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Pepperdine Canvas LMS

Canvas LMS at Pepperdine University

Overview

Pepperdine Canvas has been selected as Pepperdine University's next learning management system (LMS). Pepperdine Canvas will foster powerful learning experiences for our students and faculty. Starting Fall 2025, Pepperdine Canvas will replace the Courses/Sakai system for delivering online, hybrid, and in-person academic programs.

Transition Plan

Pepperdine Canvas
Pepperdine Canvas brings digital learning to life.

Go to Pepperdine Canvas


Pepperdine Canvas will be Pepperdine's new, primary LMS. It will replace Courses/Sakai and will be available for all schools across the University. The majority of academic programs will use Pepperdine Canvas starting Fall 2025.

Digital Campus
Digital Campus powered by 2U partnership.

Go to Digital Campus


Digital Campus is the LMS used by 2U-partnered programs in the College of Health Science (CHS) and select programs at the Caruso School of Law (CSOL) and Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP).

Documentation and Support

Instructor Resources

Instructor at a whiteboard.

Canvas Faculty Guides

 

Top 10 Solutions for Faculty

  1. Add your Syllabus (or Pepperdine Syllabus for PGBS, PCHS, and other select school programs) and then Publish your class site so that students can see and access it.
  2. Customize Your Courses List to hide older class sites.
  3. Add or hide tools with ease through "Settings" and then "Navigation."
  4. Use the People tool to review your class list or add a teaching assistant. Note: Use the WaveNet Photo Roster to get to know your students, and encourage your students to upload a Pepperdine Canvas profile photo.
  5. Use Announcements to send a message to all students.
  6. Add Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes to populate your Gradebook. Use SpeedGrader to simplify the assessment of student work.
  7. Add Files and Folders to store and organize your class documents. (Tip: Keep the Files tool hidden from students! Link to your files in Pages or Modules.)
  8. Create and publish Pages and Modules to structure and share your class content.
  9. Use the Accessibility Checker to resolve issues for all learners.
  10. Explore Course Analytics to assess student engagement and activity.

Faculty Training Videos

The following videos are from our initial pilot and are limited to current Pepperdine University faculty and staff (University login required). 

Student Resources

Student graduation cap.

Canvas Student Guides

 

Top 5 Solutions for Students

#1 Issue: "I can't find my class site."

Please check the following before contacting support:

  • Did you just register? Enrollment updates take 4 hours to 1 business day.
  • Has your professor published the class? Check your "Courses" menu and select "All Courses." You won't see any sites that are "unpublished" by your instructor. Please consult with your instructors.
  • Are you accessing the correct "Canvas"? Most schools use Pepperdine Canvas, but select online programs use Digital Campus. Visit the correct LMS for your program; see the login options above.
  • Did you select the correct mobile app "school"? Does your school or program use Pepperdine Canvas? Select "Pepperdine University" as your mobile app school. Using Digital Campus instead? Select "Pepperdine University - Digital Campus."
  • Have you cleaned up your Dashboard? Over time, the number of classes will accumulate. You can "favorite" your most recent classes and hide older classes to organize your Dashboard. Learn to customize your Courses list.
  #2. "I'm having an issue with Zoom Pro or a Zoom class recording link." (select to expand)
Zoom Pro or Class Recording Link issue?

Please check the following before contacting support:

  • Did you sign up for Pepperdine Zoom Pro? If you use Pepperdine Canvas and haven't signed up for Pepperdine Zoom yet, please register your Pepperdine Zoom account. Once registered, please log in to the app with your Pepperdine account. If you are using Digital Campus, be sure to log in with your Digital Campus (2U) Zoom.
  • Is your browser blocking Zoom Pro? The Zoom Pro tool in Pepperdine Canvas must be able to communicate with Zoom. Some browsers block cross-site connections, and some may block pop-ups. Enable these options in your browser if you experience issues. Refer to Zoom Troubleshooting. 
  • Are you accessing the correct Zoom? Most schools and programs will use Pepperdine Zoom. Some online programs will use the separate Digital Campus (2U) Zoom service. Be sure to use the correct account based on your program.
  • Zoom Recording link not working? Class recordings are confidential academic records and must be protected. You will need to log in with the appropriate Zoom account to access a recording. Sign into Pepperdine Zoom or Digital Campus (2U) Zoom before accessing a class recording, or check with your instructor on any access permissions/requirements.
  #3. "My professors say they can't read my files." (select to expand)
Can your professor access your files?
  • Read your assignment instructions carefully or consult with your instructors on the file types they will support. Most professors expect submissions in MS Word or PDF format. Some professors will be unable to open or read Apple Pages files. Pepperdine students are eligible for a free version of Microsoft Office, and most applications can save or export documents into other formats, such as Microsoft Word or PDF.
  • If you are sharing a Google Doc, be sure that you have granted the appropriate sharing permissions, such as "Commenter" or "Editor" for your instructors to leave comments or make suggestions.
  #4. "How can I learn the basics of using the Canvas LMS?" (select to expand)
Learn Canvas LMS Basics

