Canvas - How do I upload grades from Canvas to SIS?

While you may use the Canvas Gradebook throughout the semester to calculate student grades, SIS is the system of record and must be used to record official grades. We have built a custom tool in the Canvas Wizard that allows instructors to quickly import grades from the Canvas Gradebook into SIS, for both midterm and final grades.

Considerations

  1. In order to upload grades from Canvas to SIS, you must already have your midterm and/or final grades entered in Canvas.
  2. A grading scheme for your course should be enabledLinks to an external site.. You can enable a course grading scheme by going to the course Settings, navigating to “Grading Scheme,” and checking the “Enable course grading scheme” box. Make sure you select the “Update Course Details” button to save your new settings.
  3. We recommend that you review the values assigned to letter grades in Canvas. You can do so by going to the course Settings, navigating to “Grading Scheme,” and selecting “set grading scheme.” If Canvas's grade values don't correspond with your own grade scale, you can modify them to match by selecting the edit (pencil) icon at the top right of the grading scheme window.
  4. If you are using +/- grades in Canvas, this grade upload tool will convert them to standard letter grade values for SIS when needed. You can modify the suggested grades at any point.

A Note about Grade Calculations

The upload tool will ask you to select which column in your Canvas Gradebook should be used to import to SIS. There are two options that you can select from that sound similar, but are actually very different:

  • The Canvas Current grade should match the “Total” column in your Canvas gradebook. It is calculated from only the course activities that have been graded. Students are not penalized for any assignment, quizzes, etc., that have not yet been submitted or graded.
  • The Canvas Final grade is calculated from all activities that can be graded, even if they have not yet been graded. Any items that do not have a grade are treated as having a grade of zero.

Written Tutorial

  1. Navigate to the Canvas Wizard via the Help button in Canvas.
  2. Select Upload Canvas grades to SIS from the Wizard menu.
  3. Read through the considerations, then select Continue to proceed.
  4. On the next screen, select the course to which grades will be uploaded.
  5. If prompted, select whether you are importing midterm or final grades.
  6. Next, select which column in your Gradebook should be used as the grades in SIS. 
    • The most common option selected is "Current Grade"
  7. On the next page, you can review the grades that will be uploaded to SIS. Use the drop-downs in the SIS grade column to select the grade to assign each student.

Screenshot of the Canvas Wizard with SIS Grade column highlighted. 

  1. Once all grades have been set, select Upload grades to SIS at the bottom of the page.

If you're uploading midterm grades, you're done! There is no approval for midterm grades and students will be able to see their grades immediately.

If you're uploading final grades, please proceed with the next steps to approve the grades in SIS. Once grades from Canvas  have been imported to SIS (see above), final grades must be approved in SIS. This process will submit the students' grades to the University Registrar. Final grades can be seen in SIS by students after an overnight process. If you have any questions about using SIS, please contact registrar@case.edu. 

  1. Navigate to case.edu/sis and log in with your CWRU Network ID and password.
  2. From Faculty Home, select the My Schedule & Rosters tile. This will present the My Schedule page.
    1. Alternatively, from the NavBar, select Navigator > Faculty & Advising > My Schedule & Rosters.
    2. To see a past or future term, click the Change Term button. See Teaching Schedule on the SIS Resources page for more information.
  3. Locate the class for which you want to approve grades, then select the Grade Roster icon to the immediate left of the class.
  4. The Grade Roster screen appears. At the top of the screen is the class meeting information. Select a Grade Roster Type of Final Grade.
    1. If Final Grade does not appear in the field, the final grade roster has not yet been generated by the University Registrar’s Office.
  5. Review the grade roster for accuracy and missing grades, and make any necessary corrections.
    1. Corrections made in SIS will not be reflected in Canvas.
  6. When ready to approve grades, select the Approval Status drop-down list.
  7. Select the Approved by Instructor list item to initiate the grade submission process.
    1. It is possible to submit a partially-entered grade roster when in Approved by Instructor status. If the roster is not fully graded, a warning message will appear.

Grades can be saved without being submitted at any point in the grade entry process by clicking the Save button when the Approval Status drop-down list is set to Not Reviewed or Ready for Review. After being approved, grades for the class will be submitted and will be posted to students’ records within 24 hours.

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Canvas is the Learning Management System at CWRU, providing campus members the tools and resources needed for in-person and online teaching and learning. Canvas includes tools instructors and students have come to depend on, such as assignments, announcements and tests.