Overview
The Canvas disruption in May of 2026 was a reminder that, even when things usually run smoothly, unexpected issues can happen. Although an event like that is unlikely to occur again, it highlighted the value of having a simple plan, just in case. Canvas maintains extensive backup and disaster recovery processes, including regular backups and data replication, but access may still be unavailable during a major outage or security incident while recovery efforts are underway.
Downloading grades remains the one backup strategy recommended for all instructors. Beyond that, some instructors may choose to preserve additional records such as student submissions, rubric assessments, or quiz reports for accreditation, assessment, grade review, research, or other instructional purposes. This guide outlines several optional strategies for saving student-generated content and assessment data.
Educators often build flexibility into their teaching with "plan B" approaches, and this guide follows that same idea. It offers a range of options with estimated times, so you can choose what works best for your course. Use it to create a backup plan that feels manageable and gives you peace of mind.
Download Grades
Refer to the Download Grades guide on the CETL Canvas website.
Minimum recommendation: Download grades at least twice each term, once at midterm and again after final grades have been submitted.
Additional recommendation: Download grades more frequently, especially after substantial grading activity.
Estimated time: Five minutes per course.
Download Student Assignment Submissions
Canvas allows instructors to download all submissions for an assignment as a ZIP file. Depending on the submission type, downloads may include uploaded documents, text-entry submissions, website URLs, and OneDrive submissions. If a student submitted multiple attempts, only the most recent submission is included in the ZIP file.
Refer to the How do I download all student submissions for an assignment in the Gradebook? guide.
Optional strategy: Prioritize major projects, research papers, presentations, portfolios, and other assignments that may be difficult to recreate or that support program assessment and accreditation activities.
Storage recommendation: Save submission ZIP files to a Student Submissions folder within each course folder in OneDrive.
Estimated time: One to five minutes per assignment.
Estimated time: One to five minutes per assignment.
Download Rubric Assessments
Canvas allows instructors to bulk download rubric assessment results as a CSV file from the Gradebook. The export includes rubric criteria and student scores and can be useful for assessment reporting and accreditation documentation.
Refer to the How do I download rubric assessments using Enhanced Rubrics? guide.
Optional strategy: Prioritize assignments used for program outcomes assessment, accreditation reporting, or department-level evaluation.
Storage recommendation: Save rubric assessment CSV files to OneDrive in a Rubrics folder within each course folder.
Estimated time: One to three minutes per assignment.
Save Quiz Statistics and Analysis Reports
Quiz statistics and analysis reports can provide valuable assessment data for course improvement, accreditation activities, program review, and other reporting needs. Depending on whether you use Classic Quizzes or New Quizzes, Canvas provides reports that can be downloaded as CSV files and saved outside Canvas. Refer to the following guides:
- Classic quizzes: Once I publish a quiz, what kinds of quiz statistics are available?
- New quizzes: How do I view reports for a quiz in New Quizzes?
Optional strategy: Prioritize high-stakes exams, certification-related assessments, common departmental assessments, and quizzes used to evaluate course effectiveness.
Storage recommendation: Save downloaded reports to OneDrive.
Estimated time: One to five minutes per quiz.
Save Important Discussion Replies
Canvas does not provide a simple method for exporting discussion replies.
Optional strategy: Prioritize discussions that demonstrate achievement of course outcomes, serve as signature assignments, or may be needed for accreditation, assessment, or research purposes.
Storage recommendation: Save PDFs, screenshots, or copied discussion content in a Word document and upload to OneDrive.
Estimated time: Varies depending on discussion size.