Overview
Brightspace uses roles to determine what each person can see and do in a course. Roles are collections of permissions that define access to course tools, content, grading, and user management features.
While many roles exist for system administration and support, most faculty will only interact with a small set that supports teaching, learning, and course administration.
This guide highlights the roles most relevant to instructors and how they are typically used in a Brightspace course.
Requirements
No special requirements. If faculty are assigned as an Instructor to a course by the Office of the Registrar, then Faculty are automatically assigned the Instructor role in their Brightspace courses.
Instructions
Core Roles in a Brightspace Course
Instructor
Who this is for: Faculty teaching a course
What they can do:
- Create and manage course content
- Build assignments, quizzes, and discussions
- Grade student work and provide feedback
- Manage student access and course settings
What to know:
- This is the primary teaching role in Brightspace
- Instructors have full control over course materials, grading, and enrollment management [2](https://carleton.ca/brightspace/instructors/roles-and-permissions-in-brightspace/)
- You may appear as an Instructor in multiple courses or contexts
Learner (Student)
Who this is for: Students enrolled in your course
What they can do:
- Access course materials
- Submit assignments, quizzes, and discussion posts
- Participate in course activities
- View grades and instructor feedback
What to know:
- The Learner role provides access to participate in coursework but does not allow editing or management of course content [3](https://teachanywhere.uvic.ca/learning-tech/brightspace/what-are-roles/)
Support/Additional Roles
Teaching Assistant
Who this is for: Graduate/Teaching Assistants or support staff
What they can do:
- Manage course content
- Access the Gradebook
- Grade assignments, quizzes, and discussions
Teaching Assistants often have permissions similar to instructors, depending on configuration, but may have some limitations on enrollment or course settings.
Teaching Assistant – Grader
Who this is for: Teaching Assistants focused on grading
What they can do:
- Access the Gradebook
- Grade assignments, quizzes, and discussions
What they cannot do:
Teaching Assistant – No Edit (View)
Who this is for: Support staff who need read-only access
What they can do:
What they cannot do:
- Access the Gradebook
- Grade assignments, quizzes, or discussions
- Manage course content
Teaching Assistant – Edit
Who this is for: Support staff who assist with course building
What they can do:
What they cannot do:
- Access the Gradebook
- Grade assignments, quizzes, or discussions
Tutor
Who this is for: Academic support staff or peer tutors
What they can do:
- View course materials to assist students
What they cannot do:
- Grade assignments, quizzes, or discussions
- Submit coursework or participate as a student
- Manage course content
Tutor roles typically provide read-only access to course materials and limited communication capabilities.
Incomplete Learner (Student)
Who this is for: Students with an official “Incomplete” grade who need additional time to complete coursework
What they can do:
- Continue participating in the course with the same access as the Learner role
- Access the course after standard availability dates
This role extends course access beyond normal availability so students can complete remaining work after the course closes.