Faculty FAQ

We recognize how important continued access to previous course materials is for instructional planning, accreditation needs, and academic continuity. Instructors will retain access to courses in the campus-specific Canvas instances (which are being used through Summer 2026) for a minimum of five years. Instructors can access both the new and current instances of Canvas at: canvas.nebraska.edu. Ample communication to instructors would occur before any changes would be made to the current campus-specific Canvas instances used through the Summer 2026 term.

Both environments will run concurrently for at least five years (2026-2031) to ensure a smooth, predictable transition for faculty and students. 

Yes. We want to reassure instructors that there will be no disruption to the teaching tools they rely on. The current Canvas instances will remain fully operational, and the new systemwide Canvas instance will be introduced on March 23, 2026.

Both environments will run concurrently for at least five years (2026-2031) to ensure a smooth, predictable transition for faculty and students.

We understand that minimizing workload and streamlining course development is essential, so courses from the past two academic years will be copied automatically according to the following schedule:

• Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Summer 2025, and Fall 2025 courses will be copied in March 2026
• Spring 2026 courses will be copied in June 2026
• Summer 2026 courses will be copied in September 2026

These copies are for instructors to use as they begin building subsequent courses. Please note, student data is not copied. If you wish to view student data (assignment submissions, etc.) you will want to log into the current campus-specific instances of Canvas rather than using copies. If you wish to view or copy materials from terms earlier than Fall 2024, you are welcome to use the self-serve Canvas Utilities tool, or our team is more than happy to assist if you prefer guided support. We are committed to ensuring faculty have the help they need during this transition.

To help ensure your students have a seamless experience from the first day of class, we encourage faculty to review migrated content using Canvas “Student View” functionality along with the Getting Started Checklist.

Migration tools are highly effective, but occasional variations in layout or settings may occur. A brief review can help prevent confusion later. If something doesn’t look right—or if you simply prefer a second set of eyes—our Canvas Support team is readily available, and the Canvas Faculty Support page offers several convenient options for assistance.

The Canvas Steering Committee, chaired by Interim Executive VP/Provost Dr. David Jackson, met in Fall 2025 and provided guidance to help ensure that the new Canvas instance is configured in a way that best supports teaching, learning, and technical stability across all NU campuses.

To support consistency across the university and ensure compatibility with integrated academic systems, official course titles cannot be modified.

However, we understand that instructors often manage many courses and appreciate having a personalized organizational system. For that reason, Canvas allows faculty to assign nicknames to courses—visible only to the instructor—on the Dashboard and in tools such as the Inbox. Many faculty find this to be helpful in simplifying daily navigation.

We recognize that transitions can create uncertainty, and our goal is to make sure faculty feel fully supported at every stage. Several support avenues are available on the Canvas Faculty Support page.

No matter how you prefer to seek help, our teams are committed to responding quickly, listening carefully, and ensuring your technical needs are met.