This quick-reference guide helps you understand Canvas roles, what each role can access, how enrollment is handled, and where to get help when you need it.
Canvas roles determine what a user can see and do within a course. Use this chart to compare each role’s purpose, available access, and enrollment method.
Canvas Role
What This Role Can Do
Enrollment Method
Teacher
Leads and manages the course with full access to course content, grading, publishing, and approved non-student enrollments. Listed as primary or secondary instructor in Canelink.
✓ CaneLink
Assigned by the department or school scheduler.
Student
Participates in the course by accessing materials, submitting coursework, completing activities, and viewing personal grades.
This includes students who are auditing a class.✓ CaneLink
Enrolled through CaneLink, or academic advisor.
Teaching Assistant (TA) of Record
Provides officially assigned instructional support, including course management, grading, and assistance to students. Listed as a teaching assistant in Canelink, and usually assigned to program managers, graduate assistants and post-doctoral students.
✓ CaneLink
Assigned by the department or school scheduler.
Teaching Assistant (TA)
Provides instructional or administrative support but is not officially assigned as a teaching assistant in CaneLink.
+ Instructor
Enrolled by teacher role in Canvas.
Course Admin
Helps administer the course with near-full access to content, assignments, quizzes, files, publishing, grading, and support-role management. Primarily assigned to instructional designers.
⚙ Learning Platforms Managed by Learning Platforms.
Grader
Supports grading activities by grading assignments and accessing the Canvas Gradebook.
+ Instructor
Enrolled by teacher role in Canvas.
Designer
Creates and organizes course content, including pages, modules, and files. Does not have access to grades.
+ Instructor
Enrolled by teacher role in Canvas.
Observer
Read-only access linked to an individual student. View course activity, grades, and submissions for the associated student. Cannot participate or modify course content. More information found in this guide.
Currently approved only for Athletics Advising staff.⚙ Learning Platforms Managed by Learning Platforms Tier 2 only.
Updates to Canvas rely on data from multiple University systems and may not appear immediately.Expected Timelines
If there is an enrollment discrepancy or a user is missing, check CaneLink first to verify the official record. If changes are required, route the request to the appropriate team below. Quick tip: Canes Central is a key resource for students - start with the resource listed below, and for more help, Canes Central can guide students to the next steps.Enrollment Support: Who to Contact
If the issue is...
Route to...
Key Notes
Academic Advisor
The official CaneLink enrollment record must be corrected by the student's advisor/success team before Canvas can update.
Department or School Scheduler
Official instructional assignments must be updated in CaneLink before Canvas can reflect the change.
Instructor
Students receiving an incomplete should remain in their original course section whenever possible. The ability to access Blackboard courses for incompletes will remain available through December 31, 2026.
Learning Platforms Helpdesk
If your CaneLink change was processed more than 4 hours ago and is not yet reflected in Canvas, please submit a support request.
To access a Canvas course, instructors and students must be officially enrolled through CaneLink. Course enrollments are automatically synchronized with Canvas based on official University records.
Because of this integration, the Learning Platforms team is unable to manually add instructors or students to academic courses connected to CaneLink.
Instructors with a teacher role can currently add or remove users in select Canvas roles, including Teaching Assistant, Course Admin, Grader, and Designer.
Requests submitted to Learning Platforms require instructor authorization, which may delay processing. For faster access, instructors can add approved roles directly in Canvas or submit the request on the user’s behalf.
Canvas Roles, including Teacher, Teaching Assistant, Course Admin, Grader, or Designer, may have access to students’ personal information, including contact information, grades, and other educational records. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects student education records. These roles are responsible for keeping this information confidential and complying with all FERPA requirements, including training in ULearn for employees. Questions or concerns? Contact the Office of the University Registrar at ferpa@miami.edu.
What happens if enrollment information in Canvas and CaneLink does not match? CaneLink is the University’s system of record. If Canvas does not match CaneLink, the enrollment may still be processing or the CaneLink record may not have been updated. Confirm that the correct enrollment appears in CaneLink first. If CaneLink is correct but Canvas has not updated, contact the support team. When will a CaneLink enrollment change appear in Canvas? In most cases, changes made in CaneLink appear in Canvas within 2–3 hours after the enrollment data finishes processing. Recently added, dropped, or switched enrollments may take longer to appear.
