[People] Set a Merged User Account as the Default

[cassidy_vela]

Problem statement:

We use an external system (Eduframe) that creates new user accounts in Canvas when users enroll through that system. To mitigate confusion for our existing Canvas users, if they enroll through this system and already have an account, we merge the new account with their existing account as the master. This results in two separate Logins each with their own SIS ID. Some issues we have run into due to this:

• Reports sometimes have the external system's SIS ID rather than their University SIS ID for enrollment and user records. This makes it difficult to map user data with our SIS.
• We use another external system (Watermark CES) for course evaluations that pulls Canvas users each semester based on their Logins. When this system pulls the external login rather than their University login, we have to manually reconcile the duplicate records each semester. This is duplicate work and takes a long time.

Proposed solution:

I believe allowing admins to set one login as the default for reports, enrollments, and API exports would solve this issue. As Canvas gets more and more partners, conflicts like this are bound to happen, and I believe this solution would help future-proof the system as it continues to integrate with other solutions.

User role(s):

admin