Graduating students are taking their cap and gown photos by the Well and campus is in full bloom! It’s hard to believe but the Spring 2024 Semester is quickly coming to a close.
The end of the semester also means we are just 3 weeks away from Sakai entering the Restricted Access state. This is to prepare for the final move of all courses being taught in Canvas.
Restricted Access in Sakai
Sakai’s Restricted Access state will begin on May 15, 2024, and then 2 years later Sakai will be decommissioned and completely unavailable on May 15, 2026. Here are the key points of Sakai’s Restricted Access state:
- All Sakai sites will be permanently unpublished.
- Only exception is temporary access granted to students with Incomplete grades — see more below
- No new sites created, email functions disabled, and all work must be conducted outside of Sakai.
- Only the following roles will have access to their Sakai sites to allow for content review and retrieval until Sakai is decommissioned 2 years later: Instructor, Organizer, Teaching Assistant, Coordinator, Tech Support
Retrieving Sakai Content
The purpose of having Sakai in a Restricted Access state for 2 years is to allow site owners time to review and retrieve any Sakai content they may need. If you taught a University Registrar course in Sakai in 2022 or 2023, those course materials have already been migrated into a Canvas archive site. You can locate them on your Canvas dashboard or on your All Courses 
page. Look for “SAKAI_Archive” in the site title. Spring 2024 content will be migrated as well and made available by late June. You can then copy this content into your official course sites in Canvas. See more on course migrations.
If a Sakai Archive site is not available in Canvas or you need your Spring 2024 content available immediately, you can export your course package using the Sakai Lessons tool. When Sakai enters Restricted Access mode on May 15, the Lessons tool will be added to all Sakai sites to allow for this content retrieval. See more on exporting Sakai content.
Incomplete Grades
All Sakai sites will be permanently unpublished to remove student access. The only exception to this is if a student has an Incomplete grade and needs access to the course to finish their work. In this case, the course instructor must submit a help request to let us know who the student is with an IN or AB grade and the course ID. We will then make sure the site remains published only to that student with the Incomplete grade. Once they have finished their work, their access will be removed. Note that all communication between instructor and student must occur outside of Sakai, such as through University email.
Canvas Training to Prepare for this Summer and Fall
Summer 2024 courses became available in Canvas on March 14, and we expect Fall 2024 courses to become available the week after commencement. To help prepare instructors to start teaching in Canvas, we have several training opportunities lined up! As always, you are welcome to sign up for a personal consultation to get one-on-one help with us as well. You can also review our Moving from Sakai to Canvas page for video tutorials and guides to help you with the transition.
Just in Time for Summer: May Canvas Training Options
For UNC instructors who are making the transition from Sakai to Canvas this summer, we are offering two different Canvas training opportunities before the end of this semester. You are welcome to attend either or both!
Canvas Course Design Snapshot
The CFE is hosting a special 2-hour Canvas Course Design Snapshot session for instructors interested in refining and aligning their course goals around Canvas tools and organizational structure. The 2-hour interactive session outlines the process of making evidence-based instructional decisions and helps you learn about the features of Canvas that can be used to help you achieve your course goals. Our EdTech team will also be on hand to answer any technical questions from 10-2.
Technical Canvas Training
After the Canvas Course Design Snapshot, our EdTech team will be hosting a 1-hour Technical Canvas Training. This training will allow faculty to be face-to-face with technologists while you locate migrated content and import it into a Canvas course for this summer/fall as well as provide a general overview of key features/tools to ready you for the first day of class.
Select the appropriate registration link below. You may (and are encouraged) to attend both sessions!
Both sessions will be held on Wednesday, May 8 in Carroll Hall 111.
- Canvas Course Design Snapshot hosted by the CFE from 10am-12pm – Canceled due to low enrollment
- ITS EdTech available for specific questions between 12-1pm
- Technical Canvas Training hosted by EdTech from 1-2pm
Summer Canvas Support
In addition to the offerings listed above, we will be hosting several sessions both in person and virtually for those making the transition from Sakai to Canvas. This highly interactive session will give a comprehensive overview on how to start teaching in Canvas. Register below for a session that suits your schedule.
In Person
- June 12: Technical Canvas Training from 10-11am in Wilson Library Room 304
- July 24: Technical Canvas Training from 2-3pm in Wilson Library Room 304
Virtual
- May 24: Technical Canvas Training from 10-11am via Zoom
- June 5: Technical Canvas Training from 2-3pm via Zoom
- July 18: Technical Canvas Training from 10-11am via Zoom
We hope you’ll use these opportunities to get assistance as we’re here to help you!