Script to prevent overriding of term dates

[spipitone]

Does anyone have a script that prevents the overrriding of term dates when the adjust events and dates feature id used?

Thanks,

Steve Pipitone

Harcum College

[igustafson · Accepted solution]

@spipitone Id recommend checking here for some examples of what that might look like using API https://canvas.instructure.com/doc/api/enrollment_terms.html This should help provide what we allow in regards to adjustments  

[spipitone]

Thank you

[spipitone]

This is not necessarily a solution to the problem described.

[chriscas]

Hi @spipitone,

This issue has dogged us for years really.  Our CSM has said that if we have the "Don't let teachers modify course availability dates" account setting option enabled, it shouldn't be possible for the course dates to be modified.  We do have that option, but somehow we still have a few courses each semester where the course dates get adjusted.  We've never been able to track down exactly how this happens, as i we did i'd file it as a high-priority Canvas issue.  I ended up writing a python script that we run nightly which verifies course date settings, along with a few other setting we don't want teachers changing (and have javascript in place to try to prevent).  We want our courses set to term dates in almost every case, so the script can check that relatively easily.  It could also be set to fix things that are set differently, but we just have it display a warning right now, as there are some cases where course dates are manually changed by an admin.  If you're interested, I may be able to share some of the script (though it was made just for our use so it's not super well commented or anything at this point).  Let me know.

-Chris

[spipitone]

Hi Chris,

Even with the "Don't let teachers modify course availability dates" enabled, the term dates can be changed if teachers use dates that are different from the term dates when using the "Adjust course dates and events" feature when copying a course. I have reported the issue to Canvas, and I was told that the feature works the way it should. Thank you for the offer of your script, but I simply run a SIS Export report to see any dates that are changed, and I provide our instructors with the correct term dates to use when using using the  "Adjust course dates and events" feature.

Thanks,

Steve