Common Questions About Permissions
This content is for students and instructors.
Why can't I see a file or folder?
You probably don't have read permission for the item. Contact the owner of the item to ask if you have the right permission.
You might not be able to see a file or folder because of other system rules. Read the FAQs below to see if any apply to you.
I'm enrolled in a course. Why don't I see the course folder in the Content Collection?
Course folders aren't created in the Content Collection until the instructor, teaching assistant, or course builder has accessed the Content Collection. One of these users must also grant you read permission to see the course folder in the Content Collection.
After one of these users accesses the Content Collection, a course folder is also created in eReserves. All users enrolled in a course have read permission for the corresponding course folder in eReserves.
Where is my organization's folder in eReserves?
Organizations don't have folders under eReserves. Only course folders appear under eReserves.
My classmate shared a portfolio with me, but when I select a link, it doesn't work. What's going on?
You no longer have read permission for all items linked in the portfolio.
When the portfolio was originally created and shared, users with whom it was shared were added to the portfolio user list and granted read permission for all linked items in the portfolio. Since then, read permission has been removed from one or more of these items. When you access items through the portfolio, you won't be able to view them. For you to see the items, a user with read and manage permission must add read permission for the portfolio user list to each item where this permission has been removed.
Why can't I see all of the contents in a folder?
You have read permission for the folder, but not to its contents. Contact a user with read and manage permission for the folder to request read permission for the folder's contents.
I have manage permission for a folder. Why can't I copy this folder to a new folder?
To copy a folder to a new destination, you must have write permission on the destination folder.
Why can't I link an item to a portfolio?
You must have manage permission to link the file or folder to a portfolio.
You don't need manage permission on items you want to add from the /institution folder because All System Accounts have read permissions to /institution. The system assumes that if All System Accounts have read permission, anyone may link to it.
Why don't students have read permission on course home folders?
File links in the course contain an embedded string. The system uses the string to check if the user who wants to access the file has permission to view it.
Students can't access course content files and bypass adaptive release or availability with WebDAV or "URL manipulation." If students are granted direct read privileges to a course content home folder or a course content file, they may view content that can compromise the integrity of assessments and other materials.
For this reason, we don't recommend that you give students direct read privileges to course home folders. If students are added to an institutional role that has read permission, they can access the course home folder even if they're not enrolled in the course in the same way.