How do waitlisted students appear in Canvas for instructors?

• Waitlisted students have the role Student-Waitlist. Enrolled students have the role Student.
• When a waitlisted student is enrolled in the class, their role changes automatically from Student-Waitlist to Student.
• Waitlisted students who are dropped from the waitlist and have interacted with the course may show a grey Inactive tag.
• Waitlisted students who had zero interaction with the course will be deleted completely

Do waitlisted students appear in the Gradebook?

No. Waitlisted students are based on Canvas's “Observer” role and do not appear in the Gradebook until they are registered and the enrollment role is automatically switched to “student”.

What happens when a student drops my course?

• Students who are dropped with no activity before the start of the term will be deleted and no longer listed in the People list. Students who are dropped after the term begins will remain in the People list with a grey Inactive tag.
• Inactive students can no longer access the course in any capacity.
• Inactive students do not appear in the Gradebook.

Students who drop after the term starts, or who have interacted with the course in any way, stay in the People list with an Inactive tag. Before the term begins, a regular cleanup process removes inactive students who have no course activity, so you may see them only briefly.

Will inactive students be removed from my course?

ATC may remove inactive enrollments that have no course activity. Safeguards are in place to prevent the deletion of any enrollment that contains student data.

How do students know they're waitlisted in a course?

Waitlisted students are automatically added to your Canvas course with view-only access. They can view course materials, but they cannot submit assignments, take quizzes, or participate in discussions. On their end, waitlisted courses feature a yellow "Waitlisted" tag on the dashboard and a yellow alert banner inside the course. Once a student officially registers, Canvas automatically updates their role to "Student," granting them full participation access.