​​​​​The table below lists the Course Teaching and Learning roles that are available at Texas A&M. These roles are managed and updated through feeds provided by Compass daily. The Teacher role is identified as the Instructor of Record for a course, while the Alternate Teacher is enrolled via Compass by a department scheduler as the Additional Instructor. Students are enrolled in a course through Howdy. For additional guidance on enrolling Course Teaching and Learning roles or identifying your Department Scheduler, email scheduling@tamu.edu. 

LMS Course Role Code	Definition	Banner Table	Description in Banner
Teacher	Instructor for an academic course.	Instructor enrolled from SSASECT with primary indicator checked.
Alternate Teacher	Secondary instructor for a course and enrolled in a section as indicated from Compass.	Instructor enrolled from SSASECT with primary indicator not checked.	LMS Alternate Teacher
Student	Individual student for an academic course and enrolled in a section.	Enrolled from SFRSTCR.
***Special Note: Course roles are derived from SSBSECT, SFRSTCR, and SWASECT forms in the SIS or through ORCA. An individual may only be assigned to one course role per course. Students enrolled in the course may not be assigned any other course role other than the Student role.

Assigning Teaching and Learning Roles To be assigned as instructor of record (IOR) or as an additional instructor the departmental scheduler will add the access on either SSASECT or SWASECT in Compass as follows: Instructor of Record (IOR) – Added on SSASECT and has the primary indicator checked, can only have one per section/course. Additional Instructors – added on SSASECT and do not have the primary indicator checked, can have multiple

Permissions

The table below illustrates the permissions provided by Canvas that determine how a Course Teaching and Learner role can interact with course content, features, and tools.  

Permissions	Teacher	Alternate Teacher	Student
Analytics - view pages	X	X
Announcements - view	X	X	X
Assignments and Quizzes - add / edit / delete	X	X
Canvas Insights (Beta) - View	X	X
Conversations - send messages to entire class	X	X
Conversations - send messages to individual course members	X	X
Course Calendar - add / edit / delete events	X	X
Course Content - add / edit / delete	X	X
Course Files - add / edit / delete	X	X
Course State - manage	X	X
Courses - change visibility
Courses - view usage reports	X	X
Discussions - create	X	X	X
Discussions - moderate	X	X
Discussions - post	X	X	X
Discussions - view	X	X	X
Grades - edit	X	X
Grades - select final grade for moderation	X	X
Grades - view all grades	X	X
Grades - view audit trail	X	X
Groups - add / edit / delete	X	X
Groups - view all student groups	X	X	X
Learning Outcomes - add / edit / delete	X	X
Learning Outcomes - import	X	X
Manage Pages - add / edit / delete	X	X
Question banks - view and link	X	X
Rubrics - add / edit / delete	X	X
Users - view list	X	X	X
Users - view login IDs	X	X
Users - view primary email address	X	X

The table below lists the Course Associate roles that are available at Texas A&M that are assigned via Department Scheduler. If the Course Associate role can be added via the ORCA website, it is noted under the Banner Table column below. These roles are required to complete training prior to obtaining access to the courses they are assigned to in Canvas. Additional information on how to enroll course associate roles and the training requirements are listed below.  

LMS Course Role Code	Definition	Banner Table	Description in Banner
Course Designer	Individual that provides specific course design, accessibility requirements, navigation, and creation of digital content (audio & video files) for a course within the Learning Management System (LMS).	Enrolled from SWASECT - AC_CD and/or ORCA.	LMS Course Designer
Grader	Individual that provides grading for all course assignments, assessments, and other projects within the course.	Enrolled from SWASECT - AC_LG and/or ORCA.	LMS Grader
Grade Submitter	Individual that can submit final academic course grades from the LMS to the SIS.	Enrolled from SWASECT - AC_GR.	Final Grade Submissions
Learning Assistant	Individual that can support students with permissions limited to course communication and viewing content (e.g., Supplemental Instruction).	ORCA (Banner currently under review by Office of Registrar).	TBD
Librarian	Individual in a course that manages library resources.  Role must be assigned by Department Schedulers.	Enrolled from SWASECT.	AC_LB – LMS Librarian
Lead Teaching Assistant	Individual acting as Lead TA responsible for managing groups of TAs across courses and sections.	Enrolled from SWASECT - AC_LT and/or ORCA.	MS Lead Teaching Assistant
Teaching Assistant	Individual acting as a teaching assistant working with the teacher within a course and responsible for content, features, tools, and/or grades.	Enrolled from SWASECT - AC_TA and/or ORCA.	LMS Lead Teaching Assistant
***Special Note: Course roles are derived from SSBSECT, SFRSTCR, and SWASECT forms in the SIS or through ORCA. An individual may only be assigned to one course role per course.

