FAQs

Instructors can get started by reviewing the Resources page.

Students will be notified by Instructors if their course will be using Canvas.

The goal is for Canvas to be used for all KU courses beginning with spring 2023. Instructors are encouraged to begin using Canvas and migrating canvas as soon as possible.

We began the move to Canvas in spring 2021 even though our Blackboard agreement doesn't expire until 2024. Because migrating their courses from Blackboard to Canvas will take time and effort, we wanted to allow as much time as possible to be respectful of instructors' workload and other priorities.

Especially in 2020 and 2021, instructors faced unprecedented change and increased workload related to transitioning courses to remote and hybrid as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. While we wanted to provide the opportunity for instructors to adopt Canvas as early as the wanted, we didn't want to burden them with additional change until the pandemic subsided.

It is likely that students may have to use both Blackboard and Canvas in different classes during the transition period. While we encourage instructors to move to Canvas as quickly as possible, moving courses to Canvas will take significant time and effort. We have provided a long transition timeline to respect instructor workloads and other priorities.

We understand the added burden for students, but believe they will find Canvas exceptionally easy to navigate and use.

Yes, your content is protected. Instructure (the company that developed Canvas) claims no rights to content you post to Canvas other than what is needed to provide their service to you and the University of Kansas.

Our contract with Instructure was negotiated through Internet2, which provides specific protections to member institutions and is a model of best practice for intellectual property protection in higher education. Our contract says:

"As among Enterprise Customer (University of Kansas), Internet2 and Service Provider (Infrastructure), all rights, including all Proprietary Rights, in and to Enterprise Customer Data shall remain the exclusive property of Enterprise Customer. The Agreement does not give Service Provider or Internet2 any rights, implied or otherwise, to any data, content, or intellectual property of Enterprise Customer, except as may be expressly stated in the Agreement or the I2 Service Provider Business Agreement. The Agreement does not give Enterprise Customer any rights, implied or otherwise, to any data, content, or intellectual property of Internet2, except as may be expressly stated in the Agreement or the I2 Service Provider Business Agreement."