Missing Courses in Canvas

If you can't see your courses in Canvas, this is usually caused by one of three things: your course hasn't been published, your enrollment isn't active, or semester access dates are in effect.

Quick Diagnosis: What Type of Course Are You Looking For?

Current Semester Course (should be active now)

Step 1: Confirm Your Enrollment

Canvas only shows courses you're officially enrolled in through Banner, UIW's registration system.

To check your enrollment:

Log in to Cardinal Apps
Open BannerWeb Self-Service
Go to Student Services > Registration > View Registration Information

If your course isn't listed, it won't appear in Canvas. Learn more about registration at UIW.

Step 2: Check if the Course is Published

Even if you're enrolled, instructors must manually publish courses for students to access them.

To check:

Log in to Cardinal Apps
Open Canvas LMS
Select Courses in the left menu
Click All Courses

Look for your course in the list:

Published: No - The course exists but isn't available yet. Contact your instructor
Published: Yes - If it's under Past or Future Enrollments, access may be restricted by date. Contact your instructor for access details

All Courses list showing course visibility and publishing status

Still Missing?

If you recently registered, allow 2–3 hours for the Banner-to-Canvas sync. Still missing? Submit a Help Desk ticket for investigation.

Future Semester Course (hasn't started yet)

Courses are typically unavailable in Canvas until the official semester start date, unless your instructor opens them early.

First-time UIW students: Access to Canvas via Cardinal Apps may not be available until 60 days before the start of the term.

If the semester should have started and you still can't see your course, follow the steps for Current Semester Courses above.

Past Semester Course (already ended)

Past courses appear in the All Courses list under Past Enrollments:

Log in to Cardinal Apps
Open Canvas LMS
Select Courses in the left menu
Click All Courses
Look under Past Enrollments

If a past course has "disappeared," the instructor may have unpublished it or changed access settings.

How to Contact Your Instructor

Find Instructor Contact Information

BannerWeb Self-Service

Your registration listing may include instructor info. If no email is listed, search their name on uiw.edu.

Outlook Directory

Log in to Cardinal Apps
Open Outlook
Click New Mail
In the "To" field, type the name and select Search Directory

Help Desk Support

If you're enrolled but still can't find the instructor's info, email helpdesk@uiwtx.edu. Mention your course and the steps you've already taken.