The information in this article accompanies an official S&I Communication sent Wednesday April 22, 2026. Click here to read the communication.
This FAQ provides information about upcoming organizational changes related to Online Learning and BYU‑Pathway Religion. These updates are designed to improve clarity, alignment, and long‑term support for online seminary and institute efforts while minimizing disruption to your work. Below you will find answers to common questions about online support, curriculum, Canvas access, roles and permissions, training resources, and how these changes affect our work related to online classes and programs.
How Will This Change Impact S&I's Partnership with BYU-Pathway Worldwide?
S&I is the religious education provider for BYU-Pathway Worldwide. By administering BYU-Pathway's religion program centrally (rather than through local area administrators), S&I can better align with and support our growing partnership with BYU-Pathway, which also administers its certificate and degree programs centrally. This will enable S&I to collaborate more closely on various initiatives across areas (e.g., new course offerings, expanding into new languages, etc.)
What Will Happen to the Current Online Roles in My Area?
Current online roles (i.e., online director, online seminary principal, online institute director) will be discontinued beginning July 1, 2026. They will be replaced by two primary roles:
- Coordinators: coordinate and support any stake-based online seminary classes and teachers
- Online coordinators: Coordinate and support online seminary and online institute programs and teachers
Where Do I Go for Online Support?
Beginning July 1, 2026, support for Canvas will continue to be available through the S&I Help Center, which remains your central place for help with Online Seminary and Institute products.
You're welcome to explore Canvas-specific guidelines here:
If you need additional assistance, these resources will still be available:
- Use the Contact Support link in the S&I Help Center
- Chat with the Global Services Department using the S&I Help Center chat bot
- Email si-online@churchofjesuschrist.org where a support ticket will be generated with the Global Services Department.
Note: During this transition, any emails sent to si-online@churchofjesuschrist.org will be automatically routed to the appropriate support team so that your requests will continue to be addressed without interruption.
Our goal is to ensure your support experience remains smooth, reliable, and responsive. Thank you for your continued work and dedication! We're here to help.
What Happens to My Current Canvas Access and to Any Current Roles and Permissions?
Your Canvas roles and permissions in existing courses will not change.
Beginning July 1, 2026, the Online Administrator course role will be discontinued for future courses.
- Program administrators who need access to future courses should use the Coordinator role
- If your role in PDM is set as Coordinator, you will automatically be added to future courses with that role
- If your PDM role is not Coordinator, your assigned administrative assistant can add you to the course using this Canvas guide
For more detailed information about each Canvas role and its permissions, see this article in the S&I Help Center.
How Will This Change Impact Online Seminary and Online Institute Curriculum?
Online seminary classes and online institute classes will continue to be made available through WISE and Canvas, just as they are currently. Questions and feedback about our online Canvas courses should be directed to the S&I Help Center.
The seminary student manual, which was being produced by the online curriculum team, will again be created by the Seminary Curriculum Team. Questions and feedback about S&I manuals should be directed to the S&I Help Center.
What COB Resources will be Available to Help with Online Training and Onboarding Needs?
Starting July 1, 2026, all online S&I roles will now follow S&I’s standard role-based onboarding process, including orientation and onboarding plans overseen by HR, the employee’s line supervisor, and supported by the Training Services Division.
Note: These changes apply only to online seminary and online institute assignments. BYU-Pathway religion roles and assignments will continue to be supported by the COB and the new BYU-Pathway Religion team.
Going forward, any new online learning, teaching, or administration training needs will be sponsored by the Training Services Division.
For immediate online training or onboarding needs, the following resources are available for onboardings or inservices:
- The Guidelines for Successful Online Teaching
- Developing as an Online Teacher articles
- The New Online Teacher Training course — A public version of the training course for new online teachers. Program Administrators or Coordinators needing their own copy should email si-online@churchofjesuschrist.org with a request
How Will Current Online Program Administrators Help Those Who Will Be Supporting BYU-Pathway Religion Teachers?
BYU-Pathway religion classes are taught in 7‑week block cycles. After the start of Block 3 in 2026 (May 4, 2026), current online program administrators will continue to be responsible for assigning teachers to courses for Block 4. During the Block 4 assignment phase, current online program administrators will work closely with newly assigned BYU-Pathway religion team (referred to as “BYU-Pathway religion program managers” and “BYU-Pathway religion program coordinators”) to ensure that all courses are staffed and to help train them on the related processes.