CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) — The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has postponed all final exams and assignments scheduled for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday after a global cyberattack took Canvas offline at universities across the country, and university leaders are racing to determine next steps before the end of finals week.
The breach, which Instructure (Canvas’s parent company) disclosed on May 1, exposed certain user data including names, email addresses, student ID numbers, and messages among users. Passwords, financial information, and government identifiers were not believed to be involved. Illinois is one of thousands of universities affected worldwide.
The postponement applies to all classes, including those that do not use Canvas, in the interest of consistency. Some Canvas users received messages containing malicious links as part of the incident and are urged not to click them.
As of Saturday, Technology Services had restored a connection to Canvas and was working to determine whether the platform could be safely reactivated. Provost John Coleman outlined two possible scenarios in a message to campus.
If Canvas is restored by 4 p.m. Saturday, all exams originally scheduled for Friday, May 8, would move to Sunday, May 10, at their originally scheduled times and locations. Students and instructors unable to participate Sunday would be offered alternatives. Final assignments originally due Friday or Saturday would receive new due dates at instructor discretion.
If Canvas cannot be safely restored, university leaders would work with deans, department heads, and instructors on alternate ways to conclude the semester, taking into account travel, housing, graduation, and other factors.
The university committed to communicating next steps before noon Sunday, May 10.
“I understand this situation adds new stress and uncertainty to the end of the academic year,” Coleman wrote, “and I thank you for your patience as we work through this disruption.”
Updates are being posted to the university’s statements webpage and the 2026 Canvas Incident page.
