Using the Canvas Dashboard

Setting up Canvas Notifications

Changing Your Display Name

Using the Canvas Dashboard

When you log into Canvas, the Dashboard is the first thing you will see. The Dashboard gives you an overview of what is happening in all your courses and allows you to figure out what to do next.

You can return to your User Dashboard at any time by clicking the Dashboard link in Global Navigation.

Click Dashboard to view the dashboard.

You can go to a specific area of your course by clicking the icon:

1. Announcements

2. Assignments

3. Discussions

4. Files

The order of the icons is based on the order of these categories in the course navigation. If you hide a category you will not see the icon.

Change the Color of the Course Card

You can change the color of the course card as it displays. The calendar will also be colour coded that colour.

1. Click the ellipsis ( ⋮ )

2. Choose the colour

3. Click Apply

Use a Nickname

If your course has a long name, you can give it a nickname. The name will show up on the dashboard, in the course menu and in notifications. It will not change the actual name of the course in Canvas.  Please note only you can see your course nickname.

Setting up Canvas Notifications

On the Notifications page you can set notification preferences that will apply to all of your courses. If you want to set a notification for a specific course, click the View Course Notifications button on the right hand side of your course home page.

1. Before you can set your Notification Preferences, you will need to set the ways you want to be notified. Make sure you added all of the email addresses and text message numbers that you want to use by navigating to Account/Settings/Edit Settings. 
2. To set up notifications, click Account
3. Click Notifications

Then for each notification row and contact method, you can decide when the notification will be sent out for that type of alert by clicking the icon.

• By selecting the Notify Immediately, you will be immediately notified of any change for the activity.
• By selecting the Daily Summary, changes for these activities will be bundled into a daily email that will be delivered around 6pm.
• By selecting the Weekly Summary, changes for these activities will be bundled into a weekly email that will be delivered Saturday between 6am and 8am.
• By selecting the Notifications Off, you will remove the notification preference and will not be notified of any change for the activity.

Changing Your Display Name

To edit your display name on Canvas, your preferred name needs to be add or update on our systems. This depends on your role at the university:

• Instructors will need to request Faculty Relations to add or update your preferred name to their system. Contact frsupp@sfu.ca or call 778-782-9715. 
• Staff members will need to request People, Equity and Inclusion to add or update your preferred name to their system. Contact pei_reception@sfu.ca or call 778-782-3237.
• Students will need to update their preferred name on goSFU.

Setting Your Pronouns, Language or Timezone

To edit your profile settings, click the Account/Settings link on the far left and then the Edit Settings button on the right, make your changes, then click Update Settings to save your changes.