How do I change the name of my Canvas course?

At Chico State, instructors cannot change the name of their Canvas course directly. However, you can set a nickname for your course to easily identify it in the Canvas dashboard. The nickname is only visible to you and doesn't affect the course name for other users.

Quick Links: | Environment | Solution | Root Cause |

Instructors at Chico State are unable to change the official names of their courses in Canvas. This restriction can make it difficult for instructors to personalize or simplify course identification on their dashboard. This issue specifically impacts faculty who wish to align course names more closely with their teaching schedules or personal organization methods. This limitation is due to a permissions restriction placed on instructors. The inability to change course names is implemented to maintain uniformity with the course listings in the official course catalog and PeopleSoft.

Environment

• Canvas

Solution

Unfortunately, there is no way for instructors to change the official name of their courses in Canvas.To address this issue, instructors can set a personal nickname for their Canvas courses that will only appear in their view. Here are the steps to set a nickname:

1. Login to your Canvas account and navigate to the Canvas dashboard, which is the default landing page.
2. On the dashboard, locate the course card you wish to nickname.
3. In the top-right corner of the course card, select the three dots (ellipsis) [1] to expand the menu of course options.
4. In the expanded menu, select Nickname. Type the desired nickname in the text field [2]. This can be a shorter version of the course name or any label that helps differentiate the course.
5. Select Apply [3] to save the new nickname. The course card on your Canvas dashboard will update to display this nickname.
   

By setting a nickname, you can personalize your course display on your dashboard without affecting how the course appears to other users.

Note: The nickname feature in Canvas allows you to personalize the display of your course within your account. However, please remember that the nickname is specific to your view and does not affect the course name for other users or participants.

Root Cause

The root cause of the issue is the policy that restricts instructors from changing official course names to ensure consistency with the course catalog and PeopleSoft. This policy is in place to maintain a standardized representation of course names across university systems. For specific needs like cross-listed courses, faculty can request an update to the course name in Canvas by contacting Learning Technology Services.

If you have any further questions or encounter issues with setting a nickname for your Canvas course, please reach out to the Technology & Learning Program. For requests related to updating names of cross-listed courses, faculty can reach out to Learning Technology Services.

Still need help? Reach out to Canvas support or the Technology & Learning Program for further assistance.