The settings in WUCRSL impact the permissions/features people have access to in Canvas. The number of permissions/features a person has access to in Canvas is directly related to the WUCRSL role to which she/he/they is assigned. Canvas permission/feature levels are hierarchical (top-down) based on WUCRSL roles. As you might expect, primary instructors have access to more default permissions/features than undergraduate TAs, with AIs falling somewhere in the middle. At the end of this article, you will find a link to a chart of Canvas permissions/features based on each WUCRSL role (with or without gradebook access). Please refer to it if you need additional information.
With regard to high-level Canvas permissions:
The following list is in rank order of people in WUCRSL roles who have the most access to Canvas features to those who have the least access to Canvas features.
1. Primary Instructors get access to the most features in Canvas.
2. AI, TA, Mentor, and Support get access to many but not all of the same features as primary instructors.
3. BB Grader gets access to many but not all of the same features as AI, TA, Mentor, and Support.
4. Undergraduate UGTA gets access to many but not all of the same features as Support People (AI, TA, Mentor, Support, and BB Grader).
5. Undergraduate UG Grader gets access to many but not all of the same features as the UGTA.
Note: Support and Mentor Roles should ONLY be assigned to instructors and staff. Graduate students should NEVER be assigned to these roles. Graduate students should only be assigned to the AI/TA/BB Grader roles when they are not acting as primary instructors.
Canvas Gradebook access is also hierarchical and related to how people are linked in WUCRSL.
There are a few WUCRSL roles that get access to the gradebook by default. For the remaining roles, access to the gradebook is an extra permission controlled by a separate WUCRSL setting.
- Primary Instructors get access to the gradebook by default.
- Access to the gradebook for the AI, TA, Mentor, and Support roles is not automatic. Gradebook access is only granted when the “Access Bb Gradebook” checkbox is checked by a WUCRSL user.
- BB Grader gets access to the gradebook by default (the “Access Bb Gradebook” checkbox is checked automatically by the system). However, this role is missing some of the features the AI/TA gets. It’s always a good idea to double check the Canvas features for this role to ensure that the person assigned to this role gets that access he/she/they needs.
- Access to the gradebook for the UGTA role is not automatic. Gradebook access is only granted when the “Access Bb Gradebook” checkbox is checked by a WUCRSL user.
- UG Grader gets access to the gradebook by default (the “Access Bb Gradebook” checkbox is checked automatically by the system).
The exact permissions/features available to a person in Canvas can be seen in a chart located on the MyCanvas / Common Issues and Concerns page located here: https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/sites.wustl.edu/dist/c/1464/files/2019/09/FINAL-Canvas-LMS-Course-Roles-and-Permissions_for-website_Sept2019_.pdf
You can read more about the other settings you can make in WUCRSL that affect things like grading, WebFAC and course evaluations (Enter EGrades, View WebFAC Grades and Evaluate). These settings have no impact on what a person can do inside Canvas. WUCRSL Roles
Specific questions about how to use Canvas or what certain Canvas permissions mean (i.e. discussions, announcements, quizzes, gradebook, etc.) should be directed to your Canvas School Level Support person or group.