Managing Student Messaging in ELMS-Canvas Via EMT


Students enrolled in term-based courses, as well as non-term-based courses such as Open Learning courses and those made with the EMT Create Organization tool, have full access to the messaging capabilities of the ELMS Inbox Conversion tool. In addition to communicating with instructors and TAs, the tool can be used to communicate with individual students or all students enrolled in their courses.

Compose Message window in the Canvas Conversation tool

EMT manage student messaging permissions

Using the Manage Student Messaging Permissions tool and the Manage Student Messaging Permissions, Non-term Based Courses tool in the ELMS Management Tool (EMT), instructors can manage students' ability to message other students.  These tools provide the following options:

Managing messaging permissions for term-based courses

To manage messaging permissions in ELMS-Canvas term-based courses using EMT, follow these steps:

  1. Go to https://emt.umd.edu. Log in with your Directory credentials.
  2. Click on the Manage Students Messaging Permissions link.
  3. Select a Term from the term menu.
  4. Click on the Load courses from SIS button.
  5. Click once on the course for which you wish to manage student messaging permissions. Click the go button.
  6. Select the student messaging permission you wish to apply to this ELMS-Canvas course.

    Select the student messaging permission radio button.

  7. Click the Update student messaging permissions button. This request can take up to two hours to complete.

Managing messaging permissions for non-term based courses

Note:  If you change the role of students in an Open Learning (Catalog) course to Student to individual student(s) only or No student-to-student messaging, then students can no longer drop a course. This is due to Open Learning only being able to see/use the Student role.

To manage permissions for courses delivered through Open Learning (Open Catalog), or that are created using the Create Organizations tool, follow these steps:

  1. Go to https://emt.umd.edu. Log in with your Directory credentials.
  2. Click on the Manage Student Messaging Permissions, Non-term Based Courses link.
  3. Select a Term from the term menu and choose between Catalog, Organization, Non-Credit Workshop/Course or Non-Term Based Course.
  4. Click on the Load courses from Canvas button.
  5. Click once on the course for which you wish to manage student messaging permissions. Click the go button.

    Select course type in Manage Students for Non-term based courses
  6. Select the student messaging permission you wish to apply to this ELMS-Canvas course.
  7. Click the Update student messaging permissions button. This request can take up to two hours to complete.