Canvas - Account Roles and Permissions [UW-Madison]
This document lists and describes the Canvas account roles that are used at UW-Madison. The vast majority of UW-Madison faculty, staff, and students interact with Canvas via course roles. Account roles are typically held by IT support staff, instructional designers, or departmental administrators.
For further information on account roles, see Canvas - Course Roles and Permissions [UW-Madison]
Account Admin Role
This is a top-level role used to manage system-wide access. It is assigned to a small number of central IT staff who are responsible for administering and supporting UW-Madison's instance of Canvas.
Sub-Account Admin Role
This is the most common account role.The Sub-Account Admin role is typically held by departmental IT staff who provide Canvas consulting and support for instructors. Other candidates for the Sub-Account Admin role may include program chairs or administrators who need access to multiple courses within their department for accreditation or other administrative purposes.
To apply for Canvas Sub-Account Admin access, fill out the Canvas Sub-Account Admin Request Form. Requests must be approved by a departmental authority and may take several weeks to process. For more information, contact learnuwsupport@wisc.edu.
Other Account Roles
These roles are fairly uncommon. In most instances, they were created to address specific support needs and are affiliated with IT support groups.
- API/Service: Account role used to integrate with SIS.
- DoIT AT Support Staff: Role used by DoIT Academic Technology staff to support faculty, students, and staff.
- DoIT Help Desk 1: Role used by DoIT Help Desk Level One staff and Help Desk Level Two student employees.
- DoIT Help Desk 2: Role used by DoIT Help Desk Level Two staff.
- Sub-Account Designer: This role grants Instructional Design staff access to all courses within a sub-account, but does not allow them to change account level permissions.