 
Explore how to add Course Associate roles through ORCA and ensure that they have completed their required trainings

Permissions

The table below illustrates the permissions provided by Canvas that determine how a Course Associate role can interact with course content, features, and tools.

Permissions	Course Designer	Grader	Grades Submitter	Learning Assistant	Librarian	Lead Teaching Assistant	Teaching Assistant
Analytics - view pages						X	X
Announcements - view	X			X	X	X	X
Assignments and Quizzes - add / edit / delete	X				X	X	X
Canvas Insights (Beta) - View						X
Conversations - send messages to entire class	X			X	X	X	X
Conversations - send messages to individual course members	X			X	X	X	X
Course Calendar - add / edit / delete events	X				X	X	X
Course Content - add / edit / delete	X			X	X	X	X
Course Files - add / edit / delete	X				X	X	X
Course State - manage						X	X
Courses - change visibility	X
Courses - view usage reports	X				X	X	X
Discussions - create	X			X	X	X	X
Discussions - moderate	X				X	X	X
Discussions - post	X			X	X	X	X
Discussions - view	X	X		X	X	X	X
Grades - edit		X	X			X	X
Grades - select final grade for moderation			X			X	X
Grades - view all grades		X	X			X	X
Grades - view audit trail
Groups - add / edit / delete	X				X	X	X
Groups - view all student groups	X	X		X	X	X	X
Learning Outcomes - add / edit / delete	X				X	X
Learning Outcomes - import	X				X	X
Manage Pages - add / edit / delete	X	X			X	X	X
Question banks - view and link	X				X	X	X
Rubrics - add / edit / delete	X				X	X	X
Student Collaborations - create					X
Users - view list	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Users - view login IDs		X	X			X	X
Users - view primary email address				X		X	X
Web Conferences - create	X				X

The table below lists the Course Observer-Type roles that are available at Texas A&M that are assigned via Department Schedulers. For additional guidance on enrolling Course Observer-Type roles or identifying a Department Scheduler, faculty can seek assistance from their department or their Dean’s office. Each department has a departmental scheduler and if they are not familiar with who that may be, they can ask their Dean’s office.

LMS Course Role Code	Definition	Banner Table	Description in Banner
Faculty Peer Evaluator	Individual enrolled to observer course instructor for tenure or promotion, or for a quality assurance program to evaluate online course quality. Role must be assigned by Department Schedulers.	Enrolled from SWASECT.	AC_PE – LMS Peer Evaluation
Student Peer Mentor	Individuals enrolled into a course by the Academic Success Center to act as Peer Mentors associated with students in a course. Role must be assigned by Department Schedulers.	Enrolled from SWASECT.	AC_SM – LMS Student Mentor
Transcriber	Individual enrolled into a course to assist disabled students that have filed for an accommodation through the Department of Disability Resources. Role must be assigned by Department Schedulers.	Enrolled from SWASECT.	AC_TS – LMS Transcriber
Visiting Student	Student enrolled into a current-semester course to observe current content, course structure, and third-party tools. Use of this role should align with Student Rule 2.1. Role must be assigned by Department Schedulers.	Enrolled from SWASECT.	AC_VS – LMS Visiting Student
Learning Assistant	Individual acting as a teaching assistant working with the teacher within a course and responsible for content, features, tools, and/or grades.	Enrolled from SWASECT - AC_LA and/or ORCA Enrolled from SWASECT.	AC_VS – LMS Learning Assisant
***Special Note: Course roles are derived from SSBSECT, SFRSTCR, and SWASECT forms in the SIS or through ORCA. An individual may only be assigned to one course role per course. Students enrolled in the course may not be assigned any other course role other than the Student role.

