SUNet IDs & Canvas Access

• If you are approved to take a graduate course, you will receive a course approval email with instructions on accessing your personal Stanford email address. This address will be available to you only in the quarters in which you are actively enrolled. The email will also contain instructions for creating a SUNet ID. Your SUNet is the first part of your Stanford email address. For example, if your Stanford email address is Jane@Stanford.edu, your SUNet ID will be “Jane.”

Once you've created your SUNet ID, within 24 hours you can log in to Canvas to access course materials.
Please note:

• Your course will appear on Canvas 24 hours before classes begin. It will not show up before that time.
• If you don’t see your course on Canvas within this time frame, contact stanfordonline-gradprograms@stanford.edu for assistance.
• Recordings will be available to livestream between 30 minutes and an hour after a lecture ends. Downloadable recordings may take longer to become available.

 

Canvas Frequently Asked Questions

Why can’t I see my course materials in Canvas?

If you're unable to see your course material in Canvas, follow the steps below to troubleshoot:

1. Confirm that:
   • You’ve received your course approval email.
   • You’ve created your SUNet ID.
   • It’s less than 24 hours before the first class.
2. If you’ve completed these steps and still can’t see your course, please contact stanfordonline-gradprograms@stanford.edu for help.

Please note: You will not have access to the first lecture until approximately 30 minutes to an hour after it concludes. Downloadable recordings may take longer to become available.

 

I can see my course, but I can't access videos.

Lecture videos are available through Panopto on Canvas. If you're having trouble with the videos, contact panoptohelp@stanford.edu for assistance.

Remember: Zoom links for class will appear only a few minutes before the class starts.

I have access to Canvas but not Ed Discussion or Gradescope.

If you can see your course in Canvas but don’t have access to Ed Discussion or Gradescope, please contact your course's teaching team directly.

 

Setting Up Your Computer and Viewing Graduate Courses

Once you enroll in a graduate course and have a SUNet ID, you can:

• Live stream your course on your desktop or mobile device.
• View video on demand (VOD) usually within 20 minutes after class end time.
• Download files to your desktop to view videos without an Internet connection.
• Speed through content at your own pace with variable speed playback.
• Smart search for any word that is spoken, shows up in a slide or is legibly written on a white board.

Need Assistance?

 

Accessing and Downloading Course Materials

The Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization Act of 2002, known as the TEACH Act, allows you to download courses to desktops and laptops but not mobile devices. Lectures are viewable live during the scheduled class times and available for download approximately 20-30 minutes after the class end times.

Once you download videos and lectures, you can watch videos within the current academic quarter in which you are enrolled. And you agree that you WILL NOT:

• Share
• Upload to the Internet or anywhere other than your own device(s) for your own personal use
• Sell or distribute
• Edit or alter the content in any way

Please note that by downloading lecture videos you are agreeing to adhere to the TEACH Act and the Stanford Honor Code and at the conclusion of the academic quarter you are required to delete all downloaded videos. Distribution of this content is a major violation of the Stanford Student Honor Code. If found in violation of copyright law,  penalties can reach fines up to $150,000.

 

System Requirements:

PC

• Operating System: Windows 7+
• Supported Browsers: HTML5 supported web browsers, most recent versions of Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge
• Internet Connection: requires a reliable high-speed connection

MAC

• Operating System: Mac OS X version 10.11+, iOS 6+, PPC-based NOT supported
• Supported Browsers: HTML5 supported web browsers, most recent versions of Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari
• Internet Connection: requires a reliable high-speed connection

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can I contact for problems with my Stanford email address?

We recommend trying to access your email by launching webmail. If you experience any issues, you may submit a help ticket.

What is available for instant playback and download?

Lectures are available for playback and download approximately 20-30 minutes after class end time.

When downloading, how much space will videos/lectures take up on my device(s)?

Downloaded video lecture file space varies depending on the length of the lecture. Downloaded files range from 700MB to over 1GB.

Can I watch my course lecture live?

Live lectures are only accessible for those enrolled in a course via canvas.stanford.edu.
Live/on-demand class recordings and Zoom links can be found under the Panopto Course videos link within Canvas. Zoom links will not appear until a few minutes before the start of class.

Where do I find the live schedule for my class?

You can view the day and time that your class meets by logging in to your mystanfordconnection account, visiting “Current Courses,” and then clicking on the CGOE: Online Course Schedule link.

How can I improve video buffering issues?

Your lecture videos use adaptive bitrate streaming which detects a users' bandwidth and CPU capacity in real-time to adjust the quality of the lecture video stream accordingly. This should result in very little buffering.

How do I clear the browser’s cache and cookies?

(Note: This will clear cookies from all sites.)

Find your browser from the list below and follow the instructions. Be sure to exit/quit all browser windows and reopen the browser before attempting to access the site again. If you do not see instructions below for your specific version or browser, search your browser's Help menu for "clear cache" or "clear cookies." If you are using an older browser, updating your browser may help resolve your technical issues.

Google Chrome: 

1. At the top right, click More.
2. Click More tools > Clear browsing data (Ctrl+Shift+Del).
3. At the top, choose a time range. To delete everything, select All time.
4. Next to "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files," check the boxes.
5. Click Clear data

Firefox:

1. Select History from the browser menu, click on Clear Recent History (Ctrl + Shift + Del).
2. In the dialog that appears, select only the options for Cookies and Cache.
3. In the Time range to clear: drop-down menu, select Everything.
4. Click the Clear Now button.

Safari:

1. Click on the Safari menu, select Preferences, and then select the Advanced tab.
2. Select: Show Develop menu in menu bar.
3. Now from the Develop menu, select Empty Caches.
4. Click on the Safari menu, select Preferences, and then select the Privacy tab.
5. Click the Manage Website Data option below the Cookies and website data section.
6. Search for any Stanford related cookies (Canvas, scpd.stanford.edu), and then click Remove or Remove All to delete all stored cookies.
7. Click Done to save the changes.