The following is a collection of continually updated questions frequently asked by students via support emails. Additional student support links and documentation can be found at Student Resource Links.
Canvas and Course Access
My course starts soon and it doesn’t appear yet in Canvas. Is that normal?
If it is within three days of the start of the semester and you do not see your course available on your Dashboard, you may want to check your All Courses list. Here you can see a list of all of your courses, their published status, and whether they have been starred. Starring even a single course will limit your Dashboard to only show starred courses. If you just recently added the course and it is not on this list, please allow up to 24 hours after registration for the course to appear.
I just enrolled in a new course and do not see it in Canvas yet. How long does it take Canvas to update with new enrollments?
On weekdays, Canvas updates with new enrollments from the registrar feed a couple of times in the morning, early afternoon, and a couple of times in the evening. On weekends, less enrollment syncs will run in the morning. Please allow up to 24 hours after enrollment before reaching out about missing courses.
When do courses for the new semester start appearing on Canvas?
By default, published courses should appear to students in Canvas about half a week before the semester starts. Student enrollments are added to courses in Canvas about a week before the semester starts, so, it is possible for faculty to change the course start date and allow earlier access.
I was just admitted to Cornell and activated my netID, but I cannot access Canvas. It says “Canvas does not have an account for that user”. How can I resolve this?
Student accounts in Canvas are generally generated when a student is term activated in Canvas. This is normally shortly after activation of a netID. If you need access to Canvas and have not yet been activated in Canvas, please reach out to Canvas@Cornell.edu.
Can I access a course I’m not enrolled in?
Most courses in Canvas require enrollment. There are some Canvas sites that do allow for self-enrollment and some that are publicly listed. Take a look at Canvas@Cornell’s publicly indexed courses.
I was waitlisted for a course and now it shows up on Canvas. Does that mean I got into the course?
Students on official waitlists through the registrar will be able to access published Canvas courses once they become available to enrolled students. There is no indicator in Canvas that identifies a student’s role as waitlisted. Please keep up to date with your waitlist status in the Student Center.
How can I access Canvas if my phone is broken and I don’t have access to duo mobile?
Students without access to duo mobile can purchase a two-step login hardware token from the Cornell Store.
Canvas Dashboard
How do I hide old courses on Canvas?
By using the stars available next to course names on your All Courses list, you can favorite which courses to show and hide on your Dashboard.
I can access my Canvas course, but it is not on my Dashboard. How do I make it visible?
By using the stars available next to course names on your All Courses list, you can favorite which courses to show and hide on your Dashboard.