Permissions Course Observer Roles

The table below illustrates the permissions provided by Canvas that determine how a Course Observer role can interact with course content, features, and tools. 

Permissions	Faculty Peer Evaluator	Student Peer Mentor	Transcriber	Visiting Student
Announcements - view	X	X	X	X
Conversations - send messages to individual course members		X
Course Calendar - add / edit / delete events		X
Discussions - post		X
Discussions - view	X	X	X	X
Groups - view all student groups				X
Users - view list				X
Users - view primary email address				X

The Student Observer role at TAMU allows for the ability to pair a Student Observer with an assigned student in a course in Canvas. The Student Observer role will have read-only access to courses, meaning they cannot change or edit any course content, submit work, or complete quizzes and exams. Student Observers are restricted from viewing data for other students enrolled in the class except in grouped assignments, peer reviews, and third-party tools.

Student Observers are visible to teachers in Canvas. They will appear in the People section of a course in Canvas and list their paired students. If there are no students participating in programs that required Student Observers to be enrolled in your course(s), no Student Observers will be added.

LMS User Role Code	Definition
Student Observer	Individual enrolled to observe assigned students

Permissions

The table below illustrates the permissions provided by Canvas that determine how a Student Observer role can interact with course content, features, and tools. The X in a cell indicates permissions the Student Observer role has in a course. If the cell is blank, then the Student Observer role does not have the respective permission.  

Permissions	Student Observer
Announcements  - view	X
Assignments and Quizzes - add / edit / delete
Assignment  Submissions - view	X This includes Group assignment submissions
Assignment  Submissions - submit
Collaborations - create
Course Content - view	X
Course Content - add / edit / delete
Course Files - add / edit / delete
Discussions - view	X
Discussions - create / post / modify
Discussions - reply
Grades - view	X Only grades of the assigned student
Grades - edit / add / edit / delete
Inbox - view	X Only messages sent to Student Observer; no ability to view direct messages sent to assigned student.
Inbox - reply
Modules - view	X
Modules - edit / duplicate
Pages - view	X
Pages - add / edit / delete
People - view
Peer Reviews - view	X
Course Available on User Dashboard	X

Enterprise Third-Party Tools

The table below illustrates the enterprise level tools that a Student Observer role will have access to in a course. The X in a cell indicates tools the Student Observer role has access to in a course. If the cell is blank, then the Student Observer role does not have access to the tool.  

Tool	Student Observer
Google Assignments
Gradescope	X Accessed as themselves in a Student role; can submit assignments on their own behalf, not the student's.
Mediasite	X Accessed as themselves in a Student role; can submit assignments on their own behalf, not the student's.
Office 365
Peerceptiv	X Accessed as themselves in a Student role; can submit assignments on their own behalf, not the student's. Ability to view other student submissions as part of the peer review process.
Perusall	X Accessed as themselves in a Student role; can submit assignments on their own behalf Ability to view other student interaction.
Zoom	X Can watch linked Zoom recordings.

Student Observer Role Opt In Process

The Student Observer Role Opt In Process can be accessed through ORCA. This process will allow Instructors of Record that are assigned to teach course sections with students that require an individual to be assigned to observe them the ability to update their preferences for the specified term. 


