Fall 2026 Course Shells Now Available in Canvas
Fall 2026 course shells are now available in Canvas in an unpublished state. Once you publish your course, it will be available to students in a read-only state until the first day of the fall term.
Combine Course Sections Prior to First Day of Classes
The deadlines to merge course sections through the self-service feature in ORCA are as follows:
- Texas A&M University Main Term for College Station and Galveston
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- Aug 23 (11:59 p.m. CST)
- Note: Schedule details for Qatar's Fall Term are still being determined and will be updated on the LMS website when available.
Late section merge exceptions are only possible under certain criteria.
Use ORCA's Self-Service Features to Assist with Course Management
Combine course sections prior to the start of the term.
Add others to your course in any of the five course associate roles: Teaching Assistant (TA), Lead TA, Grader, Grade Submitter and Designer.
Confirm the status of training requirements for course associate roles.
Request a duplicate Canvas shell for sections that need two sets of content.
Log in to ORCA to Get Started
Recent and Upcoming ChangesiClicker Moving to Enterprise Tools Status for Fall 2026
To eliminate financial burdens on students and reduce costs through centralized pricing, Strategy & Business Services is fully funding iClicker to become a university-wide tool starting Fall 2026. The new enterprise license replaces existing college and school models, eliminates student-paid options and supports efforts to reduce student costs. Additional information including training resources will be available over the summer once changes are made.
Mediasite / Panopto Update
The university has selected Panopto as a new lecture capture and media streaming system to replace Mediasite. More information will be provided over the summer term, including plans for content migration as well as training and support resources.
The preliminary timeline is:
- Summer 26: Mediasite remains primary tool; Panopto pilot + testing
- Fall 26: Mediasite remains: Panopto soft launch and optional use
- Winter 26-27: Content migration to Panopto completed
- Spring 27: Mediasite disabled; all stakeholders in Panopto
Respondus Lockdown Browser Update
Respondus has begun enforcing account bans for students who violate their terms of service. If any of your students are banned, they must contact LMS Support for assistance. Visit the vendors' LockDown Browser and Banner Users web page for further details.
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 that are supported by the requestor and/or vendors. Although some tools may be paid for by colleges/schools/departments, other tools may have additional direct costs for students. To learn more, explore the LMS Tool Filter.
Review Customized Checklists
We have created targeted checklists to meet the unique needs of returning faculty and for those who are brand new to teaching in Canvas, including tutorials for how to set up your gradebook to streamline the final grade submission process. Visit our Start-of-Semester Checklists page to find both versions and select the one that matches your needs.
Get Help 24/7/365
Canvas support is offered around the clock. Just click the "Help" button on the left-side navigation within Canvas. You can ask any questions by phone, live chat, or email to get the help you need. For questions about support options available to you at Texas A&M, visit CTE’s LMS Support page.
You are receiving this official university correspondence, sent on behalf of Texas A&M University Center for Teaching Excellence, because you are an incoming, current or former student, affiliate, staff or faculty member of Texas A&M University.
