BYU Canvas Email Reconfiguration: Information for Admins

BYU Canvas Email Reconfiguration

For distribution to Canvas administrators at BYU colleges and departments, BYU CSRs, and the BYU-OIT TSC team

Released December 17, 2021

Introduction

This guide reviews how user email addresses operate and are managed in Canvas LMS, with specific reference to Canvas LMS at Brigham Young University (http://byu.instructure.com). It also reviews changes slated for late December of 2021 to how email addresses are managed at BYU. It is intended primarily for engineers and administrators, but is shared widely and available for reference by all Canvas users.

Definitions

Institution-assigned email address

The address assigned to a user account by the institution … in this case, Brigham Young University / BYU-OIT. At BYU, this information originates from the AIM student registration system. In some cases, the institution-assigned email address is manually set by a BYU Canvas administrator. The institution-assigned email address cannot be changed or deleted by the user.

Default email address

This is the primary address Canvas uses for delivering high-importance system messages to users. These messages may include:

• Notifications on system and feature updates, including Feature Releases 
• Security alerts 
• System availability / downtime notices 

In a default system configuration, the institution-assigned email address becomes the user’s default email address upon initial user account creation. This default email address is also the default recipient of course event notifications, unless and until the user customizes notification preferences.

Proposed Changes

Coinciding with the transition between Fall 2021 and Winter 2022 semesters, BYU-OIT will change how Canvas configures and manages email addresses in Canvas.

Questions and Answers

Why are these changes being made?

This change brings Canvas in compliance with university recommendations that students, faculty and staff use a university-managed email account for official university communications. This will increase consistency and security for all LMS users. Additionally, it will resolve some ongoing technical issues: Some users have service from content providers in Canvas interrupted when they change their default email in Canvas. Changing default Canvas user email addresses to a consistent, BYU-managed account, and blocking users from changing this address, will eliminate this issue in most cases, and help assure consistent identification and access for Canvas users at BYU.

Will the described changes affect all campus departments and colleges?

Yes – All users of the byu.instructure.com instance of Canvas will be affected by this change, regardless of activity in sub-accounts.

Will this change affect all Canvas user accounts?

Yes – It will affect all standard student, faculty and staff accounts. There are a few manually-configured Canvas accounts that will not be affected by this change, and will not be reconfigured with NetID email accounts as the Canvas default. These exceptions are primarily for accounts that are not tied to a specific BYU user, such as content / LTI provider accounts, and other entities requiring some kind of system or administrative access. Also, some newer standard user accounts for students, faculty and staff have already been configured with the NetID address. These accounts will not be changed, as they are already reflecting the new standard. However, they will lose the permission for user-managed changes to the default email address at the same time that restriction is employed across Canvas at BYU.

Will Canvas administrators, including those at the “sub-account” (college, department or program) level still be able to change default email addresses in Canvas?

Yes, and this is a potential cause for problems: Some Canvas administrators will retain the ability to:

• Modify the user’s institution-assigned email address, either through the Canvas user interface, a CSV upload, or an API command 
• Add additional email addresses to a user’s account 
• Change the default email address, through a csv upload or API command 

Because of this, Canvas administrators should take care not to intentionally or unwittingly alter a user’s email address information unless a required adjustment or correction is being made. Generally, such corrections should be handled through BYU-OIT. Administrators should change the institution-assigned or default email address at the request of a user. Rather, administrators should refer users to recommended steps they can take to configure Canvas communication in a way that works for them. Those options are outlined below.

How do I access my NetID email?

For students, a NetID inbox has been created and may be accessed by logging into outlook.office.com. Students should enter their [NetID]@byu.edu email address and enter the password associated with their NetID when prompted.

In most cases, for faculty and staff with Microsoft exchange accounts, the NetID email is actually an alias that will direct messages to the user’s Microsoft Office exchange account automatically.

May I still configure additional email addresses in my Canvas account, for receiving notifications?

Yes- A user’s ability to add additional contact emails will remain unchanged, and users may set-up Notification Preferences to direct Canvas to notify them on a number of course and system events. (Instructions for students are linked here, but the process is the same for all users.)

Are other related changes being implemented at this time?

Another upcoming change is the addition of regular synchronization of other primary user fields, such as the user’s name. This will bring Canvas into sync with AIM and other Canvas systems, and will not require users to contact BYU-OIT Support for assistance in updating a last name after they have been married, for example. It also includes regular synchronization of email address information, so if a user’s NetID changes in AIM, this change will automatically be passed-along to Canvas and be reflected in the user’s Canvas login ID, the institution-assigned email address, and the default email address. These updates may not occur at the same time as the email reconfiguration: They may be implemented earlier, or even later in Winter Semester.

