Overview
Some Canvas courses—such as Interprofessional Education, Corporate and Professional Development (Workforce Development), or other non-credit learning experiences—are offered to participants who do not have Ferris credentials.
This article explains:
- The process for requesting the addition of participant accounts for individuals who do not have a Ferris.edu account.
- Instructions for how these participants log into Canvas once enrolled.
Prerequisites
- You have access to a Canvas course intended for non-credit or special access participants.
- The participants do not have a Ferris.edu email address.
Please Note: The training instance of Canvas was discontinued as of July 1, 2025. All active courses now reside in the regular instance of Canvas. Employees should use their Ferris credentials to access Canvas via the link on the Ferris homepage or Ferris360.
Resolution
Step 1: Request Account Setup
The department or instructor must email eLearning@ferris.edu with the following:
- A link to the Canvas course shell.
- A list of participant names (first and last).
- The non-Ferris email addresses for each participant.
The eLearning team will then add the participants directly to the course shell.
Step 2: Participant Access
Once accounts are added:
- Participants will receive an email from instructure.com with instructions to set their password.
- After setting their password, they must log in using this link: Access Canvas with a Non-Ferris Email Address.
If a participant cannot access the course, they should email eLearning@ferris.edu with details about the issue (including the course title or link).
Note: The Canvas link on the Ferris homepage will not work for participants without Ferris credentials. They must use the special login link above.
Draft Email
Subject: Canvas Access Instructions for Your Course
Hello [Participant Name],
You have been enrolled in a Ferris State University Canvas course. Because you do not have Ferris credentials, please follow the steps below to access the course:
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Go to https://ferris.instructure.com/login/canvas
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Log in with the email address where you received this message.
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The first time you log in, check your email for a message from instructure.com with instructions to set your password. (Be sure to check your Spam/Junk folder if you don’t see it.)
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After setting your password, return to the link above and log in.
If you forget your password, you can use the Forgot Password? option on the login page to reset it.
If you run into any issues accessing the course, please email eLearning@ferris.edu and include your course title and a brief description of the problem.
Best regards,
[Your Name / Department]