Blackboard Core
Assign new Viewer system role and entitlement to manage system access – 3900.118
Impact: Instructors, Administrators
Updated Help page: Roles and Privileges (Administrator); System Roles (Administrator)
Idea Exchange ID: Not applicable
Administrators can now assign an entitlement and role that provides access to all course materials, grades, and user information without editing capabilities by default. Administrators can also customize this role to give it specific capabilities as needed. This role is ideal for academic deans, department chairs, and external auditors who need comprehensive access to review academic content and performance within Blackboard.
More about the Viewer role:
- System role. This is a system-level role that can be flexibly implemented based on institutional needs. By default, users with this role can enter the Administrator Panel to search for courses.
- Comprehensive viewing access. Users with this role can view all course materials, grades, attempts, feedback, discussions, and unavailable content, as well as user information.
- No editing capabilities. By default, this role is strictly read-only, ensuring users can’t make any changes to the content, grades, user information, or system configurations. Administrators can customize the role and add specific editing privileges as needed.
- Customizable privileges. While the default settings provide broad viewing access, institutions can customize the privileges to restrict access to specific areas if needed. In addition, it can be customized to allow the role to edit specific information as needed.
Use cases:
- Academic deans reviewing student coursework and academic standards;
- Department chairs monitoring faculty adherence to course requirements and instructional design standards for both available and unavailable courses within their department; and
- External auditors conducting reviews for accreditation purposes.
Administrators
Availability: Available for all Ultra courses.
Activation: None needed.
Configuration: None needed. Entitlements included in Viewer role:
- user.only.VIEW
- course.gradebook-grades.execute.only.VIEW
- course.gradebook.only.VIEW
- course.groups.admin.only.VIEW
- course.pool.VIEW
- system.admin.only.VIEW
- course.announcements.VIEW
- course.adaptiverelease.VIEW
- course.assessment.results.VIEW
- course.calendar.VIEW
- course.content.VIEW
- course.content.designer.VIEW
- course.assessment.exceptions.VIEW
- course.gradebook-item.exceptions.VIEW
- course.gradebook-grades.VIEW
- course.gradebook-metadata.VIEW
- course.gradebook.attempts.VIEW
- course.groups.VIEW
- course.progress.information.VIEW
- course.rubrics.VIEW
- course.tools.VIEW
- system.administration.top.VIEW
- system.course.VIEW
- system.org.VIEW
- system.user.VIEW
- system.user.course.enrollment.VIEW
- system.user.org.enrollment.VIEW
- course.assessment.VIEW
- course.learningstandards.alignment.VIEW
- Course.ultra.discussion.groups.VIEW