How can I view my or another user’s institution-assigned and default email user addresses in Canvas?

What are anticipated results of blocking user selection of the Canvas Default Email Address?

Traditionally, users have been permitted to select their default email address. As the NetID address becomes the ‘forced’ default address, users will need to become acquainted with their NetID address, and hopefully develop a habit of routinely checking it for important notifications. This is in harmony with the university’s and OIT’s goals to make the NetID address the hub of key notifications and communication to members of the BYU community.

If users wish to customize their management of email from Canvas, what are their options?

The following steps are available to users to configure communication, so that they may continue to access important Canvas communication in the way that best suits their needs:

1. Add additional Ways to Contact: In Canvas, a user can go into “Account” and then “Settings” to add additional email addresses as channels of communication. Users should expect to verify each new address by clicking on a verification link sent to the account. Verified email addresses can then be used to configure Notification Preferences (see below). 

1. Configure Notification Preferences: In Canvas, a user can go into “Account” and then “Notifications” to specify where and how frequently notification on Canvas course events should be delivered. Not that this notification list does not include options for delivery of system-level messages from Canvas / Instructure: Canvas will always send these notifications to the default email address. (However, these notifications may be forwarded – Read on …) 

1. Auto-forward email in Outlook: If a user wishes to have default email / primary system notifications delivered to another email account besides their NetID account, they should follow Microsoft Outlook’s instructions for creating rules for automatically handling messages from Canvas.  Then, system messages from Canvas can be automatically forwarded to another email address and viewed elsewhere, and the original message can be automatically filed, archived or even deleted (not recommended) in Outlook. Users at BYU should take care to remember that they are ultimately responsible for maintaining access to messages sent to their [NetID]@byu.edu account. 

Do or will Canvas users have to verify their NetID email address in order to use it fully, and receive all messages?

No. Because the NetID address is/will be the institution-assigned address, Canvas assumes that it is accurate and valid, and that the institution (BYU) will address any issues or needed corrections: A user will not be prompted to verify or confirm their NetID email in Canvas.

If a Canvas user needs to be added that is not a member of the ‘BYU community’ (student, faculty, staff, etc.) and does not have a NetID, how do we manage that?

Generally, anyone with a need to access Canvas at BYU will need to have a NetID if they are participating in a BYU sponsored program, workshop, etc. … so these cases are rare. Nonetheless, our standard moving forward is that all BYU Canvas users shall have a NetID (with ID, password and Outlook inbox), and that NetID account shall be used for authentication into and communication from Canvas. Would-be users should be advised that they can create a BYU account with a NetID, password and inbox at accounts.byu.edu. Once they are set-up, they or their supervisor / program director, etc. can request a Canvas account here.

The primary exception to this is for automated systems not tied to a specific user, and for LTI providers. For such instances, BYU-OIT should be consulted on configuring access to Canvas.

Why is this change being made over the Christmas holiday break?

The timing of the change (between semesters) minimizes roster identification conflicts for RedShelf and other LTI providers who are required to use the Canvas Default email address for identifying users. Making the change while a semester is in progress would likely lead to widespread issues.

What problems are anticipated in making this change?

The main issue we are anticipating is users being able to access their [NetID]@byu.edu email accounts, as not all students are familiar with this arrangement or even know it exists. We are providing users with instructions on how to access this inbox, and BYU-OIT Support is ready to assist users with doing so after the December 28 change.

BYU Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) made a similar update to the Learning Suite LMS at the beginning of Fall Semester 2021, and the transition went very smoothly. We anticipate a similar result as we roll-out the change in Canvas.

What are the key takeaways Canvas administrators should remember and pass-along?

• Canvas email configurations are changing at BYU 
• Standard user accounts for students, faculty, staff and program participants will universally adopt the [NetID]@byu.edu email account as the institution-assigned email address and, by extension, the default (and unchangeable) email address in Canvas. 
• Users will be unable to modify or delete their default email address in Canvas (unless they are an administrator with appropriate permissions) 
• BYU Canvas users should know how to access their [NetID]@byu.edu email inbox in order to access key communication from Canvas 
• Users have options for re-routing primary communication from Canvas as needed, using Microsoft Outlook Rules 
• Users with administrative privileges in Canvas should not change the institution-assigned email address for any user account in Canvas, even if requested by the user. If a crucial need for an unconventional email configuration is perceived, administrators should consult with BYU-OIT before making any changes. 

Administrators, faculty and staff who have further questions regarding these changes may address them to canvas_team@byu.edu .