Canvas Manual Enrollment Guidelines
To protect student privacy and ensure compliance with FERPA, any manual enrollment outside of standard automated processes from Banner must be explicitly approved and properly documented. This policy outlines the conditions and responsibilities related to manual course access requests in Canvas at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW).
Instructor Access
Access to Past Academic Courses (Non-active)
Instructors and local administrators cannot enroll new users into a Canvas course after the official course end date. Manual access to a past course may only be granted by a Canvas Administrator for instructional purposes, and only with written approval from the instructor of record or an appropriate academic authority.
Process for Access to Past Academic Courses
Important: This access is strictly for instructional support or course review. It does not authorize the editing of student academic data without prior student consent or proper FERPA training from the Office of the Registrar.
- A written request must be submitted to canvas@uiwtx.edu by or on behalf of the individual needing access. The instructor of record must be included in the communication. The request must include the following:
- Full course identification (course name, term, and URL)
- A clear instructional purpose for the access
- If the instructor of record is unavailable, written approval must come from the dean, associate dean, or department chair.
- Upon written approval, the user is enrolled in the course with a role appropriate to the purpose of their access (e.g., Colleague, Observer).
Access to Active Academic Courses
Currently, during an active term, instructors may manually add users to their course using the Canvas People tool.
Policy Requirements for Access to Active Academic Courses
- Instructors are expected to complete manual enrollments independently using the People menu within the Canvas course.
- Instructors may not add users with a
@student.uiwtx.edu email address to any instructional role (e.g., Teacher, TA).
- If the instructor is unavailable due to leave or emergency, a written request with approval from the dean, associate dean, or department chair must be submitted to canvas@uiwtx.edu before OTLT staff can assist.
- The approving official assumes full responsibility for the access and confirms it is necessary for academic continuity.
Student Access
Access to Academic Courses Outside Banner
Student access policies apply equally to both active and completed courses. By default, users cannot manually enroll students in academic Canvas courses. All official student enrollments are managed through Banner. Manual access may only be granted in limited academic scenarios such as:
- Incomplete coursework
- Grade appeals or resolution
- Department-sanctioned extended access for academic purposes
Process for Student Enrollment Outside Banner
Important: Manual student access may not be used to replace official registration or bypass institutional enrollment procedures through Banner.
- The instructor of record must submit a written request to canvas@uiwtx.edu, copying the dean, associate dean, or department chair.
- The request must include:
- Full course identification (course name, term, and URL)
- A detailed, instructional reason for the access
- A date range for the course extension
- The Canvas Administrator will await written approval from the academic authority included in the request.
- Upon approval, the student will be enrolled in a dedicated section of the course titled OTLT Manual Enrollments, which allows administrative tracking while preserving academic boundaries.
- The instructor is notified and assumes responsibility for any assessments, grading, and support provided to the student.
Institutional Responsibility
These processes and policies ensure that access to course content and student data is:
- Justified by academic or instructional need
- Approved by institutional leadership
- Recorded and auditable
By approving a manual enrollment, the dean, associate dean, or department chair acknowledges responsibility for:
- The purpose and duration of the access
- Any implications for student data exposure
- Ensuring the request aligns with academic and legal policy