[Course Settings] Do not allow course end date prior to start date

This idea has been developed and deployed to Canvas LMS

In the course settings, it is possible to set the course end date prior to the course start date. It seems that this should not be permitted. Or, at a minimum, a warning icon should appear alerting the user making manual changes to the course settings that this has occurred. Many schools manually copy course content in from other courses - including the settings. The instructor then updates the course start date, but fails to update the course end date, which results in the course end date being prior to the start date.

 

The potential impact of this is that if the 'only allow users to participate between these dates' option is checked in the course settings, an instructor may unintentionally block students from accessing the course and/or conclude the course based on the end date.

20 Comments
Renee_Carney
Community Team
Community Team

 @Kim_AspirEDU ​

This idea will definitely move forward for voting.  Will you please also submit a support ticket?  I feel like this should be reported as a bug as well.

Thank you.

Kim_AspirEDU
Partner
Partner
Author

Will do! Thanks, Renee!

jordan
Instructure Alumni
Instructure Alumni

This idea is now open for voting! 😉

rlawson
Community Novice

An error message to alert the instructor will help solve this issue. Inadvertently, instructors put wrong end dates for sections causing issues of students accessing the course. You have my vote for this request. 

Sherri_Parker
Community Novice

This has absolutely been a consistent problem for us.  We have to run reports regularly to identify courses where dates have changed. 

csalazar
Instructure Alumni
Instructure Alumni

santa panda.jpg

kona
Community Coach
Community Coach

Can I guess that the Community - Tis the Season in Community - might be getting this as a gift this year??? Smiley Happy

scottdennis
Instructure
Instructure

Guesses are free, Kona...   Smiley Happy

csalazar
Instructure Alumni
Instructure Alumni

Only one feature wouldn't really fill the space under the tree now would it?  @kona ​ needs to learn how to think bigger. Smiley Happy

James
Community Champion

Maybe Kona uses a Bonsai tree?