

Important Considerations

Room Capacity: Additions cannot exceed room capacity. Please verify your current enrollment and room capacity at the Room Scheduling Portal before submitting. Enrolling over the capacity violates fire codes.

Faculty/Staff Authorization: Instructors should not add individuals as TAs or Teachers (which grants content editing privileges) without proper authorization.

Information You'll Need

Course Information Participant Information
  • Full course number (e.g., SUBJ-0001-001) OR
  • Link to a non-course Canvas site
  • Full name
  • Email address
  • PennKey or 8-digit PennID

Eligible Participant Types

Below are the different types of participants who can be added and the specific requirements for each:

Penn Students (Undergraduate or Graduate)

Students with active affiliation at Penn can be added as Observers in your Canvas site.

Visiting Scholars or PostDocs

As long as the person has active affiliation at Penn, they can be added as an Observer in your Canvas site.

Faculty or Staff (Including Hospital Employees)

Please direct faculty and staff to https://www.lps.upenn.edu/auditor-program to register for the course. This page includes information about the staff tuition benefit.

Quaker Consortium Students
  • Quaker Consortium students register as regular students in the College, so they should be automatically added to your Canvas site.
  • If their registration is delayed, please give them the link to your course's Canvas site. Canvas sites for College courses are open for "virtual course shopping" until the end of the Course Selection Period.
  • If their registration is further delayed, please contact us again after the Course Selection Period and we'll add them as a Student.
  • At that point, you can tell the form that the Quaker Consortium student is a regular Penn undergrad with active affiliation.
  • Note: Quaker Consortium students are not eligible to enroll in graduate courses 5xxx and above.
Students in Affiliated Programs

For students in programs such as Penn Philosophy Consortium, etc., please make sure that this is an official affiliation with Penn and have the name of the program so we can process their enrollment correctly.

External Colleagues or Members of the Public

External colleagues and other members of the public must register and pay for the course as an Auditor, but they will not receive a grade. Please refer them to https://www.lps.upenn.edu/auditor-program to register for the course.

Canvas Access Roles

The role the person should have in your course:

Role Description Appropriate For
Observer Can view content but cannot participate in discussions or submit assignments
  • Most unregistered students
  • Visitors who need to view content
Auditor Someone who registers and pays for a course, but is not graded
  • External colleagues
  • Members of the public

Note: If you select this role, you will be routed to the registration website.
Teaching Assistant Can add/delete content and do everything the Teacher role can do
  • Graduate TAs are usually added by your department
  • We can add them if there is a delay
Undergraduate Learning Assistant Can see course material, but cannot view or change student grades
  • Undergraduate students assisting with the course
Designer Can add/delete content and see grades, but cannot change them
  • Library staff
  • Department staff who help design course content

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I add students to my Canvas site directly?

Since 2017, the University has limited this ability to prevent misunderstandings about course credit and to maintain compliance with room capacity regulations.

What if a student wants to view my Canvas site while waiting for a spot to open?

Students can already view your site during the Virtual Course Shopping Period. See more information at https://infocanvas.upenn.edu/policies/course-shopping-period

How long does it take for access to be granted?

Typically, requests are processed within 2-3 business days, depending on the type of request and whether Registrar approval is needed.

Can I add colleagues from other institutions to my Canvas site?

External colleagues must register as Auditors through LPS. Please direct them to https://www.lps.upenn.edu/auditor-program.

Need additional help? Please contact instructional-support@sas.upenn.edu with questions.