One last SmartSite task for students: Copying any coursework they want to keep

Before students say goodbye to SmartSite at the end of spring quarter 2017, there’s one more thing they should do: Save copies of any coursework stored in SmartSite that they want to keep from their previous classes.

They can retrieve copies until July 14 (see instructions). After spring quarter wraps up, UC Davis will stop using SmartSite for instruction, and students will not have access to anything stored in old SmartSite course sites.

The campus is replacing SmartSite with UC Davis Canvas, which 85 percent of instructors already use. SmartSite can still be used for project sites until sometime in the 2017-18 academic year, and instructors will retain archival access to their old SmartSite course sites for at least the next few years.

But except for the project sites, SmartSite is about to exit students’ lives for good.

Copying coursework in UC Davis Canvas

Students can also keep copies of materials they submit via UC Davis Canvas. The best approach is to retrieve materials at the end of each term, because students won’t be able to access the materials indefinitely.

“By default, students have read-only access to their course sites in UC Davis Canvas after a term ends, as long as they continue to be a registered student at UC Davis,” said Todd Van Zandt, who manages learning management systems for Information and Educational Technology. “However, an instructor can choose to override this default and restrict access to a course site after a term is over.

“As a best practice, we advise students to save copies of any materials they expect to want after the term ends. They can access materials they submit within a course site by accessing the Files area within their Account tab. This guide goes into more detail.”

If you need a location to store your copies, Van Zandt said, a cloud storage service, external hard drive, or personal computer can all be good options.