Which users can instructors add directly in Canvas? Instructors may add approved non-student roles directly to their Canvas courses, including: Official students, instructors of record, and teaching assistants of record must be assigned through CaneLink. Can instructors add designers, or graders themselves? Yes. Instructors can add approved non-student roles directly in Canvas, including designers, and graders. The access provided to each person is based on the Canvas role selected. How do I remove someone from my course? If the person was added directly to the Canvas course in an instructor-managed role, the instructor should be able to remove the person from the course. If the person’s enrollment is managed through CaneLink, the enrollment must be updated through CaneLink or the applicable official registration process. CaneLink-managed enrollments should not be removed manually in Canvas.
I am a teaching assistant. How do I gain access to a course? The process depends on the type of teaching assistant assignment: Once the instructor’s authorization is confirmed, contact the support team to request access. Who can request access for a teaching assistant? If the teaching assistant is officially assigned to the course, the department or school scheduler should enter the assignment in CaneLink. For a teaching assistant who is not assigned through CaneLink, the course instructor must provide written or verbal authorization before access can be granted.
I am the instructor of record. Why do I not see my course in “My Courses”? First, confirm that you are correctly listed as the instructor in CaneLink. If the instructor assignment does not appear in CaneLink, the course will not appear in Canvas. If the assignment appears correctly in CaneLink but the course is missing from Canvas, the enrollment may still be processing. Recently switched or dropped courses may also remain visible temporarily while the change is processed. Access 'Courses' and 'All Courses' to see the entire list of courses you have access to. If the course still does not appear after the enrollment has processed, contact the support team. What should I do if my course appears in CaneLink but not in Canvas? If the course information is correct in CaneLink, the enrollment data may still be processing. CaneLink changes generally appear in Canvas within 2–3 hours after processing finishes, although recent changes may take longer. If the course still does not appear, contact the support team. What should I do if a student says they are enrolled, but I cannot see them in Canvas? Ask the student to confirm that the course appears correctly in CaneLink. Contact the support team if the CaneLink enrollment is correct and the student continues to be missing from Canvas. Can a dropped or switched course remain visible temporarily in Canvas? Yes. A recently dropped or switched course may remain in Canvas until the CaneLink enrollment change finishes processing.
How are incomplete grades handled? Students with an incomplete must continue completing their work in the original course section. Depending on when the course was offered, the original course may remain in Blackboard. Students with an incomplete should not retake the course in a new section as a replacement for completing the remaining work in the original course. How long does a student have to complete an incomplete? Students have up to one year to complete the remaining coursework. For example, an incomplete issued in Spring 2026 must be completed by Spring 2027. Can course content be copied from Blackboard to Canvas for a student with an incomplete? Students should normally continue working in their original course section. However, students who took Spring or Summer 2026 courses in Blackboard may, in certain cases, be added to a Canvas version of the course in Spring or Summer 2027. Contact Learning Platforms to review the specific situation before creating or granting access to a replacement course. Can someone be enrolled in Blackboard beginning August 17? No. Beginning August 17, regular enrollment in Blackboard is no longer available. Eligible access changes must follow the current approved process. Students completing an incomplete in Blackboard will need assistance from Learning Platforms to receive the appropriate access.
Who should I contact for role changes, missing courses, or exceptions? Contact the support team for assistance with: Does the Learning Platforms Helpdesk process enrollment requests for instructors or students of record? No. The Learning Platforms Helpdesk does not process enrollment requests for instructors or students who should be enrolled through CaneLink, the University’s student information system and system of record. Official instructor, teaching assistant, and student enrollments must be entered or updated through CaneLink by the appropriate department or school representative. Can instructors add students directly to a Canvas course? No. Students must be officially enrolled through CaneLink. If a student should have access to a course, their enrollment must appear in the official registration system. Students may not be added manually to Canvas as a substitute for an official enrollment.
