New Faculty Hires

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Frequently Asked Questions

We hired a new adjunct/faculty member. When will they see their classes in Canvas?

The short answer is: it takes as long as the hiring and account creation processes take.

The longer answer is that several departments and systems work together behind the scenes before a new employee can access Canvas. While the process may seem delayed from the user's perspective, there are multiple required steps that must occur in sequence. Note that this is a simplification of the process and does not indicate internal processes for each department.

What happens after a candidate is selected?

Once a candidate has been selected and hiring information has been submitted, several processes begin:

Step 1: Required Hiring Documentation

The new hire must submit all required employment documentation, including an official transcript when applicable.

Please note:

The hiring process can begin before the transcript is received.
The hire cannot be fully completed until the official transcript is on file.
For staff positions, transcripts are submitted to Human Resources.
For faculty and adjunct positions, transcripts are submitted to the Office of the Provost.

Step 2: HR Processing

After Human Resources completes their portion of the hiring process, the employee's information is sent to Information Technology for account creation.

At this stage, IT creates the employee's Microsoft 365 account which serves as:

Institutional email account
Single Sign-On (SSO) credentials

What's SSO mean? This account serves as the authentication source for many university systems.

Step 3: System Account Creation

Creation of the Microsoft 365 account triggers the creation and synchronization of additional systems, including:

Colleague
Canvas
Other institutionally supported services

These systems do not update instantly and require time to synchronize. It can take from 24 to 48 hours in some cases.

Step 4: Faculty Assignment in Colleague

Once the employee's account is created, they can be added to Colleague as the Teacher of Record for their assigned sections.

This is a critical step because it triggers course-related processes within Canvas.

What happens when a faculty member is assigned as Teacher of Record?

When a new instructor is assigned to a course in Colleague, Canvas receives that information through a manual upload integration. Again, this can take from 24 to 48 hours.

Depending on the timing, one of two scenarios may occur.

Before Students Have Access

If the instructor is assigned before students are active in the course, the transition is typically straightforward and may go unnoticed.

After a Course Is Already Active

If:

The course has already been published,
The semester has begun, or
A faculty member is replacing another instructor,

a new Canvas course shell will be generated when the Teacher of Record assignment is saved in Colleague.

NOTE: The course seen prior to this change will be archived and dropped from the dashboard for all users.

What happens to content from the previous course shell?

Don't panic. Course content and student information are not immediately lost.

Previous course data is retained in institutional backup systems and can often be recovered.

Contact the CETL or submit an IT Help Desk ticket to get help with:

Retrieving course materials
Restoring student work and data
Transferring content into the newly generated course shell when appropriate

We know we're hiring an adjunct, but they're not fully in the system yet. What should we do?

If you anticipate hiring a new adjunct or faculty member shortly, we recommend contacting the CETL.

We can provide:

Course templates
"Coming Soon" information pages
Temporary course setup guidance
Best practices for preparing courses during a staffing transition

However, please keep in mind that work completed in a temporary course environment may be overwritten or replaced when the official course shell is generated after the instructor is entered into Colleague.

If that occurs, you may need to request assistance in recovering or migrating the content.

Why can't the new hire access Canvas immediately?

Canvas access is tied to the employee's official employment record.

New faculty, adjuncts, and staff cannot access Canvas before their official employment start date.

The start date listed on the employee's hiring paperwork and appointment letter determines when access becomes available.

Because of this, departments should be especially mindful of start dates when:

Hiring close to the beginning of a semester
Making last-minute instructor changes
Onboarding faculty mid-semester

Choosing realistic start dates can help avoid delays in accessing required systems.

Key Takeaways

Official hiring documentation must be completed before onboarding can be finalized.
HR processing must occur before IT can create accounts.
Microsoft 365 account creation triggers access to systems such as Colleague and Canvas.
The instructor must be assigned as Teacher of Record in Colleague before Canvas course access can be established.
System synchronizations typically require time and are not instantaneous.
New course shells generated after an instructor change may take up to 24 hours to appear.
Faculty cannot access Canvas before their official employment start date.
Course content can usually be recovered if a new shell is generated during an instructor transition.

The CETL is happy to answer questions or connect you with the best office to get answers.

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