As a Division of Extended Studies (DES) instructor who uses Canvas, you have several urgent action items to complete so that your course begins with everything in working and expected order.
Important Changes to Course Information Access
As Extended Studies transitions into TSS, information like student names and emails cannot be accessed through InstructorLink, which is being phased out.
However, the Canvas Course Analytics tool provides student names and email addresses so you can see your roster and email your students before the quarter starts.
Instructors who do not teach using Canvas should reach out to their program managers for help obtaining an email list.
➡️ Read this entire article for more information on pre-quarter Canvas setup and reaching out to your students before your start date.
Article Contents
Part 1: Course Import Process and Post-Import Action
⚠️ Take these specific actions after your course is imported:
Part 2. Canvas Course Readiness Checklist
1. Check Calendar Events and Zoom Calendar Events
2. Upload Current Syllabus (Official Template Use Required)
3. Review Home Page and Syllabus Page
4. Check Assignments and Modules Settings
5. Review and Revise Announcements
6. Review 3-Part Grading System
8. Validate Course and External Links
Part 3. Review your course using Student View
Part 4. Contact your students before the start date
Part 5. What instructors should know about Academic Integrity
Whether you are a returning instructor with an existing course or a new instructor with a new course, you must complete all action items indicated below at least two weeks before your course starts.
Part 1: Course Import Process and Post-Import Action
Note on Course Imports
- If you are teaching a new section of an existing course, your previous section is copied into the new quarter's section approximately 3 weeks before the start date.
- If you need a different section copied or have any other course import needs, please submit a help request from Canvas via the Help icon right away.
- If you have made edits to your previous course offering after we copied your new course offering, you now have the ability to copy that content from your previous course to another course or instructor. When content is imported from one course to another, you may see duplicate Assignment Groups which do not contain any assignments. You can delete these empty Assignment Groups.
- If you have a new course with no previous content being copied, you may skip to Part 2.
⚠️ Take these specific actions after your course is imported:
- Verify that the course copied completely. If content is missing or if there are other issues with the imported course, please submit a help request from Canvas via the Help icon right away. This is extremely uncommon, but something our team wants to know about if it happens.
- Remove any unused assignments or other items from modules by unpublishing and removing them. You can also delete unused/unneeded assignments, discussions, pages etc. through the related course navigation link. Publish content you want students to access.
- Ensure assignment due dates and module "lock until" dates align with your course's dates.
- Configure your course navigation links to include Zoom, if required.
- If you are using a 3rd party integration, you should make sure it is set up and integrated properly.
Part 2. Canvas Course Readiness Checklist
All instructors who use Canvas to support their instruction must complete the following checklist before their courses begin.
Review all indicated areas (1-10) below and make any changes to ensure content and settings are accurate and valid for the upcoming quarter. Use Student View to perform a final readiness check.
Instructors are responsible for ensuring their courses are configured and ready for the start date.
Once you have reviewed your settings, you should reach out to your students about 1 week before the course starts. See "Contact your students before the start date" (Part 4 of this article).
1. Check Calendar Events and Zoom Calendar Events
Remove any old calendar events or Zoom meeting events from your calendar. For the time being, calendar items from the previous term will be copied into the next term, creating duplicate meeting events with outdated meeting links in your calendar. Our system is currently unable to delete these events for you. Thank you for your understanding.
Delete any meetings scheduled under the course's previous number to ensure only the current course's items are visible.
2. Upload Current Syllabus (Official Template Use Required)
Instructors must make a new syllabus for every quarter of instruction using the official Extended Studies syllabus template. Instructors should upload a PDF of the syllabus to their Syllabus page in Canvas.
For courses starting Fall 2026, please use the latest syllabus template (linked below this callout). This new template reflects TSS links, language, and information, so it is important that you update your syllabi immediately.
- Visit Syllabus Template (requires Canvas login) to download the docx template to fill out with your course's information. Reach out to your program manager with any questions.
How to Edit the outdated MyExtension syllabus template
We strongly recommend downloading the new template and filling it out so that you can be sure your document is correct. However, you may edit your outdated syllabus. If you choose to edit and outdated template rather than complete the correct template, please follow the steps below.
- Replace the old information table at the top of the syllabus with this new one below.
| Course Title: | Title |
| Course Number: | Course # - can be found online or ask your program manager |
| Course Type: | Choose one: Online/Live Online via Zoom/In-Class/Hybrid/Other: Specify |
| Event ID: | Event ID for Canvas Course |
| Instructor Name: | Name |
| Quarter, Year: | Quarter (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall), Year |
| Course Dates: |
Start Date – End Date If meeting in-class or live online, include the number of meetings, location (if in-class) the day you meet, and the start time and duration of the meeting. |
- In the Grading Polices area, look below the grading scheme table and locate the word "MyExtension" and replace it with "TSS".
- In the UC San Diego Extended Studies Policies and Resources area, remove the MyExtension heading and paragraph and replace it with the TSS-aligned content below:
Your student portal—Triton Student System (TSS)
TSS is your portal for managing your UC San Diego Extended Studies account. Log into TSS to enroll in a course, drop a course, request verification of enrollment, request official transcripts and more. Visit Triton Student System for more information.
Student Services Digital Request Form
Submitting Student Services requests is now faster and easier than ever with our consolidated Student Services Digital Request Form.
