Types of Canvas Sites

Canvas for Every Use Case

Canvas supports many use cases for the University and provides different configurations and tools based on the kind of learning, work, or project that is seeking to use Canvas as its home. From academic course sites to non-degree programs to faculty resource sites—Canvas is a versatile platform. 

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Academic Course Sites

All credit-bearing courses that leverage Banner for registration and enrollment have a Canvas course site created automatically. Academic Canvas course sites are the primary way that Canvas @ Yale is used to support teaching and learning. 

Request: No request necessary

Enrollment: Automatic enrollment through Banner; manual enrollment

Instructional Tools: All tools integrated with Canvas are available to Academic Canvas course sites

Terms: Spring, Summer, Summer A, Summer B, Fall

Expanded Course Description: FAS courses (and some professional schools) leverage the Expanded Course Description that is added automatically to these course sites upon creation

Cross-listed course sites are Canvas academic course sites that represent courses which have been officially cross-listed in Banner. A cross-listed course site will represent two or more different courses in banner as one Canvas course. 

Request: Official cross-listings must be requested through department / school registrar

Enrollment: Automatic enrollment through Banner; manual enrollment

Instructional Tools: All tools integrated with Canvas are available to Academic Canvas cross-listed sites

Terms: Spring, Summer, Summer A, Summer B, Fall

Expanded Course Description: FAS courses (and some professional schools) leverage the Expanded Course Description that is added automatically to these course sits upon creation; professional school courses cross-listed with a Yale College or GSAS course will always have the Expanded Course Description added initially

Canvas Umbrella sites are typically used by multi-section courses to enable a course director to provide information for all sections in one Canvas course site. Instructors for the sections have the option of posting documents and announcements for their own Canvas course sections still, but can maintain a single Canvas course site if they prefer. 

Umbrella sites are not the same as official cross-listed courses. If a course needs to be officially cross-listed, please contact your registrar to have your course information updated to identify your specific courses as being cross-listed.

Request: Canvas umbrella sites must be requested for courses each semester by the course instructor, department / school register, or academic support staff

Enrollment: Automatic enrollment through Banner; manual enrollment

Instructional Tools: All tools integrated with Canvas are available to Academic Canvas umbrella sites

Terms: Spring, Summer, Summer A, Summer B, Fall

Expanded Course Description: FAS Courses (and some professional schools) leverage the Expanded Course Description that is added automatically to these course sites upon creation

A course site dedicated to a non-degree program or certificate aligned with a department or school at Yale that is leveraging Canvas to facilitate teaching and learning. 

Request: Email askpoorvucenter@yale.edu

Enrollment: Manual; the facilitators are responsible for managing all enrollments in their site

Instructional Tools: See table in the Project Site section below.

Terms: Spring, Summer, Summer A, Summer B, Fall, FY (Fiscal Year | July-June)

Official Cross-Listing Vs. Canvas Umbrella Site

Effect Official Course Cross-List Umbrella Site: Section-Merged Umbrella Site: Section-Retained
Combines sections for different courses together
Example: SPAN 267 01; LAST 267 01; LITR 258 01; etc…
YES NO NO
Combines multiple sections for a single course
Example: SPAN 110 01; SPAN 110 02; SPAN 03; etc…
NO YES UES

Canvas Impact

Creates one combined Canvas site only YES YES NO
Creates one combined Canvas site PLUS retaining individual section sites NO NO YES
In combined site, the instructor can see which course/section the student registered for NO YES YES

Other Yale System Impacts

Combines Courses/Sections in Course Evaluation System YES NO NO
Combines Courses/Sections in Faculty Grading System YES NO NO
Links Courses/Sections in Yale Course Search YES NO NO

How to Request

Contact Information Contact Departmental / School Registrar Submit Umbrella Site Request

Canvas Umbrella Site Types

  1. Section-retained Umbrella site: A new course site is created which has all the enrollments from the individual sections. The individual section course sites remain intact.
  2. Section-merged Umbrella site: Individual course sections are collapsed into one course site. Differentiation of sections for sharing files is not possible.

