Course-level roles determine what users can access and do within a Quercus course. Users with course-level roles generally cannot access content outside the courses in which they are enrolled. Review the role descriptions below or use the comparison table to compare key permissions across roles.
Teacher
The Teacher role is the instructor role and has full permissions within a course.
Teaching Assistant (TA)
Tutorial Assistants have a similar level of access to a course as instructors, except for the ability to add or remove teachers, designers, TAs, or students from the course. This role should only be assigned to undergraduate or graduate student teaching assistants.
TAs can
- Create and manage course content
- Grade student work and have overall access to grades
- Modify the course calendar
- See the full list of participants in the course
- Manage grading rubrics, assignments, and quizzes
- View, edit, and moderate all grades
- Manage course files, pages, and other course content
- Manage course sections and groups
- Post to and moderate discussions
- Send messages to individuals or the entire course
- View and comment on student submissions
- Publish and unpublish the course
TAs cannot
- Add or remove teachers, designers, or other TAs from the course
- Add or remove students from the course
Course Staff
Course Staff have a similar level of access to a course as instructors and TAs, except for the ability to add or remove teachers, designers, TAs, or students from the course. This role should be assigned to administrative staff who are assisting with the operation of a course.
Course Staff can
- Create and manage course content
- Grade student work and have overall access to grades
- Modify the course calendar
- See the full list of participants in the course
- Manage grading rubrics, assignments, and quizzes
- View, edit, and moderate all grades
- Manage course files, pages, and other course content
- Manage course sections and groups
- Post to and moderate discussions
- Send messages to individuals or the entire course
- View and comment on student submissions
- Publish and unpublish the course
Course Staff cannot
- Add or remove teachers, designers, or other TAs from the course
- Add or remove students from the course
Grader
Graders can
- View, edit, and moderate all grades
- Grade student work and have overall access to grades
- See the full list of participants in the course
- Manage grading rubrics
- Send messages to individuals or the entire course
- View and comment on student submissions
- View announcements, discussions, and group pages
Graders cannot
- Create or modify course content (access is limited or unavailable)
Designer
The Designer role creates and manages course content and can interact with students but has no access to student grades.
Designers can
- See the full list of participants in the course
- Modify the course calendar
Manage grading rubrics, assignments, and quizzes - Manage course files, pages, and other course content
- Manage course sections and groups
- Post to and moderate discussions
- Post announcements
- Send messages to individuals or the entire course
- Publish and unpublish the course
Librarian
The Librarian role is intended for librarians who provide course content such as links and readings. Visit the Library Reading List for more information about how the library can help make course readings available to students.
Teaching Librarians should be added with the Teacher role.
Librarians can
- See the full list of course participants
- Modify the course calendar
- Manage course files, pages, and other course content
- Post to discussions, but not manage or moderate discussions
- Send messages to individuals or the entire course
Librarians cannot
- Access student grades
- Post announcements
Student
Students can
- View course files, pages, and other course content
- See the list of other participants in the course if the People page has been made visible
- Send messages to Teachers, TAs, Course Staff, and Graders
- View announcements and participate in discussions
- Participate in assignments and assessments
- Be tracked in the grades area
Unregistered Student
Important: The Unregistered Student role should not be used to enrol students who are waitlisted for admission to the course.
The Unregistered Student role has similar permissions to the Student role. It is intended for students who will be active participants in the course but are not officially registered for credit.
Unregistered Students can
- View course files, pages, and other course content
- See the list of other participants in the course if the People page has been made visible
- Send messages to Teachers, TAs, Course Staff, and Graders
- View announcements and participate in discussions
- Participate in assignments and assessments
- Be tracked in the grades area
Observer
Observers have a limited role: they cannot participate in course activities and are not tracked in the grades area. This role is typically assigned to students reviewing course content in preparation for deferred exams.
Observers can
- View course content, including Modules, Pages, Assignments, Announcements, Discussions, Calendar, and files (unless they are locked)
- Join Collaborations, if invited
- Send conversation messages to course instructors and TAs
Observers cannot
- Submit assignments or quizzes
- Reply to discussions
- Join Groups
- Reserve appointment slots in the Scheduler
Note: Canvas documentation for the Observer role describes a feature that allows an instructor or admin to link an observer directly to one or more students, allowing the observer to view those students’ grades, assignments, and course interactions. This feature originates in K–12 Canvas, where it gives parents and guardians visibility into a child’s coursework. This is not a supported workflow at U of T.
Compare Course Roles
Use the table below to compare key permissions across Quercus course roles. Refer to the role descriptions above for more detailed information about each role.
| Permissions | Teacher | TA | Course Staff | Grader | Designer | Librarian | Student | Unregistered Student | Observer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Add and edit course content (e.g., Modules, Pages, ungraded Discussions) | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Create and edit assessments | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| View and grade student work | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Add and remove people | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |