Becoming a Canvas Admin provides users with access to the admin dashboard in Canvas. This admin dashboard includes a number of administrative tools to help admins support faculty, staff, and students. The primary and most common of these tools is the course search. Below, you will find instructions on how to access the admin dashboard and use it to find and access courses within the appropriate subaccount.
REMEMBER: Admins should be vigilant in ensuring the security and safety of student and course data. Never share your account with others and always make sure that you sign out of Canvas when you are not at your computer or actively using Canvas.
When working within a Canvas site, please make sure that the instructor of the course has provided in-person or written consent before proceeding with tasks within or relating to their Canvas course site. All tasks you complete within a Canvas course site using your admin access should first be authorized by the instructor.
Table of Contents
This article will address the following information:
Accessing the Admin Dashboard
The admin dashboard is the main area where you will find the admin tools related to your admin access. This is where you will be able to search for courses and people in order to support your faculty and students and their Canvas course sites.
Depending on your level of permission, you may also have access to specific subaccount dashboards as well.
Note: Not all Admin Roles have access to all Canvas course tools. If you find that you are not able to see or use a certain tool or feature in a course, you can add yourself to the course with a role of TA or Guest Instructor. Once you are added to the course, you will have access to the same tools and features that an Instructor would have.
- In the left side global navigation bar, click the "Admin" button.
- Click on the appropriate account title. All admins will have access in some capacity to "Canvas@Yale", which is the main Canvas instance. If you have access to a subaccount, they will be listed here as well and are helpful in narrowing your use to a specific school or department. (NOTE: Undergraduate and Graduate level courses will appear in a separate SubAccounts)
Searching for a Course
Once you have gained access to the admin dashboard, you will immediately be taken to the course search page. From here, you can use the search engine across the top to search for a list of courses or a specific course within the subaccount you selected.
If you use very specific words in the search tools, the course you are looking for will open right away.
If your keywords are not as specific, you may be provided a list of courses which match your search terms. Click the title (1) to open the course.
SubAccounts
Subaccounts help organize courses into their appropriate school or department. It is also the level at which the courses exist with Canvas. Courses with cross-listings can be found in the subaccount of their primary cross-listing.
SubAccount Home Page
Your SubAccount homepage will include the following sections (you may have fewer options in each section depending on your level of access in your SubAccount):
- Global Navigation Bar - Accessible from anywhere in Canvas.
- SubAccount Tools - These are advanced level tools. Do not use these unless you have permission and have received training on how to use these tools.
- Course/User Search Results - This shows courses in your SubAccount that meet the criteria of your search.
- Search Tools - Use these filters and search tools to find specific courses and users in your SubAccount. Use the "Term" filter to view courses from a specific term
For more information on the Canvas Admin Dashboard or if you have Canvas Admin questions, please contact [email protected].
Canvas @ Yale Admin Access Process by The Yale Poorvu Center's Educational Technology Team is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