Canvas Umbrella Site

Request a Canvas umbrella site to create a combined course site to better manage your course rosters and materials in Canvas.

Umbrella Site Request

Sandbox Sites

A site you can request for a Spring, Summer, or Fall course to begin preparing your course materials and design if the official course site has not been created for that term yet.  Sandbox sites can be copied into the official Canvas course site once it is created.

Request: Submit the Sandbox Course Request

Enrollment: Manual; students cannot be enrolled within a Sandbox course site

Instructional Tools: All native Canvas tools; Media Library, Zoom

Terms: Indefinite

Limit: One per course per semester

A personal sandbox course site instructors or academic support staff can use to experiment with Canvas tools and features.

Request: Submit the Sandbox Course Request

Enrollment: Manual; students cannot be enrolled within a Sandbox course site

Instructional Tools: All native Canvas tools; Media Library, Zoom

Terms: Indefinite

Limit: One per user

Canvas Sandbox

Request a Canvas early course or personal sandbox to begin testing, building and designing in Canvas.

Sandbox Course Request

Project Sites

A Canvas course site used to facilitate use cases outside the standard academic course site use.

Request: Submit the Project Site Request; must be renewed every year; honored on a case by case basis

Enrollment: Manual; the requester and/or project site facilitators are responsible for managing all enrollments in their site

Instructional Tools: See table below

Terms: Spring, Summer, Summer A, Summer B, Fall, FY (Fiscal Year | July-June)

Request a Project Site

Project Site Request

Alternatives to Canvas @ Yale

Canvas Alternatives

Project Site Terms & Conditions

If your needs align with the terms and conditions listed below, please fill out the Project Site Request form to begin the process of acquiring a non-academic Canvas course.

Requests

  • Requests must come from a Yale Faculty or Staff member
  • Will be honored on a case by case basis
  • Are not for student-led groups or organizations
  • May require a consultation with a member of the Poorvu Educational Technology team

Enrollments

  • Enrolling non-Yale users are subject to licensing fees
  • Enrollments must not exceed 250 users
  • The requester and/or site facilitators are responsible for managing all enrollments in their site

Site Access & Management

  • Canvas sites cannot be made publicly available
  • Sites expire at the end of the term or fiscal year they were created.
  • Canvas sites must not contain high risk data anywhere within the site

Available Tools & Functions

Canvas @ Yale licenses and integrates a number of Instructional Tools to make available for credit-bearing, Academic Canvas courses. Not all licensed instructional tools are available for project sites and non-degree Canvas course sites. Please reference the table below for a full list of tools available for use in Non-Academic Canvas course sites.

Available in Project / Non-Degree Sites Not Available in Project / Non-Degree Sites *

Core Canvas Tools:

  • Announcements
  • Assignments
  • Chat
  • Discussions
  • Files (1.5 GB of storage)
  • Modules
  • Pages
  • Quizzes (Class & New)
  • Rubrics
  • Syllabus
Feedback & Accessibility Barriers Tool
Email List Mid-Semester Feedback
Post’Em Photo Roster
Panorama External App: Ed Discussion
Gradescope External Tool: FeedbackFruits
Media Library (Panopto) External App: LabArchives
Perusall External App: Respondus LockDown Browser
Poll Everywhere External App: Turnitin
Qualtrics LTI External App: VoiceThread
Zoom

* Project and non-degree course sites can potentially have access to other external applications, contingent upon changes to our vendor agreements and potentially additional costs to the project / non-degree course site requester.

Renewing an Approved Project Site

If your Project site has expired and you need a new site, please complete the Project Site Request form and select the option to renew.

Prior to receiving your newly renewed site, you may be asked to complete a consultation with the Educational Technology team that manages Canvas @ Yale so that they can update you on new tools and features, as well as ensure that your Canvas site is meeting your needs.

Renewals are subject to re-evaluation of if the use of Canvas is still the appropriate tool / place for a project.