Canvas Roles and Permissions

While permissions for each role can be modified at the sub-account level (unit/department), role names are set by Canvas and cannot be altered. As such, instructors receive the role of "Teacher" and Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs) receive the role of "TA" by default. If you wish to add an individual to your course, use the following chart to determine the most appropriate role for them. The permissions most commonly considered when adding an individual to a course are listed first.

Permissions Student Teacher Assistant* Tool Installer (by ITS approval only) TA Grader Participant** Designer Librarian Observer
Analytics- view pages No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No
Announcements- view Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Assignments and quizzes- Add /edit/ delete No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
Conversations- send messages to entire class No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
Conversations- send messages to individual course members Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
Course calendar- add/edit/delete events No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
Course content- add/edit/delete No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
Course files- add/edit/delete No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
Course state- manage No Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No No
Courses- change visibility No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Courses- view usage reports No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No No
Discussions- create Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
Discussions- moderate (Delete/edit other’s discussion posts or lock topics) No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
Discussions- post Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
Discussions- view Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Grades- edit  No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Grades- select final grade for moderation No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No
Grades- view all grades No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No
Grades- view audit trail No No No No No No No No No No
Groups- add/edit/delete No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No No
Groups- View all student groups No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
LTI- add/edit/delete No No No Yes No No No No No No
Add/remove other Teachers, Designers or TAs to course No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
Learning outcomes- add/edit/delete No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
Course Sections (add/import/edit/delete sections) No Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No No
Pages (create/delete/update pages) No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
Outcome Mastery Scales- add/edit No No No No No No No No No No
Outcome Proficiency Calculations- add/edit No No No No No No No No No No
Question banks- view and link No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
SIS data- read No Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No
Student collaborations- create No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
Students' submissions- View/comment on all No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
Users- Add/remove students in courses No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
Users- add/remove teachers, course designers, or TAs in courses No Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No No
Users- generate observer pairing codes for students No No No No No No No No No No
Users- view list Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
Users- view login IDs No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No
Users- view primary email address No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
Web conferences- create Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No

* The Assistant role provides the same permissions/access to a course as a Teacher, but without having the individual's role display in the course as "Teacher." This role might be appropriate for administrative assistants, lab aids, technical support staff, etc.

** The Participant role is primarily intended for non-course sites (i.e., project sites) and is similar to the Member role in CTools.

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Last Updated: 
Friday, March 5, 2021