 

Update Opt in Process References in ORCA

During the Opt In Window, Instructors can follow these steps to review students and their assigned observer:  

1. Navigate and login to ORCA at https://orca.tamu.edu with TAMU NetID and password. 
2. Upon first logging in, a message will appear prompting to review assigned observer and the students they are assigned to in your assigned course sections. Click Review. 
   • After the instructor has viewed the Review page once, the popup message will disappear for the remainder of the semester. To view the preferences made, from ORCA, navigate to the user’s NetID that displays on the top right and then select User Settings. If Dismiss is selected, a warning message will appear confirming if you would like to dismiss the message. This message will then be dismissed for the remainder of the opt in window until the following semester. By default, if no action is taken, Instructors will be opted out of the process. 
3. The Opt In page will display the following: 
   • Options to opt in or opt out to the process 
   • Table with course sections Instructors are assigned to teach
   • Drilldown menu to display student(s) and their assigned observer 
4. To opt-in to the process, select Yes. To opt-out of the process, select No. On the bottom of the table with the course section information, click Save. 
5. The date when the preference was last updated will appear to the right of the Yes or No buttons. 

After the instructor has viewed the Review page once, the popup message will disappear for the remainder of the semester. To view the preferences made, from ORCA, navigate to the user’s NetID that displays on the top right and then select User Settings. 

An email will be sent to the Instructor confirming the opt in or opt out preference.   

What Happens if I Opt In?

If you select Yes, you have selected to opt in to the Student Observer Role Process and the assigned observers will be enrolled as Student Observers in your course section(s). Student Observers will have read-only access to view course content, syllabus, assignment details, and grades of the assigned student. Additional information on what a Student Observer can and cannot do in courses in Canvas can be viewed on the Student Observer Permissions section.  

Opt In Communication Timeline

Below is the timeline of communication you will receive throughout the opt-in process that will vary depending on the preference you select. 

What Happens if I Opt Out? 

If you select No, you have selected to opt out of the Student Observer Role Process and the assigned observers will not be enrolled in your course section(s). 

If you teach a course that includes a student-athlete, this also means that the Athletics Department will request multiple updates throughout the semester on the academic status of these athletes. This is to ensure NCAA compliance. These requests will be sent via progress reports along with individual emails, and will ask for information such as: class attendance, current grades, and remaining assignments. Additional information can be viewed on the Athletics Department Student-Athlete Program page. 

The table below illustrates the permissions provided by Canvas that determine how a Student Observer role can interact with course content, features, and tools. It compares the Student Observer role to 4 additional observer-type course roles at Texas A&M. The X in a cell indicates permissions the role has in a course. If the cell is blank, then the role does not have the respective permission. 

Permissions	Student Observer	Visiting Student	Student Peer Mentor	Faculty Peer Evaluator	Transcriber
Role Type	User Role	Course Role	Course Role	Course Role	Course Role
Announcements - view	X	X	X	X	X
Assignments and Quizzes - add / edit / delete
Assignment Submissions - view	X This includes Group assignment submissions
Assignment Submissions – submit
Collaborations - create
Course Content - view	X	X	X	X	X
Course Content - add / edit / delete
Course Files - add / edit / delete
Discussions - view	X	X	X	X	X
Discussions - create / post / modify
Discussions - reply
Grades - view	X Only grades of the assigned student
Groups - view
Groups - add / edit / delete
Inbox - view	X Only messages sent to Student Observer; no ability to view direct messages sent to assigned student.
Inbox - reply
Modules - view	X	X	X	X	X
Modules - edit / duplicate
Pages - view	X	X	X	X	X
Pages - add / edit / delete
People - view
Peer Reviews - view	X
Course Available on User Dashboard	X	X	X	X	X

How the Student Observer Role Supports Student Athletes' Academic Success

The Office for Academic Innovation has partnered with the Center for Student-Athlete Services to create a process to allow course instructors to opt in to the Observer program each semester. If course instructors choose to opt in, scholastic supervisors will be enrolled as Student Observers assigned to students in a course. 

