1) Login to Canvas, open your class, and click on the "Settings" link at the bottom of the left-hand navigation bar for the class


2) FYI - No action required here, but the "Term" box should list the term your course is assigned to. This term pulls it's dates from the default term dates in PowerSchool and can't be changed. The only time the term box shouldn't be linked to PowerSchool is if it's a class you've manually created, in which case the term will say "Default Term"


3) To force students to only be allowed to access the course in a specific time period, fill in times in the "Starts" and "Ends" boxes and check the following 3 boxes:

  •      "Students can only participate in the course between these dates" 
  •     "Restrict students from viewing this course after end date"
  •     "Restrict students from viewing this course before start date"


4) Click "Update Course Details"


Other considerations:

If a student needs to finish work or take a final AFTER the end date of the term or the end date you set in step #3, you'll need to reverse the above steps and uncheck "students can only participate in the course between these dates" and "Restrict students from viewing this course after the end date." 


Why would you want to restrict dates in the first place? Scenarios people usually mention are wanting to prevent students who had the course one semester from going back in later and sharing course content with friends taking the class the following year.