Faculty and staff can request Special Use course sites for non-credit-related projects and support. These sites can only be used by Illinois State University employees and enrolled students. Other options are available for cases where users outside of Illinois State University need to participate, such as Comevo or Microsoft Teams. 

If you would like to learn more about Special Use sites and the alternatives available to you, please visit the page Canvas Special Use Sites on the Center for Integrated Professional Development website. 

Self-Enrolling in Special Use Sites

1. Click on the self-enroll link on the Fundamentals for Faculty Course page 
2. Login using your ULID and Password.
3. Check the course title and confirm that you're enrolling in the correct course
4. Select the Enroll in Course button.
5. The course will now be available on your Canvas Dashboard, and you can begin working through the course. 

The Fundamentals for Faculty courses are Self-Enrollment courses. You can find these on the Center for Integrated Professional Developments website here: Fundamentals for Faculty Course

How to Get Help

Technical assistance is available through the Illinois State University Technology Support Center at:

• Phone: (309) 438-4357
• Email: SupportCenter@IllinoisState.edu
• Submit a Request via Web Form: Help.IllinoisState.edu/get-it-help
• Live Chat: Help.IllinoisState.edu/get-it-help

Canvas Special Use Sites

Faculty and staff can request special use course sites for non-credit-related projects and support. However, these sites work differently than their historic counterparts in ReggieNet. Two alternatives, Microsoft Teams and Comevo, are also available.

Important Considerations

In ReggieNet, faculty and staff had the option to request either Ongoing Course or Special Project sites. These ReggieNet sites were used for a host of functions, ranging from program organization to committee work to training for users outside of Illinois State University. These kinds of sites differ from the regular sites generated each semester by the Registrar's Office, which are used for regular, for-credit courses. 

New Special Use sites are available upon request in Canvas. However, there are important differences:

• Due to the nature of ISU's license with Canvas, ONLY employees and students of the University may be enrolled in these sites. So programs which used old ReggieNet special sites for external training or licensure cannot use Canvas Special Use sites. 
• Historically, ReggieNet special sites were used to organize committee work and house documents and other resources. Over the years, the University has adopted several alternative tools which may serve this purpose better. 
• Canvas special use sites include all of the roles found in regular course sites (Teacher, Student, TA, etc.). ReggieNet special project site roles, such as Organizer, Participant, and Guest, are not available.

Options

Faculty and staff can chose from several options to transition their existing special project or special use course ReggieNet sites to another platform in time for the start of the 2023-2024 academic year. Options include a Canvas Special Use site, using Microsoft Teams, and using Comevo.

• Canvas is better for:

  • Groups with only ISU students or current employees
  • Communication to group via announcements, discussions, or messages
  • Presenting or sharing academic/lesson materials or assessments
  • Disciple-specific resources for faculty and/or students
  • Asynchronous instruction/communication

• Microsoft Teams is better for:

  • Groups that include non-ISU members
  • Communication via chat
  • Sharing of Office 365 documents (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
  • Resources for administrative units, working teams, committees, or task forces
  • Live virtual meetings

Need Help Deciding?

If you're unsure about the best fit for your specific needs, please contact the Center for Integrated Professional Development to set up a consultation at ProDev@ilstu.edu or (309) 438-2542.

Make Your Choice

If you wish to use Canvas for your project, please use the form linked below. If you are interested in either Microsoft Teams or Comevo, use those links to learn more about those platforms and to request access through the Technology Support Center. 

Request a Special Use site in Canvas

Support staff can create a blank "shell" in your Canvas account which includes the same basic layout as for-credit courses.

• You, as the "Teacher" of the course, can add or remove users and give them various levels of permission as needed.
• This includes adding additional Teachers who can help you co-administer the site and its content. 
• You will need to populate the site with either new content or content you backed up from a ReggieNet special site. 

Request Canvas Special Use site