You can use the Course Offering Information to allow students access to your course prior to the official semester start date.
TO CHANGE COURSE START DATES:
1. On the navbar, click on Admin, then click Course Admin
2. Under Site Setup, click Course Offering Information.
3. Scroll down to Start Date and enter the date and time you want the course to be made available to students.
4. Click Save at the bottom of the screen.