Canvas Course Request

Canvas Course Request

Request a Manually Created Canvas Course

Review the process to request a Canvas course and understand alternatives that may suit your needs.

The University of Miami provides multiple platforms beyond Canvas, to support student learning, engagement, and assessment. This resource explains when a Canvas manually created course is the right fit, how to request one, and what to use when Canvas is not the best option. Historically, Blackboard supported many “organization” needs (file sharing, communication, orientation, and training). Today, these needs are better supported by purpose-built tools - sometimes in combination.

Quick Links: When to Use Canvas | Submit a Request | Finding Best Tool For Your Use Case 


When to Use Canvas

Canvas manually created courses are intended for students only. These are structured, instructional, and facilitator-guided experiences that use modules, activities, grades or completion requirements. For‑credit and non-credit courses remain governed by Canelink and Registrar processes, including continuing education programs.

 

✅ Use Canvas when all of the following criteria are true

All criteria must be met for Canvas to be the appropriate solution.

Users Your audience (enrolled users) are fully‑matriculated students.
Experience The experience is course‑like, instructional, facilitator guided.
Course Design You will use learning activities (modules with sequencing, quizzes/assignments, discussions), grades/completion requirements.
Enrollments Student enrollments can be automated based on program/registration data (for example, students with a major/minor in Business Technology), or a designated facilitator maintains the roster.
Usage The course will include active participation at least once every 12 months.
Purpose The course is focused on orientation or co-curricular initatives; student employee training is supported through other solutions.

If any of the criteria above are not met, Canvas may not be the best solution for your use case, but we have solutions for you! 

Submit a Request

Submit a Request

We are now collecting requests, please note, at this time, this may take us between two to three weeks to process.

Finding Best Tool For Your Use Case

With so many tools available, it can be difficult to know which platform best supports your goals. Each tool is designed for a specific purpose, and this guidance is intended to help you make that choice more easily.

💡 Use alternative tools if your use case features below

If your request does not meet the Canvas criteria above, it likely falls into one of the use cases below.

Student portfolios
Required faculty, staff, or student training
Document library / file storage
Mass announcements to a changing list
Student engagement + events
Meetings, messaging, quick communications
Video hosting and sharing
Student success initiatives
Collection of student applications or materials for program assignments

Recommended tools based on common use cases

Use the guidance below to select an alternative tool and find the appropriate “how‑to” steps for each workflow. If your use case is not covered here contact us for additional guidance.

🎓 Student co-curricular portfolios

Tool: Cane Commitment (Suitable)

Use when: You need reflection‑based learning, evidence collection, or a co‑curricular portfolio.

Target audience: Undergraduate students.

Start here: Explore the guides. You can contact the team to request an custom activities.

✅ Required training (standardized)

Tool: ULearn

Use when: You need completion tracking and certificates with minimal instructor interaction.

Target audience: Employees (faculty, staff, students) and approved non-employees.

Start here: Explore the ULearn service page. Submit a request with purpose, audience, tracking needs, and launch date.

🎯 Student/employee training (collaborative, instructor-led)

Tool: Microsoft Teams for Education

Use when: You need interactive, instructor-led training with discussions, file sharing, live sessions, and ongoing communication in a structured class or cohort environment.

Target audience: Students, faculty and staff facilitating training.

Start here: Explore Microsoft Teams education site, or use our quick start guide, and playlist on class teams.

📁 Document library / file storage

Tool: SharePoint / OneDrive / Box / G-Drive

Use when: You need to store, share, version, and co‑edit documents.

Target audience: All University employees and students.

Start here: Engage with the options such as a Sharepoint Hub or solutions on the Collaboration and Cloud Storage Solutions page.

📣 Mass announcements

Tool: Listserv

Use when: You need email announcements to a changing membership list. 

Target audience: All University employees.

Start here: Access the Listserv service page and request form.

🎉 Student engagement + events

Tool: Engage

Use when: You support student organizations, promote events, and track engagement.

Target audience: Students.

Start here: Manage organizations page. You can contact the commitee on student organizations.

💬 Meetings & messaging

Tool: Teams / Outlook / Zoom

Use when: You need group messaging, meetings, or ongoing communications. 

Target audience: All University employees and students.

Start here: Microsoft Teams service page.

🎥 Video hosting & sharing

Tool: Kaltura

Use when: You need to host upload, publish, embed, or share video content.

Target audience: All University employees and students.

Start here: Kaltura video hosting / MediaSpace guide. Contact us for additional guidance.

🧭 Student success initiatives

Tool: Navigate360

Use when: You support student success outreach, appointments, success plans and reporting.

Target audience: Teaching faculty, professional staff who advise students, students.

Start here: Navigate360 user support resources. Contact us for additional guidance.

📝 Student placement exams

Tool: Gradescope

Use when: You facilitate, and grade placement exams for students.

Target audience: Faculty, instructional support, and students.

Start here: Gradescope online assignment resources. Contact us for additional guidance.

🧩 Knowledge base

Tool: Microsoft Loop

Use when: You need flexible, modular content for knowledge sharing, quick-start guides, or evolving training materials that can be collaboratively edited and embedded across Microsoft 365 tools.

Target audience: Faculty, staff, and students collaborating on training and knowledge resources.

Start here: Learn about Microsoft Loop.

📄 Student applications

Tool: IT Resource

Use when: You collect student or employee applications 

Target audience: All University employees and students.

Start here: Submit a general request to IT describing your use case. A resource will be reviewed and explored.

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