All of my sections have the same name from SIS ID, can you please add a nickname feature so I can te

Question

All of my sections have the same name from SIS ID, can you please add a nickname feature so I can tell the difference between my sections?

JeffCampbell · Answer

There is a way for you to edit section names, even if the sections are automatically generated through a connection with your school's SIS. We use PowerSchool, so our enrollments and sections are generated from that connection. The ways ours is set up, the section names are created to include a # for which period the students are enrolled (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.).

To manually change these, go to your course's Settings page. On that page is a tab for Sections. This will list all of your sections. Each section name is linked, so click on one of them to open a page that gives the name, the SIS ID, and the enrollment. At the top of the menu on the right is an option that says "Edit Section" where you can change the name. As along as the SIS ID does not change, it should still connect to your SIS for syncing purposes.

There is a way for your SIS integration to be set up to define section names. I believe this can also be set up so that it defaults to the course title from your SIS, among some other details. This would be how all of my sections give the course title from our SIS followed by a number for the period. I am not familiar with this process, so maybe someone more familiar with managing this can provide some additional details that you could take back to whomever handles Canvas for your district.