UMass Lowell retains five academic years of course records. Courses remain available to instructors in Canvas for three years, with an additional two years maintained in an archive. The current academic year is not included when calculating the five-year retention period.
Current Course Availability
| Current Academic Year | Available in Canvas | Removed from Canvas and archived (available upon request) | Deleted |
|---|---|---|---|
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Terms
- Canvas: The university learning management system. Courses and course-related data are available to instructors on Canvas for 3 years after the semester is over. Students only retain access to courses for 2 weeks after the term is complete. Course-related data only refers to what is in Canvas. Data and student activity that reside in 3rd-party tools and publisher sites are not within the scope of our course archives.
- Archives: The university keeps a web-based archive platform for Canvas courses and course-related data. We keep a secure backup of course materials and student activity, including assignment submissions and grades. Access to archived courses is available to section instructors upon request. Student data such as submissions and grades cannot be brought back to Canvas once archived.
- Academic Year: For archiving purposes, an academic year will include all terms from September through August.
Common Questions
- When do old courses get archived or deleted?
- Each fall, on the third Monday of October. Canvas and archives will be updated on this date so that only courses from the previous five academic years are kept on the systems.
- What should I do if I need to keep data from one of my courses?
- It is highly recommended that faculty collect any course materials, either for personal use or program accreditation, before courses are removed from Canvas and archived.
- What if something happens and I need data from a course that is already archived?
- To request access to archived courses, you will need to email: CanHelp@uml.edu with the course information and what data you need.