Setting up your Canvas profile and configuring your notification preferences can help you use Canvas more efficiently.

Profile

Filling out a Canvas profile is optional but an excellent way to share information about yourself. Any Canvas user in your courses can see your profile if they click on your name.

Consider the type of persona you wish to convey and carefully choose the information you will share. It’s a best practice to use discretion and present yourself well.

Go to Account > Profile in your global navigation to adjust your:

  • Profile Picture: Upload a picture or take a picture
  • Contact Methods: List email addresses and phone numbers
  • Biography: Share information about yourself and your academic interests
  • Links: Link to web content you’ve created or that’s connected to you in some way

Be sure to list at least one email address under Contact Methods. An email address is required for Canvas notifications and third-party tools to function properly within your account.

Go to Account > Settings in your global navigation to adjust your:

  • Pronouns: Indicate your pronouns that display after your name
  • Language: Display your preferred language
  • Time Zone: Show your time zone
  • Accessibility Settings: Enable high-contrast mode and/or dyslexia-friendly fonts

You may record your name pronunciation using NameCoach. We recommend setting this up by clicking Account > Namecoach Account Profile.

Name changes

Canvas uses data from Path@Penn. If you wish to change your first name in Canvas, you must edit your Preferred First Name in Path@Penn. These changes carry over to Canvas.

Before updating your preferred name, learn which Penn systems will default to your preferred name from Student Registration & Financial Services. This page also contains information about how to change your legal name in Penn’s student systems.

Follow these steps to set your preferred name:

  1. Visit Path@Penn.
  2. Under My Profile, select Update my personal information.
  3. Select Edit and update the Preferred First Name field.
  4. Select Update.

If it has been more than 24 hours since you edited your Preferred First Name in Path@Penn and still needs to be updated in Canvas, contact canvas@pobox.upenn.edu.

Notifications

Canvas email, text, and push notifications can help you stay informed about your courses. When your Canvas account is created, default notification preferences are set.

To customize your notification preferences, go to Account > Notifications:

  • All of your available contact methods will appear. 
  • Select the frequency of the listed notification for each of your contact methods.
  • Hover over the activity name to see what activities are included in the notification trigger.
  • Customize general notifications under Account and use the dropdown menu to customize course-level notifications.

Each individual Canvas user sets their own notification preferences. Be sure that your notifications are enabled according to your instructors’ expectations to ensure that you receive course updates.

Global Announcements

Occasionally, a blue info box appears at the top of your Canvas Dashboard. This is a global announcement, and it is used to share important information, such as:

  • Maintenance-related outages for tools used in Canvas
  • Penn events and services of interest

A global announcement will disappear when it is no longer relevant. You can also remove it by clicking on the X in the upper-right corner. If you want to see it again, click on Profile > Global Announcements.

Additional Resources

Getting Help

Please contact your Local Support Provider or submit a request to canvas@pobox.upenn.edu.