Introduction to Canvas LMS for Instructors at CSU Pueblo

If you are an instructor at CSU Pueblo, this support article provides an introduction to Canvas, the new Learning Management System (LMS) at CSU Pueblo. It includes a video tutorial of the student experience for your reference, as well as information and links to other helpful resources to get you started in Canvas.

**For the Fall 2026 semester, most courses will remain in Blackboard, but for students taking Independent Study courses through the Division of Extended Studies or a pilot course being led by one of our Canvas Champion faculty, those courses will be in Canvas.

**Starting in the Spring 2027 semester, all courses at CSU Pueblo will be taught in Canvas.

If you need one-on-one support with Canvas, please submit a service request for CSU Pueblo LMS Transition support to the Help Desk.

Login Credentials

Access to Canvas, and other related resources, is through the following link (we recommend bookmarking this link, since it will be used frequently): https://www.csupueblo.edu/canvas/

To log in to Canvas, use your NetID and NetID password.

Minimum Use Requirement for Canvas

CSU Pueblo's Faculty Senate and Provost Office have implemented minimum utilization requirements within the Canvas LMS for faculty teaching academic courses to ensure a consistent student experience and FERPA compliance.

Setting Up the Syllabus Page

The CSU Pueblo academic course template includes the Syllabus feature in the course menu. Instructors should add their course syllabus to this content area.

Additionally, the syllabus page provides an overview of any gradable work in the course and due dates so that students can access all of that information in one place.

Learn more about how to use the Syllabus page with these resources from Canvas:

Grades and the Canvas Gradebook

According to the utilization requirements for Canvas at CSU Pueblo, the Canvas gradebook must be active, accurate, and reflect the grading scheme in the course syllabus to ensure that students remain informed about their grades and academic progress.

Learn more about how to set up grades and use the Canvas gradebook in these guides from Canvas:

Canvas Video Walkthrough for Students

While this video is geared towards walking students through Canvas, it is a helpful resource for demonstrating what the student experience will be in Canvas. Kate provides information on navigating the Dashboard and Global Navigation Menu in Canvas before providing an overview of what students can expect in a Canvas course.

Account and Notifications Settings

The first option in the left sidebar menu of Canvas is labelled Profile. Clicking on Profile opens a list of other options for you to review including Notifications, Profile, Files, Settings, and more.

If your preferred name is not displaying in Canvas, you can request to have this changed in the NetID system under Preferred First Name. This support article provides more information on how to set your preferred first name (or nickname).

Clicking Notifications in the options under Profile will take you to the full list of Notification Settings available in Canvas for your account. Some notifications are enabled by default, but it is recommended to review these immediately and update your preferences to make sure you don't miss out on any important information related to your courses. Notifications will be sent to your CSU Pueblo email address.

Course Availability Settings

Within a Canvas course, instructors can see and adjust the availability of their course to students in the Settings option at the bottom of the course menu.

For a course to be available to students, the start date of the course must have passed and the course must be published to students.

See more instructions about how to publish a Canvas courses here.

Resident Instruction courses start dates are the first day of the semester. These courses do not automatically publish, therefore instructors must publish their course once you are ready for students to begin accessing it.

Extended Studies Independent Study and Online courses have start dates and automatic publish dates on the Thursday before the start of the semester.

Getting Support with Canvas

Questions about how something works in Canvas? Here are some resources available to you as a CSU Pueblo instructor.

In the Global Navigation Menu within Canvas, there is an option for Help if you need support.

Report a Problem - for tech support questions or to report a suspected bug in Canvas, this option will send a notification to your IT Support. Or you can contact the IT Help Desk directly here.
Welcome to Canvas for Teachers Course - this welcome course has even more resources for getting set up in Canvas (you will need to be signed in to Canvas to access the course). Most importantly, it has the recorded links from previous training sessions with our implementation consultant from Canvas.
Canvas Guides - Access the full list of Guides for Instructors Getting Started in Canvas for more information on all the available features and functions of Canvas for instructors.
Instructor Resources Page - the Instructor Resources webpage has even more information about the Canvas transition for instructors including key Canvas guides, a list of Hot Topics including a preparation checklist, and links to upcoming training opportunities.

Helpful Links

If you have questions related to Canvas not covered in this article or the linked resources, please don't hesitate to reach out to the IT Help Desk for additional support!

CSU Pueblo Canvas Login Page

CSU Resource - Canvas Login Credentials

CSU Resource - Set or Change Your Preferred Name in Canvas through the NetID System

CSU Pueblo Resource - Instructor Resources for Canvas

Canvas Resource - Guides for Instructors Getting Started in Canvas