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Learning Management System

Learning Management System Texas A&M University Learning Management System

Course Management


Digital Learning Environment Reminders

Best Practices for the Semester

As you navigate the semester with Canvas, take a look at these curated videos that address some of the top questions we are receiving through our Service Desk and Office Hours. 

Canvas Third-Party Tools

Several third-party tools are available to use in Canvas at the enterprise and subaccount level by School and College. Stay up to date with all third-party tools in Canvas by browsing our Status page.  

Digital Learning Environment Reminders

Course sections can be merged via ORCA . We have implemented a merge deadline for each semester to limit potential loss of student data. View the Course Availability in Canvas table for the merge deadlines for each semester. 

All About Canvas Shells

Canvas Shells at a Glance

Shell TypeAbbreviationTemplateFile Storage QuotaVisibility DurationStudent EnrollmentsCourse Associate RolesDeliver ContentRequest Process
Practice ShellsPRAC_Yes1 GBTBDNoneNoneNoUpon Request via Support
Eventually via ORCA
Development ShellsDEV_No (by default); can be added upon request1 GBTBDNoneUpon Request via SupportNoUpon Request via Support
Eventually via ORCA
Live Shells
Yes1 GBLast late grading date of each semesterYesAdded via ORCAYesAutomatically Provisioned
Please note that Texas A&M's Canvas storage quota will not be increased per LMS Governance. Additional storage options are available.

Canvas Shell Typology

TAMU Course Definitions 

Course Availability in Canvas

TermAvailable in BannerDate Loaded into CanvasIOR Course Merge DeadlineCourse Start DateCourse End + Available Until*
Spring 2026Available11/10/2025College Station / Galveston:1/7/2026
Qatar: 2/302025
1/12/20265/29/2026
Summer 2025
Available4/7/255/22/255/27/258/22/25
Fall 2025
Available
6/9/25
8/20/25
8/25/25
1/16/2026
*After the Course Available Until date has passed, courses will be removed from the Canvas dashboard for faculty, TAs, and students. Courses will then move to the Past Enrollments section under All Courses as a Read only course, in line with the TAMU System Records and Retention Policy. The dates in the table above are for the main part of term at TAMU; there are unique part of term start dates that are not reflected in the table. Instructors have 4 days prior to the start of classes to combine course sections. To identify the exact date for when the course will be available to students to begin interacting, please refer to the dates located within the Settings of a course in Canvas.

Student Interaction in a Course


When a course is published, the published content is visible to students who are enrolled in the course. However, the course remains in a Read Only state until the first day of the term (set by the part of term start date), at which time students are able to interact with the course content, including posting on Discussions, submitting Assignments, and taking a Quiz. Please note that courses are NOT automatically Published. This needs to be completed by the course instructor.

For a current list of features that can be viewed by instructors and students in the read-only and open states, please view our Course Interactions in Canvas PDF. 




How to Manage the Course Dashboard

All course roles can manage the courses on their dashboard by using the Star feature under All Courses. Watch the Starring Courses in the Canvas Dashboard (1:38) for additional information.  

Grade Submission to Howdy from Canvas


Use the integration in Howdy to import midterm and final grades from Canvas. Instructors of Record should first review their Canvas course and gradebook setup prior to performing the grade submission in Howdy. This process will only be available during the defined grading period window.
Before submitting final grades, ALL grades must be entered in Canvas (including zeros where necessary) to ensure accuracy. The import process for submitting final grades will assume missing grades are zeros and may lower the grade imported in Howdy, potentially causing students to view a lower grade in Howdy than what is displayed in Canvas.  


Final Grades Checklist

 Prior to submitting final grades to Howdy, ensure the following items have been completed: 
  • Ensure gradebook is setup correctly
  • Ensure grading scheme is enabled for the course
  • Enter all grades (including zeros)
  • Post all grades to students that should be included in the Total grade


Interpreting the Grade Report 

  • Description: the grade report feature in ORCA generates a snapshot of your Canvas gradebookat the time of import into Howdyusing theImport Grades to Canvasbutton. It includes the course name, section, student name, and grade snapshot. The report is available in ORCA the day following semester grade submission deadlines and continues throughout the late grading period.
    1. Note: If any changes were made to your Canvas gradebook after the import into Howdy, it will not be captured in this report, potentially resulting in a false grade discrepancy flagging. Additionally, the report does not assume that the grades are incorrectlyreported to Howdy; rather, it indicates that there may be discrepancies.
  • Grade Columns
    1. Current Grade: letter grade from Canvas displayed in the Total column from the student perspective. 
      • Note: the column reflects course grade based on graded, posted (not hidden) assignments.
    2. Unposted Current Grade: letter grade from Canvas displayed in the Total column from the instructor perspective
      • Note: the column matches the Total column located in the Canvas gradebook. This column will only include any entered grades or unposted columns and will not include missing grades. This column is referenced during the midterm grade submission window. 
    3. Unposted Final Grade:letter grade from Canvas referenced when submitting final grades to Howdy
      • Note: the column is used when submitting final grades to Howdy. When importing, any missing grades will count as zeros and any columns that are not posted for students will be included (eyeball with slash).
    4. Banner Current Grade:letter grade in Howdy submitted for Final grades
      • Note: this column includes any manual changes completed in Howdy
    5. Last Grade Import Date Column: this is the date of the last import into Howdy
      • Note: it is possible to import grades into Howdy until the grade submission deadline.
  • Differences between Columns
    1. Current Grade/Unposted Current Grade: this means that at the time of import, the grade displayed to students was different than the grade displayed to the Instructor in the Total column.
    2. Unposted Current Grade/Unposted Final Grade: This means that at the time of import, the grade displayed to the Instructor in the Total column was different than the grade imported into Howdy.

Resolving Potential Grade Discrepancies

  1. Enter and Post Grades verify that there are no blank cells in the Gradebook, ensuring that all grades are entered and posted to be displayed to students and included in their final grade calculation.
  2. Final Check Verify the grade submitted from Canvas to Howdy by exporting the gradebook and comparing the letter grades.
  3. Submit Grade Change: submit through Howdy! More information is available through the Office of the Registrar.

Finalize Grades in Canvas

Submit Grades to Howdy

After the gradebook is finalized in Canvas, is set up correctly and reviewed for accuracy, the Instructor of Record or Grade Submitter roles can submit final grades to Howdy by pulling Midterm or Final grades from Canvas. If the course has multiple sections, this process will have to be completed for every course section, even if the course is merged in Canvas. 

Additional Resources

Resolving Incompletes


There are two methods for resolving an incomplete: outside of the LMS, and inside of the LMS. The instructor and student can determine which method to use. 

Resolving Incompletes Outside of LMS

Course instructors needing to resolve an incomplete have the ability to do so outside of Canvas. Below are suggested strategies and resources depending on the scenario necessitating the “Incomplete.” 

Resolving Incompletes in Canvas

If the Instructor opts to resolve the incomplete in Canvas, Instructors of Record for a course have the ability to request an incomplete section in Canvas through ORCA. For additional information on this process, visit Request Incomplete Sections in ORCA

According to university policy, late sections will conclude on the last day of classes of the following long semester (Fall or Spring). Instructors may request an extension beyond the last day of classes; however, the Academic Dean must approve and submit the extension to the Registrar. If this does not occur, the grade will automatically convert from an Incomplete (I) to an F on the last day of the semester. If your Academic Dean has not submitted approval for the extension to the Registrar, please work with your Academic Dean to ensure this occurs.