Canvas Course Set Up - Fall 2025
Welcome to the start of the Fall 2025 semester! We encourage you to follow the steps below to help you set up your course in Canvas.
1. Merge course section
Combine course sections via ORCA by August 20th, at 11:59 p.m. (for main terms). After August 24, course sections will not be merged due to the potential loss of student data.
2. Assign course roles
Verify all users enrolled in a course associate role have completed FERPA and Information Security Awareness training in TrainTraq.
3. Access canvas
Use your Texas A&M NetID and password to sign in to the technologies that comprise Texas A&M University’s Digital Learning Environment.
4. Set up your course
Leverage our Start of Semester Checklist to set up your course in Canvas designed to enhance your students' experience.
5. Participating in the Observer Program for Athletics
Opt-in to the program beginning August 29th, 5:00 PM if you have a student-athlete enrolled in your course.
Additional Resources
YuJa Panorama
YuJa Panorama assists with improving digital accessibility directly within Canvas as well as through the web portal. The Canvas integration was enabled on Thursday, August 14th (the web portal has been active since May 2025). For training and resources, please see the CTE Digital Accessibility page. Additionally, an email was sent to all faculty on August 4th that includes additional information related to the digital accessibility mandates and resources to meet the upcoming deadline.
Ally will continue to remain available within Canvas and does not conflict with Panorama. On 8/14, Accessibility Report was renamed to Ally Report given the addition of Panorama.
Simple Syllabus
All faculty are welcome to either use Simple Syllabus for the fall semester or the updated minimum syllabus requirements template provided by Faculty Senate. The LMS website Simple Syllabus page includes resources for how to get started with the tool as well as recommendations related to the Syllabus button provided in fall Canvas templates. Please note that syllabi still need to be uploaded into Howdy for undergraduate courses for HB2504 compliance.
Microsoft Education/Teams LTI Deprecation
As noted in prior communications, Microsoft is deprecating the existing Microsoft Teams integration with Canvas by September 15 in favor of a more unified tool called Microsoft Education. The Teams LTI in Canvas was disabled during the 8/14 technical change window, which prevents the creation of new Teams classes. TAMU received access to the new tool in late July and teams have been testing it thoroughly, but it is still in a preview state and unfortunately not ready for deployment at this stage.
If you are not using Teams in Canvas, there will be no impact to your courses. Additionally, O365 will continue to remain as an option in Canvas for the fall semester with a plan to start transitioning to OneDrive and Teams within the unified tool for Spring 2026. Microsoft Teams continues to be available for use outside of Canvas.
Centrally-Supported/-Funded Tools
Texas A&M University supports the teaching and learning mission through the integration of centrally-supported/-funded technologies that are available to all users within Canvas. By leveraging these tools, faculty can reduce burdens for students including financial costs, external logins to manage, and time spent learning new tools in addition to their coursework. The LMS website provides resources for these tools, and the LMS support teams and partners also offer various training and professional development sessions throughout the year.
Colleges and schools may request additional tools supported by the requestor and/or vendors. Although some tools may be paid for by colleges, schools, or departments, other tools may have additional direct costs for students. To learn more, explore the LMS Tool Filter which includes a fee-incursion chart as well as options to filter tools that may have an extra cost.
Support Channels
For technical assistance with Canvas, use the support options available to all faculty, teaching staff and students.
Watch On-Demand Videos
Browse the Gradebook in Canvas video playlist or What Grade Would Your Canvas Gradebook Earn for effective strategies in maximizing your teaching experience.
Teaching and Learning with Canvas
For questions about teaching with Canvas, contact the Center for Teaching Excellence to schedule a training or individual consultation.
We are excited to work with you as the fall semester approaches. As always, please visit our support channels for all your digital learning needs. We hope you have a great semester!
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