BYU Canvas Info Center Canvas Email Update- May 5, 2020

Dear BYU Canvas Users:

We have recently made changes in how email addresses are managed in Canvas (byu.instructure.com). For the majority of BYU Canvas users, the changes will have little or no affect on your Canvas account. Please read the following details to understand the change and how it may affect you.

Is any action needed on my part?

Insert content here.

Is any action needed on my part?

In most cases, no. You will only need to act if your resulting email address configuration in Canvas is not as you wish it to be.

A small number of Law School students may have their Canvas email addresses changed. They may need to manually add their previous Law School email address (NET ID@law.byu.edu) to maintain access to content for some providers. (More details for law school students follow below.)

What is changing?

Effective Friday May 1, all Canvas user accounts at byu.instructure.com will be configured with a BYU-assigned email address (from BYU Personal Information) that cannot be deleted or modified in Canvas.

For users with one or more existing email addresses, the BYU address will be added to the contact list.
For users with no email address in Canvas, the BYU address will be added, and will become the default email address in Canvas.
For some law school students: Canvas was previously using their ‘netid@law.byu.edu’ address for their BYU-managed Canvas email address. After the change, Canvas will use their BYU Personal Information address as their BYU-managed address instead. Those students will likely need to restore their @law.byu.edu email address to their Canvas account settings to maintain access to some course content. Instructions for this are found below.

What is not changing?

This update will not:

remove any of your current email addresses (with the noted exception for some law school students)
change which address is your designated default
change existing notification preferences
share your BYU Personal Information email address with other Canvas users (whether it is published or unpublished)

Why is this change necessary?

Some services that are provided through Canvas make resources available to the correct users based on their Canvas email address. Prior to this action, some Canvas user accounts were being created without an email address, particularly in cases where users had specified that their address should be unpublished. Canvas users without an email address would, in some cases, be unable to access all of the services needed for their courses through the LMS without a correct email address. This action will correct that situation.

How do I check and make changes to my email address configuration in Canvas?

On the Global Navigation Bar (left side), click on Account. Then choose Settings. You can view your current email configuration and make changes on the right side of your screen. (If your window is too narrow, you may need to scroll down to view your communication settings.)

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What email address will BYU use for my Canvas email address? Can I change this email address?

Canvas pulls a user’s email account from the user’s BYU Personal Information. You cannot change this email address in Canvas. However, you can view and update your BYU email address at myaccount.byu.edu, or by calling BYU’s Office of Information Technology at 801-422-4000.

Why can I have multiple email addresses in Canvas, and what is different about the default (starred) email address?

Canvas allows you to configure multiple email accounts for receiving different notifications regarding Canvas events. (These notifications are configured on the ‘Notifications’ page in your account settings.) Your default email address is the one you choose for primary system communications from Canvas/Instructure, and BYU Canvas administration, and is marked by a star icon next to the address in your account settings.

You may designate a different address by clicking next to it so that a star icon appears there. None of these addresses is displayed to other Canvas users. They can be seen by Canvas administrators and technical support only.

Will the email address I have set-up in Canvas be replaced?

In most cases, no. (The exception is a few law school students, as noted above.)

Here is what will happen:

If you have configured additional email addresses in Canvs prior to May 5, these will remain.
If your primary BYU email address is not already on your BYU Canvas account, it will be added to your list of email contacts.
If you have selected a default Canvas email address prior to the change, it will continue to be your default address. (The BYU-assigned account will not be made your default.)

Will my BYU email address remain private, even if it is not published?

Yes. Canvas does not display your email address to other Canvas users, and any request for your email address to remain unpublished will be maintained. It will only be used for official communications from BYU / BYU Canvas, and will not be publicly available through Canvas. This address may, however, receive notifications regarding personal Canvas messages from other Canvas users, if that address is so configured in your notification preferences. These are notifications only, and they do not mean that the sender has your actual unlisted BYU email address.

How can I tell which of my addresses is assigned by BYU? Can I delete my BYU (‘institution-assigned’) email address?

The address pulled from your BYU Personal Information will not have a trash can (delete) icon displayed next to it. (Your designated default address will not display a trash can icon either.)
Your BYU-assigned address may not be deleted, and can only be modified by changing it with BYU registration or BYU OIT (see instructions above).

For law school students: What do I do if I want or need my NET_ID@law.byu.edu email address restored?

You may need to get your 'old' email address back in order to maintain access to course content provided by some vendors, or you may simply want to restore your law school mail account to continue to receive Canvas-related communication. To restore this address, go to your account settings, view your email address(es) in your email contacts list, and add your old email address to your list. (Canvas may direct you to verify your new email by using a verification link sent to your account.) You may designate this address as your default account if you like by starring it.

What should I do if I have difficulty accessing course content because of this email change?

In nearly all cases, BYU has used your existing BYU Personal Information email address to link you to the content you need in your courses, and no change is needed. If you run into problems accessing content, it may be because your BYU email address is not configured as your default. To correct this, go into your account settings, find your BYU-assigned email address on your contact list, and click next to it so that the default star icon appears by that account.

If I change my email address in my BYU Personal Information, will my Canvas institution-assigned address be updated automatically?

Yes. This may take some time (3 hours to a day), but eventually Canvas will be in sync with your BYU Personal Information. Your new address will replace your old one, and your old address will no longer be found in your Canvas account settings.

I want to delete my default address. Why can’t I do this?

You cannot delete your default Canvas email address. First, you must designate another account as your default (click to move the star to a different address). Then you can delete the account that was previously your default … unless it is your BYU-assigned email address.

I am BYU Faculty / Staff. How do I manage my personal / work emails?

Most faculty / staff have personal and work email accounts with BYU. We recommend you take a moment to make sure your email settings are as you want them to be after the change. Your existing default address in Canvas should remain in place after the update. However, if one of your BYU email addresses is overwritten by the update, you can re-add it by clicking on the ‘+ Email address’ link in your account settings.

Does this change affect all instances of Canvas at BYU?

No. Only users of byu.instructure.com are affected by this change. It does not affect BYU Independent Study or BYU's English Language Center.

If I have other questions regarding this change, whom can I contact?

For more information on this change, please submit a comment here. Please do not contact OIT support unless you have a technical matter that requires their assistance.