Download and Print the Canvas Observer Program for Texas A&M Student Athletes 

• All communication sent to instructors and students is archived and can be found on Campus Messages.
• Students will receive communication about this process directly from the Center for Student-Athletes. Course instructors will receive communication about the Observer program in the following ways:
  1. Email on the day the opt in window opens, typically on the last day of add/drop
  2. Reminder email 48 hours before the deadline closes
  3. Email confirmation with the selected preference

Student Observers have read-only access to the following student-specific areas of course(s):
​

Permissions

Permissions	Student Observer
Role Type	User Role
Announcements - view	X
Assignment Submissions - view	X This includes Group assignment submissions
Assignment Submissions – submit
Course Content - view	X
Discussions - view	X
Discussions - create / post / modify
Discussions - reply
Grades - view	X Only grades of the assigned student
Grades - add / edit / delete
Inbox - view	X Only messages sent to Student Observer; no ability to view direct messages sent to assigned student.
Inbox - reply
Modules - view	X
Pages - view	X
People - view
Peer Reviews - view	X
Course Available on User Dashboard	X

Communities in Canvas are non-academic course shells that are not associated with course sections maintained by the Office of the Registrar and do not have a connection to Compass, so the process for managing enrollments will be carried out through ORCA.

Once your Community has been created, it will have The Texas A&M University Community template that is unique to the typology selected. The Community templates have been designed for ease of use by Community Leaders, Co-Leaders, Evaluators, and ultimately Participants.

LMS Course Role Code	Definition	Banner Table	Description in Banner
Leader	Instructor for a community college	Enrolled from ORCA	N/A
Co-Leader	Secondary instructor for a community	Enrolled from ORCA	N/A
Evaluator	Individual that provides grading of items within a community	Enrolled from ORCA	N/A
Participant	Individual functioning as a student within a community	Enrolled from ORCA	N/A

The table below illustrates the permissions that determine how Community roles can interact with course content, features, and tools.
 

Permissions	Leader/Co-Leader	Participant	Evaluator
Analytics - view pages	X
Announcements - view	X	X
Assignments and Quizzes - add / edit / delete	X
Conversations - send messages to entire class	X
Conversations - send messages to individual course members	X	X
Course Calendar - add / edit / delete events	X
Course Content - add / edit / delete	X
Course State - manage	X
Courses - change visibility
Courses - view usage reports	X
Discussions - create	X	X
Discussions - moderate	X
Discussions - post	X	X
Discussions - view	X	X	X
Grades - edit	X		X
Grades - view all grades	X		X
Grades - add / edit / delete	X
Grades - view all student groups	X	X	X
LTI - add / edit / delete
Learning Outcomes - import	X
Manage Course Files - add	X
Manage Course Files - delete	X
Manage Course Files - edit	X
Manage Course Pages - create	X		X
Manage Course Pages - delete	X		X
Manage Course Pages - update	X		X
Question banks - view and link	X
Rubrics - add / edit / delete	X
Student Collaborations - create	X	X
Users view list	X	X

Academic Liaisons (or AL for short) provide support for each college/school/branch campus (limited to 2) and are important participants in the learning management system governance. The group became self-governing starting in Fall 2023 and in addition to regular AL meetings, attends other relevant digital learning environment meetings, trainings, and educational development opportunities. In addition to serving as a key communication point with the Canvas Operations teams, your Academic Liaison can assist you troubleshooting issues with Canvas tools and features including multimedia solution, applying online course design and facilitation best practices, and assisting with content import and course combination. You can find your AL’s contact information here: https://lms.tamu.edu/governance#Academic-Liaisons.

Starting in August 2024, there are three new account level roles: departmental manager, college/school manager, interdisciplinary manager. These roles have mirrored permissions to Academic Liaisons in Canvas and ORCA, but are not including the AL community or LMS governance. New manager requests must be initiated by Academic Liaisons and require Dean approval.

The Dean Viewer role was implemented December 2023 and provides administrators with view access for course content. This role must be initiated by Academic Liaisons and requires Dean approval.

Given the level of system access, FERPA and ISA training will need ​to be recertified every year as ​part of the annual elevated roles/permissions audit.

