Learning Systems

Records Management Policy & Canvas Usage at VCU

I. Statement & Purpose

Content within Canvas affected by Records Management Policy includes records classified by the VCU Records Ownership table as Class Rolls and Grade Sheets, Student Examination Files, Course Syllabi and Presentation Materials. 

If you have any questions regarding the above policies, please see the Faculty Resources page on the Records Management website. Additional questions regarding records management at VCU may be directed to recman@vcu.edu or your department record coordinator (DRC) who is listed in the Records Ownership resource by major budget unit: https://go.vcu.edu/records-ownership. 

 II. Roles and Responsibilities

1. Faculty and Staff: It is the instructor’s responsibility to remove and destroy exported content according to the Records Management Policy linked above.
   1. Convenience copies: When a faculty member exports content from their Canvas course, they are creating a convenience copy. A faculty member should not keep their exported course content, gradebook, or other materials beyond the 3.5 year mark as a convenience copy.
   2. Data in 3rd party tools and plugins: Learning Systems is not responsible for the support of 3rd party tools or the retention of any data related to these tools, with the exception of VCU-supported tools. Vendors are the official owner and support channel for these tools. For a list of LTIs currently enabled on our system and to identify which group is responsible for its support, see the Integrated Canvas 3rd Party Tools Available for Use page. It is the faculty or staff member’s responsibility to familiarize themselves with the retention policies related to any third party tools in-use in their Canvas course.
      
2. Respective School or Department: An instructor’s school or department is the official record holder of syllabi records, class rolls, grade sheets, and student examination files.
   
   
3. Registrar’s Office: The Registrar's Office maintains an official record of student grades via the official transcript.
   
   
4. Technology Services (TS), Learning Systems: The Learning Systems team is responsible for maintaining a course archive in accordance with VCU’s Records and Retention guidelines.

1. 1. Five year retention: TS Learning Systems will keep Canvas courses active for 5 years per agreement with Canvas. After 5 years, with no exception, all Canvas courses and 100% of its contents will be permanently deleted with no option for retrieval.
   2. Annual destruction: TS Learning Systems reports destruction annually on behalf of the entire university for Canvas data, as courses roll off after the five year period mentioned above.
   3. Information requests: Information requests are only honored within the five year period; anything outside of this timeframe is not retrievable. If there is a request within the 5 year span (i.e. content retrieval or ARAC appeal), please email lsrequest@vcu.edu.
      1. Note: All academic integrity related requests should be directed to the office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity (SCAI). For more information regarding this procedure, see the Honor System and Standards of Academic Conduct Reporting Requests document.

III. Related Documents

Additional documentation related to specific areas of Canvas affected by this policy is below:

• Gradebook Export Page: in reference to gradebook exports and convenience copies.

• Import & Export Page: in reference to general exports and imports of any course content.

• Integrated Canvas Plus Tools Available for Use: an updated list of all third party tools currently installed within VCU’s Canvas instance with respective support contacts.