PennKeys do not expire, so students will still be able to log into Canvas after they graduate with their PennKey username and password. Access to specific course sites will vary.
After students graduate they will use alumni computing services, many of which will continue to use their PennKey. Students should be sure to sign up for the PennKey Recovery Service so that they can easily reset their PennKey passwords after graduation.
Please note: these policies do not apply to Penn Carey Law which uses a separate Canvas platform.
Access to specific Course sites
Although graduated students retain access to Canvas indefinitely due to PennKeys not expiring, access to particular Canvas sites depends on a two factors:
- A Canvas site is retained in the University of Pennsylvania’s Canvas environment for five years from the term during which its associated course was offered. Once five years have passed since a Canvas site was active, that site may no longer be available.
- Faculty may choose to enable a setting that completely prevents students from accessing a Canvas site after a term ends. Students no longer have access to a Canvas site to which this setting is applied. If a student needs access to content in a Canvas site that is no longer available, they should email their instructor to request to have this content shared outside Canvas.
Additionally, students should note the following:
- If a student does not see a Canvas site listed on their Canvas homepage, they should look for the site under their “Past Enrollments.”
- To access a past-enrollment site, students should log into Canvas and click Courses > All Courses, then scroll down the page to Past Enrollments and click on the relevant Canvas site link.
- If a site does not appear on either the student’s Canvas Dashboard or under “Past Enrollments,” then the site is unavailable, and they will need to email their instructor to request to have this content shared outside Canvas.
Other Course Materials
Some content accessible through Canvas may have different expiration dates depending on the specific tool, instructor policy, and licensing agreements:
- Course Materials @ Penn Libraries expire at the end of the term.
- Class Recordings may have school- or class-specific policies.
- Synchronous class session videos may not be available after a class ends.
- Publisher-provided content will expire according to the policies of the publisher’s licensing agreements.
- Study.Net Materials typically expire up to 90 days after a class ends.
Resources
Questions?
Email your local support contacts for school-specific Canvas support, or contact canvas@pobox.upenn.edu.
Last Updated: 22 Jan 2024