Permissions	Academic Liaisons / Manager Roles	Dean Viewer
Account-level settings - manage
Admin Analytics - view and export data	X
Admins - add / remove
Alerts - add / edit / delete
Analytics - view pages	X
Announcements - view	X
Blueprint Courses - add / edit / associate / delete	X
Conversations - send messages to entire class
Conversations - send messages to individual course members
Course Calendar - add / edit / delete	X
Course Content - view	X	X
Courses - change visibility
Courses - undelete
Courses - view change logs	X
Courses - view list	X	X
Courses - view usage reports	X
Data Services - manage
Developer Keys -  manage
Discussions - create	X
Discussions - moderate	X
Discussions - post	X
Discussions - view	X
Feature Options - enable / disable
Feature Options - view
Global Announcements - add / edit / delete
Grades - edit	X
Grades - select final grade for moderation	X
Grades - view all grades	X
Grades - view audit trail	X
Grades - view change logs	X
Groups - view all student groups	X
Impact - manage
Item Banks - manage account	X
Learning Outcomes - add / edit / delete	X
Learning Outcomes - import	X
Manage Account Calendars
Account Calendars - add / edit / delete events
Account Calendars - change visibility
Manage Assignments and Quizzes ( Add / Delete / Edit )	X
Assignments and Quizzes - add	X
Assignments and Quizzes - delete	X
Assignments and Quizzes - edit	X
Manage Course Content (Add / Delete / Edit)	X
Course Content - add	X
Course Content - delete	X
Course Content - edit	X
Manage Course Files (Add / Delete / Edit)	X
Course Files - add	X
Course Files - delete	X
Course Files - edit	X
Manage Course Sections (Add / Delete / Edit)
Course Sections - add
Course Sections - delete
Course Sections - edit
Manage Course Templates (Add / Delete / Edit)
Course Templates - add
Course Templates - delete
Course Templates - edit
Manage Courses (Conclude / Delete / Edit / Reset)
Courses - add
Courses - manage/update
Courses - conclude	X
Courses - delete
Courses - publish	X
Courses - reset
Manage Groups (Add / Delete / Manage)	X
Groups - add	X
Groups - delete	X
Groups - manage	X
Manage LTI (Add / Delete / Edit)
LTI - add
LTI - delete
LTI - edit
Manage Pages - Create / Delete / Update	X
Pages - create	X
Pages - delete	X
Pages - update	X
Notifications - view	X
Outcomes Mastery Scales - add/edit	X
Outcomes Proficiency Calculations - add/edit	X
Permissions - manage
Question banks - view and link	X
Quizzes - view submission log	X
Reports - manage	X
Reset Multi-Factor Authentication
Rubrics - add / edit / delete	X
SIS Data - import
SIS Data - manage
SIS Data - read	X	X
Statistics - view	X
Storage Quotas - manage
Submission - Submit on behalf of student
Student Collaborations - create
Users - Designers
Designers - add
Designers - remove
Users - Observers
Observers - add
Observers - remove
Users - Students
Students - add
Students - remove
Users - TA's
TA's - add
TA's - remove
Users - Teachers
Teachers - add
Teachers - remove
Users - act as
Users - allow administrative actions in courses
Users - generate observer pairing codes for students
Users - manage login details
Users - manage observers
Users - manage students in courses
Users - moderate content
Users - view list	X
Users - view login IDs	X
Users - view primary email address	X
Web Conferences - create	X

Mediasite allows Course Instructors the ability to record, upload, share, and view video content in any Canvas course. The combined power of Canvas with Mediasite means all your videos have a central secure home benefiting from Mediasite’s in-video search, engagement tools, and viewership stats. To learn more about Mediasite, visit the tools page here. There are two roles within Mediasite: (1) Teacher and (2) Mediasite Liaison. Permissions are assigned to each type of role in Mediasite.

Role	Definitions	MyMediasite Portal	Presentation - add, edit, delete	Presentations - edit permissions	Mediasite Management Portal	Shared Folders within College / School add, edit
Teacher	Instructor for a course	X	X	X
Mediasite Liaison	Individual within the School/College who regularly supports faculty and staff with academic technology and/or instructional design needs	X	X	X	X	X
*The Mediasite Management Portal cannot be accessed within the LMS.