ÈÕ±¾Ò»¼¶Æ¬ Online - Canvas Data Archive Process

Weber State University has used Canvas as its Learning Management System (LMS) since Summer 2011, and now hosts over 225,000 courses. To improve system performance and comply with data retention policies, ÈÕ±¾Ò»¼¶Æ¬ Online is implementing a rolling 7-year archival policy starting May 2025. Faculty will be made inactive in courses older than 5 years, then after 2 years, the courses will be archived and no longer accessible in Canvas.

Preparing for Canvas Archive: What can I do now?

Step 1: Items Available for Download vs. What You Don’t Need

Not everything needs to be backed up. If you’ve copied content forward from semester to semester, it already exists in your recent courses. Use this guide to focus only on what’s unique or needed for long-term reference. ‌ Where to Start: If you taught a course in or before Spring 2020, review those courses now. Anything from Summer 2020 and later will not be deactivated yet. 

‌  Items Available for Download (If Needed)

  • ✔ Course Materials – Syllabi, slides, readings, and reference documents.
  • ✔ Assignments & Quizzes – Instructions, rubrics, and assignment settings.
  • ✔ Gradebook Data – All final grade records are stored in Banner, if you need a copy of your Canvas Gradebook, a CSV file can be downloaded separately from a full course download.
  • ✔ Key Student Work – For letters of recommendation or disputes.

‌  You Don’t Need to Download

  • ✘ Content Already Copied Forward – If you've used the same materials in newer courses, they still exist there.
  • ✘ Course Layout & Modules – These can be easily rebuilt.
  • ✘ General Discussion Boards – Unless there's something essential to reference.
  • ✘ Every Student Submission – Students should keep their own copies. Downloading submissions must be done for each assignment, so be selective about which ones you export.

Step 2: Export & Save Course Content

Follow these steps to back up your essential course content before archiving.

 

Step 3: Understanding Course Recovery Options

‌ If you ever need access to an archived course, submit a .

✔ Critical information can be restored (including assignments, modules, and files).

✔ Student submissions and grades can be retrieved on a case-by-case basis (requires additional approval).

Step 4: Final Check 

✔ Before May of each year, review your courses and export any necessary content.

Still unsure? Contact LMS Support for guidance.

Archival Timeline & What’s Affected

Starting May 2025, courses older than 7 years will be archived.

rolling window archive process

First Archive (May 2025)

  • Academic Years Affected:
    • AY 2011-2012
    • AY 2012-2013
    • AY 2013-2014
    • AY 2014-2015
    • AY 2015-2016
    • AY 2016-2017

Rolling Archive Schedule

  • May 2026 Courses from AY 2018-2019 archived.
  • May 2027 Courses from AY 2019-2020 archived.
  • Continues yearly thereafter.

5-Year Access Window

  • After 5 years, instructors' access is made inactive, but the course remains in the system for quick recovery access.
  • Course content can still be recovered by the LMS Support team during this period.
  • Faculty can download any necessary materials before access is removed.

What Will NOT Be Archived?

  • Sandboxes and Course Development
  • Rank & Tenure Courses
  • Independent Study
  • Non-Banner Courses
  • Student Training Courses (to be housed in Canvas Catalog)

Implementation Timeline

‌  January - February 2025: Present process to key groups (Faculty Senate, TLC/CETL, ASSET, etc.)

‌ March 2025: Campus-wide announcement & Canvas bulletin posted.

‌   May 2025: First archive script runs (courses before May 2018 removed).

‌ May 2026+: Rolling archival process continues annually.

Archiving FAQs

 

Need Help? Contact Us