Due Date Settings in Canvas

When you create an assignment in Canvas, that assignment will be assigned to all students in the course, unless you specify otherwise. To confirm which students are currently assigned:

1. Edit the assignment.
2. Locate the "Assign To” box.

The “Assign To” box will list Everyone by default. This means all students in the course are assigned that assignment, and the configured “Due” date and availability dates apply to all students.

You can also access the "Assign To" settings from many different locations in Canvas by clicking the Options icon (⋮) to the right of an assignment's name. In the pop-up menu, select Assign to... to display a panel that will slide-in from the right side of your screen.

Configure Multiple Due Dates for One Assignment

If you need to accommodate one or more students by assigning them a different due date than the rest of the class, you will need at least two “Assign To” boxes, and you can add as many as you need. Each “Assign to” box will correspond to a particular due date. If you have multiple students with the same alternate due date, they can each be added to one “Assign to” box.

Option #1: Start with Your Additional Due Dates

Start by configuring the due date for the individuals with unique due dates, not the one that applies to the rest of the class:

1. Choose the individual student’s name in the "Assign To” box. If you have multiple students with the same alternate due date, they can each be added to this box.
2. Set a duef date.
3. Add an “Available from” date in advance of the due date.
4. Add an “Until” date as needed.

Next, click the +Add button to add an additional “Assign to” box. Add a box for each unique due date you need. Remember, you’ll need at least two boxes if you’re assigning this activity to everyone in the class, but have multiple due dates.

To configure the due date for the rest of the class, add a final “Assign To” box and select Everyone. Everyone will change to Everyone Else if you already assigned a different due date for individual students.

Option #2: Start with the Due Date That Applies to Most Students in the Course

Alternately, you can start by assigning the activity to Everyone first. As you add another “Assign To” box, the original box will automatically change to Everyone Else.

Assign a Due Date for a Section

If your course has multiple Canvas sections (which you can setup from Settings > Sections) you can also choose to assign a due date to a section, instead of specific students. Each student in that section will be assigned the same due date.

For more information about setting up sections in Canvas, visit this Canvas Instructor guide.

Save Your Changes

Once you setup the assignment’s due dates or made any updates you’d like to keep, click Save to save your changes.

I Added Multiple Due Dates. Why Don’t I See Student Grades?

If you added multiple due dates to an assessment, but are not seeing grades for some students, check your “Assign To” boxes. This often occurs if you edit your original “Assign To” Everyone box, or forget to add one assigned to Everyone else. Once you add an “Assign To” box for Everyone else, the Gradebook will populate the grades for students that submitted the assessment.

A quick way to tell if an assessment is not assigned to a group of students is to look at the Gradebook. Canvas automatically changes the color of every other line in the grades table to make it easier to read, so they alternate white and gray. If you notice multiple students have a gray box for that assignment (that falls outside of the white/gray pattern) and no grade, it probably means the assignment is not assigned to those students.

Need Help?

To learn more about configuring assignment due dates in Canvas, visit the links below:

• Canvas Guides: How do I create an assignment?
• Canvas Guides: How do I assign an assignment to everyone in a course?
• Canvas Guides: How do I assign an assignment to an individual student?
• Canvas Guides: How do I assign an assignment to a course section?
• Canvas Guides: How do I assign an assignment to a course group?

If you’d like to talk to our Canvas Team, please fill out our instructional support form or visit our weekly Zoom office hours.