Canvas: Roles and Permissions

There is a common set of course level user roles and permission profiles available in Canvas. These roles define the levels of access and functionality within a course site. Below is brief overview of roles and their corresponding permissions. Learn more about roles and permissions available in Canvas.

Student: permitted to interact with course materials, submit assignments, and view their own grades. Student permissions are restricted though instructors may also grant other permissions to students.

Teacher: complete course-level admin and editing permissions with control over course settings, instructional design, and management of student assessment data.

Assessment/Viewer: restricted permissions similar to the student role, with the exception of view only access to all course grades. This role is most commonly used with the Academic Integrity Tutorial in Canvas, so that instructors may see the results of the tutorial for the students in their class.

TA: permissions similar to teachers except that a TA does not have have access to SIS (student information system) data. However, the TA role is scoped to support teachers in management  and editing of course materials and includes access to the student grading function. NOTE: For instructors seeking a non-grading TA function, see the Designer role below.

Auxiliary Grader: permissions limited to supporting course grading activities. This role is most commonly used when someone is hired to help with grading in large courses.

Designer: permitted to access and create course content, including announcements, assignments, discussions, and quizzes. Like the TA, the Designer role excludes access to student information system data and course analytics. However, Designers cannot view or edit grades.

Observer: similar to the student role, but restricted to viewing course content and interactions.