Grades Reset to Zero After Canvas Course Copy

Tags canvas

Quick Links: | Canvas Automatically Assigns Zeros After a Course Copy | Clearing Automatically Assigned Zeros in Canvas |

Canvas Automatically Assigns Zeros After a Course Copy

When a Canvas course is copied from a previous term, and assignments retain due dates that are already in the past, Canvas will automatically assign all students’ grades for those assignments to zero.

It typically happens when:

  • The course is copied from an earlier term.
  • Assignment due dates are not adjusted during the copy.
  • The Assign Zeros for Missing Submissions policy is enabled.

Because Canvas treats these assignments as already late at the time of the copy, it automatically assigns zeros to all students for the affected assignments.

To prevent this issue in future courses, always select Adjust Events and Due Dates during the course copy process or update assignment due dates immediately after copying.

Clearing Automatically Assigned Zeros in Canvas

To remove the incorrect zeros using the Canvas gradebook import and export process, follow these steps:

  1. In Canvas, open the course Grades page.
  2. Select Export and choose Export Entire Gradebook. A CSV file will download to your computer.
  3. Open the downloaded CSV file in a spreadsheet program (for example, Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets).
  4. Locate the assignment column(s) affected by the automatic zeros.
  5. Select and clear only the zero values that were automatically assigned. Do not change grades you want to keep.
  6. Save the file, keeping it in CSV format.
  7. Return to the Canvas gradebook and select Import.
  8. Select Choose File (or Browse) and upload the updated CSV file.
  9. Select Upload Data, review the changes, and confirm the import.

 Note: Changes may not appear immediately in the gradebook. Canvas processes large gradebook imports in the background. In very large courses, this process may take several hours.

After Canvas finishes processing the import, the cleared cells will be reflected in the gradebook. You can then manually enter or re-evaluate grades as needed.

To prevent this issue in future courses, always select Adjust Events and Due Dates during the course copy process or update assignment due dates immediately after copying.

 Still need help? Contact the Technology & Learning Program for further assistance.
  
 Help us improve our Knowledge Base! Click Yes or No below, then let us know what worked — or what didn’t. Your feedback helps us improve our content and provide the best possible support. 

Print Article