1. What is the Digital Course Retention Standard?
This university-wide initiative ensures that all digital course materials are accessible and meet federal accessibility compliance requirements. As part of this standard, older courses that may not meet current accessibility guidelines will be systematically archived to maintain our commitment to inclusive education.
2. What does it mean that courses prior to Fall 2024 will be archived?
Courses from before Fall 2024 will be removed from your Canvas dashboard on October 22, 2025. You will no longer be able to access course content or assignment submissions from those courses.
3. Will I lose everything from those courses?
No. Any documents or files you personally uploaded (for example, assignments or notes you submitted) will remain in your Canvas Files area. However, materials provided by instructors (like lecture slides, study guides, or reference documents) will not be accessible after archiving.
4. What should I download before October 22, 2025?
Course materials created by your instructor like:
- Lecture slides or handouts you found particularly helpful
- Study guides or worksheets you completed and annotated
- Reference materials you might use in future courses
- Examples or templates provided by instructors
- Any other resources you may want to reference later
5. How to Download Personal Files from Canvas
- Click your profile image in the upper left corner of Canvas
- Select "Files" > "My Files" > "Submissions" from the dropdown menu
- Your uploaded files will be organized by course folders
- You can select to download all course or select specific files from specific courses
- You can also download conversation attachments as well
- To download: Select the courses/files you want then click the "Download"
icon to create a ZIP file
6. What to do with your saved files?
- Save important course work to your ACP Archway Curriculum Portfolio
- Download to your personal computer
- Store in cloud storage (OneDrive)
7. What’s the difference between faculty materials and my own materials?
- Faculty materials include lecture slides, handouts, readings, assignments, and other course resources your instructor uploaded. These will not be available once the course is archived.
- Student materials are the files you personally submitted or uploaded—such as assignments, projects, drafts, or notes. These remain available in your Canvas Files > Submissions area even after archiving.
8. Why can’t I keep faculty-provided materials automatically?
Faculty materials are part of the course shell, which is archived for compliance and storage reasons. You are responsible for downloading any copies of these resources you want to keep before October 22, 2025.
9. Will my instructor save copies of course files for me?
No. Instructors are not responsible for maintaining student copies of course content. You must download any files or resources you want for your own use.
10. Will my work be deleted?
No. Your course content is not deleted. Archived courses are simply removed from your dashboard, which means you lose immediate access. If you need materials later, you can submit an access request, and your work can be retrieved for you.
11. Who can help me with the process?
The CSIT Help Desk can assist in person and the Instructional Design Team can assist you remotely with the process of:
- Step-by-step instructions for downloading your personal files from Canvas
- Troubleshooting issues with locating or accessing your submissions
- Guidance on storing your files safely (OneDrive, personal computer, etc.)
- Directing you to additional campus resources if needed
12. Who can assist me if I still have questions?
The Instructional Design Team can assist you if have questions or concerns that have not been addressed.