Currently, course sites for for-credit courses (as generated by the UTK Registrar) each have a file quota of 1GB. While this is a good amount of space, a certain amount of curation by instructors can insure that file quota will not be an issue in Canvas course sites each semester.

Instructors should utilize the options below to manage their Canvas course files to remain within the set file quota:

1. Use Studio or Panopto to Host Audio and Video Files

Audio and video files should not be stored within a Canvas course site's files area. There are a number of reasons for this, including issues with accessibility. Instead, please use either Studio or Panopto to store and share these multimedia files.

If you need help determining which software to use when recording and hosting your recorded lectures and classes, review the features included in all three of these UT-supported systems (Studio, Panopto, and Zoom).

2. Make Sure your PowerPoint and PDF Files are Saving at the Right Resolution

Microsoft provides a few options to reduce your PowerPoint's file size without sacrificing quality

When converting a PPT into a PDF, the process is a little different. The Print Quality is set to High by default in PowerPoint - which is much higher than what is typically needed. Most uses will work using the Low setting and Medium is often as high as the Print Quality needs to be set. Otherwise, the PDF becomes so large that it is actually difficult for students to download.

You can set the Print Quality of the PDF to High, Medium, or Low—depending on your need. By default, the print quality is set to High—which is the optimal choice for printing a PDF. Follow these instructions to set the print quality of the PDF:

1. 1. Click the PowerPoint menu > Preferences.
  2. In the PowerPoint Preferences dialog box, click General.
  3. Under Print Quality (Paper/PDF), set the Desired Quality to an option of your choice.

Try Low first, to see if the Print Quality is adequate. If not, you can bump it up to Medium---but, again, for most applications, Low will suffice.

3. If 1 and/or 2 are Not Viable Options, Consider External Storage Such as OneDrive or Google Drive

UTK currently contracts with both Microsoft and Google to offer instructors, staff, and students large storage options external to Canvas. Files can be stored within one of these options and then shared with a private link within a chosen Canvas course site.

More information on UTK's file storage options

4. Clean Out Course Files as Part of Each Semester's Transition Period

Just as regular maintenance can be good for a car or truck, a quick tune-up of your course site's files can be preventative maintenance that helps instructors avoid problems once they're deep into the semester.

Instructors can briefly survey their course's files at the beginning and end of each semester, paying special attention to old, unused, or duplicate files. Such files can be deleted, which not only frees up quota headroom, but also makes the course site's files more manageable.