myCSUSM
Cougar Courses (Canvas) Student FAQ
Cougar Courses Support
For specific Cougar Courses questions (e.g. how do I submit an assignment, post to
a forum, check my grades), you can reach out to Canvas support via phone or chat.
In Cougar Courses, you will see a Question Mark icon ( ? ) on the bottom left navigation
that lists how to get support.
Non-Cougar Courses Support
For non-CC questions (e.g. I am getting a login error, I need to change my password, I forgot my password), you should contact the CSUSM Student Technology Help Desk by either emailing techsupport@csusm.edu, calling 760.750.4790, submitting a Ticket Online, or initiating a Teams Chat.
- How do I access Cougar Courses?
- How do I reset my password?The password/passphrase instructions will step you through the process. If you are still having issues, contact the CSUSM Student Technology Help Desk by either emailing techsupport@csusm.edu, calling 760.750.4790, submitting a Ticket Online, or initiating a Teams Chat.
- Is there an app for Canvas?
Canvas Student allows students to access their courses and groups using a mobile device. Students can submit assignments, participate in discussions, view grades and course materials. The app also provides access to course calendars, To Do items, notifications, and Conversations messages.
Canvas Student requires a Canvas account and is available for both Android and Apple iOS devices.
- How do I get support?
You can get help in a variety of ways.
CC Support
For specific CC questions (e.g. how do I submit an assignment, post to a forum, check my grades), you can reach out to Canvas support via phone or chat. In Cougar Courses, you will see a Question Mark Icon ( ? ) on the bottom left navigation that lists how to get support.
Non-CC Support
For non-CC questions (e.g. I am getting a login error, I need to change my password, I forgot my password), you should contact the CSUSM Student Technology Help Desk by either emailing techsupport@csusm.edu, calling 760.750.4790, submitting a Ticket Online, or initiating a Teams Chat.
- How do I contact my instructor?Cougar Courses has an internal Inbox in the global navigation that you can use to send a message to your instructor.
- How do I submit assignments or take a quiz?Canvas has many support guides available.
- Why can't I see my course(s)?
Your list of active courses can be found on the Dashboard after you log in to Cougar Courses.
Recently registered?- It can take up to 24 hours from the time you officially enroll in a course in MyCSUSM until you are added to the Cougar Courses container.
Registered more than 24 hours ago?
- If it has been over 24 hours since you officially enrolled through MyCSUSM, then the course might not have been published by the instructor yet. Instructors choose when to publish their course to students - some wait until the term officially starts and some wait until the day of the first class session. Please contact your instructor if you have questions about when they will publish their course.
- Why do I see an error "Canvas doesn't have an account for user" when I log in to Canvas?This message is displayed when your Cougar Courses account has not yet been created. For students, your account in Cougar Courses is created once you register for courses in MyCSUSM. Keep in mind it can take up to 24 hours from when you register for a course in MyCSUSM until you are added to Cougar Courses and the container.
- I just added a course in MyCSUSM, but I don't see it in Cougar Courses yet. Can you
give me access?It can take up to 24 hours after you officially register for you to be added to the container in Cougar Courses. Enrollments in CC are updated three times a day: 6:15am, 9:30am, and 2pm.
- How do I use the calendar to find assignment due dates?The Calendar is a great way to view what you have to do for all your courses in one place. Keep in mind that only activities with a set due date will be on the calendar. Always refer to your course syllabus for a complete list of course activities.
- How do I add a picture to my profile?There are three ways you can select a profile picture to use throughout Cougar Courses.
- How do I see my grades?The Grades page in a course displays grades that have been added by your instructor.
- How do I change my notifications?Cougar Courses includes a set of default notification preferences you can receive for your courses. You can customize your notification settings.
- How do I add my pronouns?You can add your pronouns in MyCSUSM, but unfortunately we don't have a method to automatically add them to CC yet. However, you can manually set your pronouns in CC, which will display after your name in various areas in CC.
- How do I change my display name?You cannot change your display name directly in Cougar Courses, However, changes made to your name in MyCSUSM will be reflected in Cougar Courses. Please see this page on preferred name changes. Please see this page on legal name changes.
- How long will I have access to my courses?By default, you will have access to your current courses for two weeks after grades are due. At that point you will no longer have access. Keep in mind your instructor may have manually changed this time period to either be longer or shorter.
- How can I get access to a past course?If you would like access to a past course that is no longer available, please contact your instructor. They will need to send a request to us (cchelp@csusm.edu) that details the course name and number, your name, and length of time you will need access.