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Is Canvas currently experiencing issues?
Canvas is currently online and functioning normally.
On May 7, Canvas experienced a nationwide service disruption that affected almost 9,000 institutions nationally, including Western.
On May 8, Western IT was informed that the disruptions were resolved, and following internal testing, reinstated the university instance of Canvas at 9:00 a.m. The outage was approximately 18 hours.
What caused the disruption?
Canvas parent company, Instructure, shut down the Canvas platform after discovering a cybersecurity incident. Western is monitoring updates from Instructure.
Was Western Colorado University hacked?
No. At this time, we have no indication that Western Colorado University systems were compromised. The issue is isolated to the Canvas/Instructure software-as-a-service platform only.
Will classes, finals, and commencement continue?
Yes. Classes, finals, commencement ceremonies, and university operations will continue as scheduled unless otherwise communicated.
Will the disruption delay student grades, academic standing, or timing of receiving a diploma?
No. We do not believe so at this time.
Was sensitive student or employee information exposed?
At this time, Western has no evidence that sensitive information stored in university systems such as Workday, payroll, financial aid, HR, registration, or student records has been exposed.
What information may have been involved?
Based on public information currently available, the incident may have involved limited information contained within Canvas accounts or course environments, such as names, email addresses, institutional ID, and Canvas messages. We do not yet know if course content was involved.
Should users change their passwords?
Western has not directed users to change passwords at this time. However, users should remain cautious of phishing emails or messages claiming to be from Canvas, IT, or university offices.
Will transcripts and student services still be available?
Yes. Transcript processing and core student services remain operational.
Where should people look for updates?
Please refer to official university and IT communications for updates as additional verified information becomes available. You may also view the Instructure Incident page: https://www.instructure.com/incident_update.