Administration Guide
This section covers administrative features for managing PBS Knowledge, including permissions, workflows, integrations, and system configuration.
Administrator Roles
System Administrators
Full system access including:
- User and permission management
- System configuration
- Data synchronization
- All administrative functions
Department Administrators
Department-level access:
- Degree requirement management
- People management
- Group administration
- Report generation
Program Coordinators
Program-specific access:
- Student milestone tracking
- Email communications
- Basic reporting
Key Administrative Features
| Feature | Description | Documentation |
|---|---|---|
| Permissions | Role and group-based access control | Permissions Guide |
| Milestones | Student progress tracking workflows | Milestones Guide |
| Jobs | Background task scheduling | Jobs Guide |
| Template-based communications | Email Guide | |
| Degrees | Requirement configuration | Degrees Guide |
| Dartmouth Sync | External data integration | Sync Guide |
| OpenAlex | Publication synchronization | OpenAlex Guide |
| Branches | Database version management | Branches Guide |
Accessing Admin Features
Admin Dashboard
- Sign in with administrator credentials
- Click Admin in the navigation
- Access administrative panels
Admin Sections
The admin interface (redesigned June 2026) uses a grouped sidebar. Each section has a stable URL (/admin?tab=<section>), so admin screens can be bookmarked and shared:
| Group | Sections |
|---|---|
| Operations | Jobs & Scheduling, Dartmouth Sync |
| Data Model | Schemas, Enums, Schema Graph, Database Branches |
| Rooms | Zoom Rooms |
| People & Access | Groups, Audit Log |
| Communication |
Which sections appear depends on your permissions — full admins see everything; users with only email, groups, or audit-log permissions see just those sections.
Program management (students, degree requirements, thesis/research/fellowship/award approval queues) lives in the standalone Undergraduate Program and Graduate Program consoles, reached from the main navigation rather than the admin area.
Getting Started
Essential First Steps
For new administrators:
- Understand Permissions - Learn how access control works
- Review Sync Status - Check data integration health
- Configure Email - Set up notification templates
- Monitor Jobs - Understand background processes
Common Tasks
Frequent administrative activities:
- Adding new users
- Updating degree requirements
- Running data syncs
- Reviewing system logs
- Generating reports
Related Sections
- Permissions - Access control system
- Milestones - Student workflow tracking
- Jobs & Scheduling - Background tasks
- Email System - Communications
- Degree Management - Requirements
- Dartmouth Sync - Data integration
- OpenAlex - Publication import
- Database Branches - Data versioning