Students can access Canvas through:

• My Miami
• The Canvas website
  • Take the time to look around the portal page paying particular attention to the training and resources available
• The Canvas app

Bookmark all relevant pages for future use. Review the Canvas guide titled "What are the browser and computer requirements for Canvas?” to confirm you have the correct requirements for Canvas to work properly.

Canvas is the learning management system (LMS) used to facilitate delivery of courses at all Miami University campuses. The Canvas Student Guides are intended to introduce you to the most commonly used features of Canvas.

• Canvas Student Guides by Instructure
• Canvas Video Resources for Students
  • Setting your Notification Preferences
  • Creating your User Settings and Profile Picture
• Miami University Regionals E-Campus Student Resources

Course activity due dates by default are set to display in Eastern Time (EST/EDT). To avoid time zone confusion, set Canvas to display your local time zone.  Displaying dates in your local time may help you stay up to date on assignments and due dates, especially if your course time zone differs significantly from where you reside. 

For more information about time zones and which time zone you are located in, please visit the Time and Date website.

View the Miami University Academic Calendar for important dates, including first and last days of classes, add and drop dates, holidays and breaks, registration deadlines, and more.

In order to facilitate a positive online experience and avoid unnecessary stress throughout the course, it is VERY important to have and use a technology plan for success in the online learning environment.

• Review the Canvas guide for browser and computer system requirements for using Canvas.
• Locate a microphone and webcam if needed for your course.
• Utilize an updated computer/laptop with high-speed internet access. 
• ​Identify a second computer to be used in case your primary computer has a functionality issue such as software, hardware, Internet access, etc. Campus computer labs, libraries, and local libraries are a great resource for free computer and internet access.
• Contact the Technology Services Departments at Miami University Regionals if you have technical questions or need assistance.
• Install and maintain an antivirus software application and regular computer updates to protect the functionality of your workstation.
• Confirm technical and software requirements for all courses at the beginning of the term, well before they are needed for coursework.
• Make sure to give yourself adequate time to complete assignments and tests.  It is important when working with time-sensitive online activities to set aside extra time to allow for upload, download, or submission prior to assignment deadlines.
• Set a location where you store your coursework, as well as a secondary backup location (ie, flash drive, Google drive, etc).  Remember to save your digital work frequently. 
• Visit Infobase Learning Cloud for on-demand training resources related to common software such as Google Apps, Microsoft Office, Adobe, and workshops such as resume writing, interviewing, completing the FAFSA, plagiarism and how to be successful in online courses.

Network etiquette or “Netiquette” includes the rules of acceptable behavior for online communication. In other words, it's all about how you present yourself in an online environment. Netiquette extends to email, chat, and discussion boards. 

• Use only proper, respectful, and appropriate language.  Even common slang may come across poorly or be misunderstood.
  • Avoid all caps. 
  • Be cautious when using humor and sarcasm.  
  • Avoid using social media text types, such as emojis and abbreviations.  
• When offering constructive criticism, remember to say it in a positive and encouraging manner. 
• Understand that you may disagree with your classmates or your instructor, but that exposure to alternative perspectives and insights is an important part of the learning experience.
• Avoid generalizations.  Explain your ideas, offer details, and strengthen your arguments with facts and reliable citations.
• Ask for clarification, so as to avoid misinterpretation.
• Review what you’ve written. Consider multiple perspectives before you post.  Remember… you are communicating with real people on the other side of the screen; people with feelings and struggles and efforts to do their best, too, just like you. 

All course activities are designed to be educational experiences.  If you have concerns about your privacy with any activity, please contact your course instructor for guidance.  In general, be careful to not reveal personal information, data, or schedules online, and be mindful of items that are published for public viewing. Please make sure to use your Miami Google account instead of your personal Google accounts to protect your privacy.

If you are a student with a disability and feel you may need a reasonable accommodation to fulfill the essential functions of this course, you are encouraged to contact Student Disability Services (SDS). SDS provides accommodations and services for students with a variety of disabilities, including physical, medical, and psychiatric disabilities. You are encouraged to contact SDS to learn more about registration and procedures for requesting accommodations.

• Oxford Campus: SDS@miamioh.edu
• Hamilton Campus: MUHODS@miamioh.edu
• Middletown Campus: MUMDC@miamioh.edu

Current SDS registered students should request accommodations according to SDS procedure. You are strongly encouraged to request and discuss your accommodations during the first 1-2 weeks of the course.

Academic Integrity is at the heart of the mission and values of the university and is an expectation of all students. Maintaining academic integrity is both a reflection of your character and a means to ensure that you are achieving the outcomes of this course and that your grades accurately reflect your learning and understanding of the course material.

As a Miami student, the University has high expectations for you and your future. Because of this, we want you to understand ways in which you can maintain the high standards we have set. Visit the Choose Integrity page and review the Miami University Academic Integrity Policy and Academic Integrity Student Resources pages.

What is plagiarism?

Plagiarism is using someone else’s words or work and presenting it as your own. Sometimes it’s deliberate and sometimes it’s accidental. Please refer to the links below for helpful resources to avoid plagiarism and maintain academic integrity. You will need to log in with your Miami credentials to view the videos.

• View this Video on Academic Integrity. 
• View this Video on Academic Plagiarism
• Academic Integrity

As of July 1, 2017 nearly all employees of Miami University have a Duty to Report Harassment and Discrimination. We are deeply committed to finding ways to effectively prevent, reduce and respond to discrimination and harassment, including sexual misconduct and interpersonal violence. This change is intended to create a more aware, responsive, and safer community. By asking all employees to report, we will be able to respond more effectively when a member of our community experiences such misconduct. Visit the Office of Equity and Equal Opportunity to learn more about Title IX or to make a report online.

Miami University Regionals E-Campus is dedicated to providing a supportive atmosphere for students, faculty, staff, and local community members about diverse issues as they relate to race, ethnicity, gender, age, ability level, socioeconomic level, sexual orientation, religion, spirituality, and more. Through valuing our own diversity and the diversity of others, we seek to learn from one another, foster a sense of shared experience, and commit to making the University the intellectual home for us all. Read the University Statement Asserting Respect for Human Diversity and visit the Miami University Regionals Diversity and Multicultural Services page to learn more about the programs offered by this office.

Please familiarize yourself with the Miami University Student Policy Library as well as Miami University Publications and Policies.