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Manage Rubrics in myCourses

Overview of the Rubrics tool

On the main Rubrics page, you can click the downward arrow beside any rubric name to access several options for managing that rubric. You can also use the Search field to find a specific rubric; expand the Show Search Options menu to view available search filters. 

If a lock icon

appears beside a rubric in the list, it cannot be edited or deleted. A rubric will be locked immediately after you associate it with any course object or activity (e.g., grade item, quiz, assignment).

  • Edit: Edit the properties of a rubric that is not associated with any objects or activities in myCourses. See the Create Rubrics in myCourses article for more information.

  • Preview: Preview the rubric in a pop-up window. 

  • Set Status: Change the status of a rubric to DraftPublished, or Archived

  • View Statistics - View the Rubric Statistics page for a rubric. See the View rubric statistics in myCourses article for more information.

  • Copy: Create a copy of a rubric. 

  • Delete: Delete a rubric that has no associations.

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Set a Rubric's Status

  1. On the main Rubrics page, click the downward arrow beside the rubric with the status you want to change.

  2. Click Set Status and choose one of the following:

    • Draft: Allows the rubric to appear in the rubric list by default, but you cannot associate it with any course objects or activities.

    • Published: Allows you to associate a rubric with course objects and activities, such as assignments, grade items, quizzes, discussion topics, and surveys.

    • Archived: Removes the rubric from the default rubric list.

You cannot change the status of a rubric that is associated with a course object or activity.

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Copy a Rubric

Copying a rubric is necessary if you want to update a rubric that has existing associations, as you cannot edit a rubric after it is attached to a course object or activity. After you create the copy of the rubric, the old version can be archived. To copy a rubric:

  1. On the main Rubrics page, click the downward arrow beside the name of the rubric you want to copy.

  2. Click Copy to make the copy appear immediately in your rubric list.

You can copy a rubric from another course using instructions on the Add Content from a Past Course in myCourses page.


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Delete a Rubric

  1. On the main Rubrics page, click the down arrow beside the name of the rubric you want to delete.

  2. Click Delete to bring up a confirmation pop-up window.

  3. Click the Delete button to delete the rubric.

You cannot delete a rubric after associating it with a quiz, assignment, or any other course object or activity. To remove a rubric from your default rubric list, set its Status to Archived.


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Search for Rubrics and Recover Archived Rubrics 

On the main Rubrics page, you can search for a rubric or sort your rubrics by name, type (i.e., Analytic or Holistic), scoring method, or status. Click Show Search Options to view available search filters.  

To view archived rubrics (hidden by default):

  1. Click Show Search Options beside the Search field.

  2. In the list that appears, select the checkbox beside the characteristics of the rubric(s) you want to show in the list or search for.

  3. Under Rubric Statuses, select the checkbox beside Archived to show all Archived rubrics in the list. 

  4. Click the magnifying glass beside the Search field to apply any changes to the list of rubrics.

  5. To return to the default view of Rubrics, click Clear Search.

  • When an archived rubric has been linked to an activity an Archived tag in red will appear when evaluating the assessment. 

  • If you change the status of a rubric to Archived, there are no effects on the alignment of rubrics to any assessment activities or previous evaluations that were completed using the rubric.

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While this resource is accessible worldwide, McGill University is on land which has served and continues to serve as a site of meeting and exchange amongst Indigenous peoples, including the Haudenosaunee and Anishinabeg nations. Teaching and Learning Services acknowledges and thanks the diverse Indigenous peoples whose footsteps mark this territory on which peoples of the world now gather. This land acknowledgment is shared as a starting point to provide context for further learning and action.

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