Using Canvas to Schedule Appointments with Students

Faculty can use the Canvas calendar to create appointment groups, which create a block of time where students can sign up to meet with you. This is useful for managing office hours, individual conferences with students, or group meetings with you. Students can sign up for appointment times in their own Canvas calendars or through the syllabus page in the course site.

Appointments display in your calendar after a student or group has reserved a time slot. Appointment details are also included when you export the calendar using the Calendar feed.

How to Create an Appointment Group

Appointment groups can be created for one class, or can be shared among various classes.

1. In the left-hand menu of Canvas, click the Calendar link.
2. Choose the date of the appointment group by clicking the date on the calendar. You can also do this at the top of the calendar by clicking the "+" button.
3. Click the Appointment Group tab.
4. Enter a title and location for the assignment group. We recommend using "Sign-ups" in the title of the assignment group to help students more easily locate it.
5. Choose the calendar(s) for the course(s) you want to be able to sign up for the appointment group. 
6. Enter the entire time range you want the appointment slots to cover on the selected day. If you want to include multiple days of time slots, you can enter each date and the entire time range per date here.
7. Enter how long you want each appointment to last in the "Divide into equal slots of" box, then click Go. Canvas will automatically create appointments of that length within the previously-set time range(s).
8. Use the Options area to set options like number of students per appointment and number of appointments per student.
9. Click Publish.

After you publish the appointment group, students will be able to sign up for time slots. Please note that if the student uses the Canvas calendar to access the appointment group, they will have to click the "Find Appointments" button on the right-hand side of the calendar to see the time slots.

More information about creating appointment groups can be found at the Canvas Instructor Guide.

How to View or Edit an Appointment Group

As a note, editing an appointment group can have unintended consequences, especially if students have already signed-up for some of the time slots. We recommend not editing assignment groups where students have already signed up for slots.

1. In the left-hand menu of Canvas, open the calendar by clicking the Calendar link. Unclaimed appointment spots will be listed in a light color, while claimed ones will be in a solid color.
2. Click any appointment spot in the group to open a menu that lists the class(es) for the appointment group, as well as the students that have signed up for that slot, if any.
3. Click the Group Details button to open the editing window for the assignment group.

How to Remove Students from a Time Slot

If necessary, students can be removed from a time slot.

1. In the left-hand menu of Canvas, open the calendar by clicking the Calendar link.
2. Find the appropriate time slot and click it.
3. Click the X next to the student you would like to remove from the time slot. You will be prompted for a reason for deletion, which you can leave blank if necessary.

Need additional help? Contact the HWS IT Services Digital Learning Team.