Overview
When a student is approved for an Incomplete, they need a way to keep working in your Canvas course after the term has ended and after the course itself has closed for everyone else. Canvas allows you to give one student their own access window and their own assignment due dates without changing anything for the rest of the class.
The steps below cover both parts of that setup: opening the course to the student past its normal end date, and opening the assignments they still need to submit.
Confirm the Incomplete has been approved
Before making any changes in Canvas, confirm that the Incomplete has been submitted and approved through the Registrar's Office, along with the agreed completion date. This date is what you will use to set the student's extended access below.
Move the student into a section of their own
By default, every student in the course shares the same section and the same start and end dates. Both the course dates and the section dates control access, so both need to be checked. To let one student in without affecting anyone else, create a section just for them and set that section's own dates:
- 1 Open the course, go to Settings, and check the course's own Participation dates on the Course Details tab. If the course itself cuts off access after its end date, adjust it so students are not blocked before the section date takes effect (see Canvas: How do I change the start and end dates for a course?)
- 2 Select the Sections tab (see Canvas: How do I add a section to a course?)
- 3 Create a new section and give it a name that references the Incomplete, for example Incomplete: Student Name
- 4 Go to People and find the student
- 5 Select the three dot menu next to their name and choose Edit Sections
- 6 Add the student to the new Incomplete section and remove them from their original section
- 7 Return to Settings > Sections and open the new Incomplete section
- 8 Set a start date if needed and an end date that matches the agreed completion date, then select Update Section
Once both the course dates and the section dates allow it, the student can view and access the course through their new section's end date. Every other student stays in their original section with the original dates.
Open the outstanding assignments for that student
Extending course access does not reopen individual assignments on its own. For each assignment the student still needs to complete, assign that student their own due and availability dates:
- 1 Open the assignment and select Edit
- 2 Scroll to the Assign section
- 3 Select Add to create a new assignment card
- 4 In Assign to, remove Everyone and add only the student who has the Incomplete
- 5 Set a due date and an until date that fall within their approved completion window, then select Save
Repeat this for every assignment, quiz, or discussion the student still needs to submit. The original due dates for the rest of the class stay exactly as they were.
Submit the final grade once the work is complete
Once the student turns in the remaining work and you have entered a final grade, submit the grade change through the Registrar's Office by the agreed completion date. Canvas access does not need to be removed afterward. It will close on its own once the date you set in step two has passed.
Questions or need help?
Please feel free to contact BarryU Online and Digital Learning for assistance setting up a course for an Incomplete.