Adding users to a course

Brightspace Frequently Asked Questions

Check out our newly updated Brightspace FAQs! This list runs through the most common questions the Brightspace Support Team gets throughout the year. If you have any questions not listed here, be sure to contact our Support team for assistance.

Support Schedule

The 五一茶馆儿 Brightspace Instructional Technologists are available for support between 8 AM and 4 PM Monday through Friday. Any emails received after 4 PM will be addressed when our team returns to normal support at 8 AM the following business day. While we鈥檙e out, we encourage you to utilize our On-Demand Resources to answer any questions that arise.

The enrollment of users will vary depending on what type of course it is, and the role you would like that user to have. This guide provides instructions on how to add a variety of users.

Add a User to a Credit Bearing Course

How to add a TA
How to add an Auditor
How to add a Guest student
How to add a Colleague

Add a User to a non-SIS Course聽(less common)

How to add a user

Updated Spring 2026

Add a User to a Credit Bearing Course

These instructions are relevant to most courses in Brightspace. A credit-bearing course is one that awards credit and is found in the YES registration system. Instructor approval is required in order to add users to a course.聽

How to add a TA

Instructors and Brightspace Support personnel are not able to add TA鈥檚 to current or future courses. Per聽this policy, TAs聽must聽be added to courses by the Office of the University Registrar.聽Please contact your聽departmental administrator, who can submit the appropriate information to the URO聽to get your TA added to the course. It is strongly suggested that TAs be added聽before聽the semester begins.
How to add an Auditor

础苍听Auditor聽is a student who needs to officially register for your course, have full student access, and have evidence that they were in your course. To add an聽Auditor, contact the Office of the University Registrar.
How to add a Guest Student

础听Guest Student聽is someone who will be participating informally and requires no evidence on their transcript. Guest students can only be granted access that restricts FERPA-sensitive information. This restriction prevents them from seeing any content that has been contributed by students. To add a聽Guest Student, contact Office of the University Registrar.
How to add a Colleague

Instructors may wish to add a colleague to their course, so that they may co-instruct, observe, or be an unseen designer. To add another聽Instructor, a non-student聽Guest, a聽Designer, or other colleague to your course, contact Brightspace Support.

Add a User to a Non-SIS Course

Adding a user to a Non-SIS course is less common. This applies to Brightspace courses belonging to organizations, programs, cohorts, and other groups. These courses are not associated with Vanderbilt course credits. To learn more about courses not listed in Vanderbilt鈥檚 SIS,聽click here.

How to Add a User

If you are listed as Instructor in a Non-SIS course, you have the ability to add users yourself. Here are the instructions on adding users to Non-SIS courses:

1. Go to the Classlist聽Tab. Click on聽Add Participants, and choose聽Add Existing Users.

2. Enter a name, VUnetID, or @vanderbilt.edu email address in the search field. Click the magnifying glass icon to search.

3. Locate the correct person, and check the box to the left. Assign the person a role, and click Enroll Selected Users. You will be taken to a confirmation page.