3. Review Home Page and Syllabus Page
Make sure that your home page has a custom welcome message and that no information from the previous quarter is displayed.
- Upload and embed a PDF of your course syllabus to the syllabus page per the dean's syllabus compliance mandate.
4. Check Assignments and Modules Settings
Check that your assignment due dates and module lock until dates (if applicable) have been shifted to match your upcoming instructional term dates. If some due or lock until dates are off, please adjust them manually. Make sure that any references to past quarters are removed or altered for the upcoming quarter. Make sure your assignments are set according to your needs (e.g., unlimited or limited attempts, time limit, Turnitin integration, etc.).
- Read How to adjust due dates and availability dates in Canvas
- Visit the Assignments Central Hub for all assignment articles.
5. Review and Revise Announcements
Check that your announcements are set to go out on the right dates. Delete any one-offs from the previous quarter. Due to limitations in the copy process, you may wish to recreate your announcements each quarter. Edit or draft new announcements for the upcoming quarter to avoid confusion about past dates, etc.
- Visit Announcements Hub
6. Review 3-Part Grading System
Your grades in Canvas are calculated based on both your assignment group weights and your grading scheme. Your gradebook requires manual setup to apply grading automations for missing or late assignments and other gradebook view configurations.
⚠️ Attend to all three grade-related areas of your Canvas course (see box below) to ensure calculations are accurate and your grade view is clear.
Configure Your GradebookReview your Gradebook and use the tabs and settings to customize your gradebook to do things like automatically award a score of 0 to late or missing assignments or hid unpublished assignments from your view. Review and Configure Assignment Groups & WeightsClick the Assignments link to ensure that your assignment groups match those in your syllabus and that the weighted grading percentages are also applied to the assignment groups. Verify and Apply A Grading SchemeClick the Settings link in your course to make sure you are using the grading scheme that matches your syllabus. |
7. Setup Course Navigation
Click the Navigation tab in the Settings area to make sure your course navigation links are properly configured (e.g., add the Zoom link).
-
Read How to Edit Canvas Course Navigation Menu
- We recommend using the modules as your primary navigation and only publishing the modules link.
8. Validate Course and External Links
Make sure links in your course still work by running the Link Validator tool and addressing any broken links.
If you have links to MyExtension in your course, please delete them. The link to MyExtension is commonly on the home page of older versions of the course template decorated with UCSD buildings and sculptures.
9. Accessibility
Click the Accessibility link and run a scan to identify and remediate accessibility issues related to heading use and order, paragraph styling, image alts/decorative images, and text contrast/readability.
- Read How do I use the Accessibility Checker in Canvas?
- While you are building individual pages, you can address accessibility issues with on-screen tools.
- Read Meeting Accessibility Requirements in your Canvas Course (Instructors)
- If you have any questions about how to remediate accessibility issues in your course, you may reach out to Instructor Excellence (ext-instructorexcellence@ucsd.edu) for advice.
10. Zoom/Canvas Integration
For live online courses or instructors who will use their UCSD Zoom Pro accounts for office hours or hybrid meetings, make sure your Zoom Pro account is active and properly configured in your Canvas course.
- Read Teaching Live Online? Important Zoom Settings and Verify your Zoom Pro account is active
- Make sure that you schedule meetings without passcodes or authentication. You may enable automatic cloud recording of meetings, too.
⚠️ To configure your Zoom account so that meetings don't require authentication, passwords, or that recorded sessions don't have passcodes or restrictions, please read Advanced Zoom Settings for Live Online Instructors.
Part 3. Review your course using Student View
Done checking your settings? Want to make sure things are working as expected?
Using the Student View feature in Canvas, you can see exactly how your course will appear to your students, which can be helpful for troubleshooting problems and making adjustments. Instructors are strongly encouraged to give their courses a brief review via Student View at least a week before instruction begins.
You can enter Student View from any Canvas Page, Assignment, Discussion, or Quiz.
To review your course effectively, start with your homepage and syllabus page, then go to your course overview module, and then your week 1 module. Ensure everything appears as you intend it to. Make any adjustments you need to before students have access.
Part 4. Contact your students before the start date
You can email your students using your UCSD email account one week before the quarter starts, welcoming them to the course and providing them with crucial information for getting started.
InstructorLink is being phased out, and you will no longer be able to email or obtain an email roster via InstructorLink. You can now use Canvas Course Analytics to generate an email list.
Email lists in Canvas will be available after September 8th, 2026.
- Read Contacting Students Before the Course Start Date (Instructors) for more information about getting an email list and sending a pre-start email (including a template email).
- ⚠️ If you do not teach using Canvas, please reach out to your program manager for a course roster.
Part 5. What instructors should know about Academic Integrity
Instructors and program managers may now submit academic integrity and student conduct cases using the designated email address: unex-conductai@ucsd.edu. This address is actively monitored Monday through Friday by DES Student Affairs staff.
- To initiate a case, please complete the Kuali submission form available at dessubmit.ucsd.edu by clicking "Submit Academic Integrity/Student Conduct Allegation." Once submitted, the completed form is automatically routed to unex-conductai@ucsd.edu for processing. For help, read How to prepare a Submission Form for an Academic Integrity Incident.
- Questions about the form or the academic integrity and student conduct process may also be directed to unex-conductai@ucsd.edu. All inquiries and submissions are tracked and reviewed daily to ensure timely follow-up and case management.