Business continuity is more than keeping a system online. It is about helping institutions continue teaching, supporting students, and making critical academic decisions even when normal access to technology is interrupted.
Earlier this year in response to the security incident, we made the difficult choice to take Canvas offline for several hours to protect the platform and your data. We've heard the operational and academic challenges you experienced as a result.
Regardless of the reason, in the rare event that Canvas is unavailable, institutions still need access to their critical data. Instructors may need to reference course materials. Students still need visibility into their course grades. And administrators and academic leaders need updated and reliable information to support time-sensitive decisions.
That feedback has directly shaped the work we are doing to strengthen business continuity in Canvas.
Securing access to essential course and grade information
Coming to Canvas Core October 17, instructors will gain access to a Backup Reminder for courses and grades right from their course dashboard. Educators who have not backed up grades and/or course content in 60 days will see an indicator reminding them to export that particular course. This feature will be controlled by an account level feature option, and will be off by default upon release.
While the ability to export course and grade data is already available to educators within Canvas, providing a periodic reminder directly on their dashboard encourages action on a consistent basis. The intention behind this approach is to lighten administrative workflows and help institutions establish a more consistent process directly with instructors, allowing them to more easily retrieve essential information should the broader Canvas environment be unavailable.
- Maintain continued instructor visibility into course and grade information
- Support grading, advising, progression, and other time-sensitive academic processes
- Resume normal operations more smoothly once full Canvas access is restored
Downloading course data on a regular basis is not intended to recreate the entire Canvas experience during an interruption. Instead, it focuses on preserving access to the information customers have told us is most critical.
This October release is one direct response to that feedback and reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting institutional continuity.
Expanding our approach to business continuity
Here are other changes and services we’re expanding to help support institutions in facilitating teaching and learning should Canvas be unavailable.
Learning Continuity Settings for Administrators
Before the end of the year, we are introducing a new learning continuity settings page that simplifies data management. This update turns Canvas Data 2 and API-based backups into a straightforward administrative setting, reducing the reliance required from technical teams in generating these data points manually.
Administrators will be able to proactively manage backups with ease, starting with bulk gradebook exports, followed shortly by course roster exports. This shift ensures your institution can maintain control over critical information through a streamlined, accessible interface.
The Early Adopter Program is kicking off in early October. Learn more and express interest in the Testing Opportunity..
Please note, this design is subject to change based on ongoing customer validation.
Introducing Canvas On Purpose: A governance and configuration series for admins
Recognizing that software enhancements are only part of the solution, our Professional Services team created “Canvas On Purpose”. This dedicated Community blog series assists Canvas Admins in refining system governance and settings. Here, customers gain access to an actionable checklist, best practice guides, and key resources tailored to strengthen institutional business continuity within Canvas.
Thank you for your partnership
We deeply appreciate the close partnership and collaboration of our community. Your thoughtful feedback, shared experiences, and continued engagement remain invaluable as we work together to support educators and learners.
Thank you for your dedication to teaching and learning, and for trusting us as your partner in maintaining educational continuity.