Visit the Instructure Canvas Student Guide to explore other features of the LMS.

  #5. "What browser should I use and how do I 'clear my cache'?" (select to expand)
Use a Supported Web Browser

While Instructure Canvas LMS supports multiple browsers, we recommend using Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome for the best experience. Refer to the Instructure Canvas LMS Technical Requirements for other details.

Clear Your Browser Cache or Cookies

Many website issues can be resolved by clearing your browser cache or cookies.

Technical Support

Pepperdine Canvas

Access the built-in help by selecting the Help menu (bottom left menu on a computer, top left menu in the app). You will find the following options:

  • Live Chat: Launch a chat session with a live support agent 24/7 to assist you.
  • Phone: Call the Canvas support line. This phone number is specific to Pepperdine Canvas only.
  • Guides: Access Canvas LMS guides for students and instructors. Additional guides and videos are available in the Support button at the right of the screen.

Professors may also schedule an instructor consultation with Technology & Learning.

Students may also contact Tech Central (see below).

Digital Campus

Access the built-in help by selecting the Help menu in Digital Campus. You will find the following options:

  • AI Chat: Launch an automated chat session to help with common issues.
  • Phone: Call the Digital Campus support line. This resource is dedicated to Digital Campus and 2U Zoom only.
  • Knowledge Center: Access help articles about using Digital Campus.

Professors may also consult with the Pepperdine Center for Digital Learning (check with your program lead).

Students will use the support information above for Digital Campus and 2U Zoom guidance.

Frequently Asked Questions

  Who can access Pepperdine Canvas LMS?

Pepperdine Canvas (canvas.pepperdine.edu) is intended to support the academic mission of Pepperdine University. All current/active students, faculty, and staff are provisioned for Pepperdine Canvas access.

Who cannot access Pepperdine Canvas?

  • Applicants (students who have not been matriculated as official students)
  • Alumni (graduated students with disabled University network accounts)
  • Former employees (separated faculty and staff with disabled University network accounts)
  • Outside users (non-Pepperdine University students, faculty, and staff)

Any school that wishes to collaborate with someone who does not have a current University network account may consult with Human Resources about options to explore for engaging consultants or persons of interest.

  When will Pepperdine Canvas launch?

Starting Fall 2025, all schools and faculty using Courses/Sakai should transition to Pepperdine Canvas LMS. Learn more at the LMS Transition page.

  Is Pepperdine Canvas the same as Digital Campus?

No. While both services use the Instructure Canvas LMS platform, they are separate instances with separate support options.

  • Pepperdine Canvas (canvas.pepperdine.edu) is the new primary LMS for Pepperdine University. Pepperdine Canvas replaces Courses/Sakai starting Fall 2025.
  • Digital Campus (available at 2uciam.onelogin.com/login) is a separate service used by select schools and programs only.

Please refer to the Overview for more information, and see Technical Support for help resources.

  Can I use third-party tools in Pepperdine Canvas?

Several third-party tools will be available for all instructors in all academic programs as the University transitions to Pepperdine Canvas. These tools include:

  • Zoom Pro
  • Turnitin
  • Panopto
  • H5P
  • Library Guides

Select schools may have specialty tools available based on their own licenses.

Although Pepperdine Canvas LMS offers many other options for integrating additional third-party tools, we must focus our efforts on a successful transition. Given limited resources and time, we cannot explore additional third-party tools during the transition phase. Third-party tools will be revisited starting in Spring 2026. We appreciate the community’s understanding.

 

 

Tech Central

Phone: 310.506.4357 (HELP)

Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year

Technology Service Request Forms

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