User defined roles in Art Center Canvas are powerful tools designed to manage user classifications within the system. They provide a high-level, semi-permanent status for individuals, ensuring consistent access and visibility across different system functionalities. --- ## **What Are Roles?** Roles are system-wide identifiers used to define the classifications of individuals in Art Center Canvas. They allow administrators to manage user capabilities efficiently and maintain organization-wide consistency. ### **Key Characteristics of Roles** - **High-Level Identifiers**: Roles serve as a permanent or semi-permanent status for individuals. - **System-Wide Application**: Roles affect how users interact with the system across all modules. - **Static Nature**: Roles are not designed for frequent changes and should only be used for statuses that are stable over time. --- ## **When to Use Roles** Roles should be used sparingly to avoid clutter and confusion. Here’s when they are appropriate: 1. **Permanent or Long-Term Status**: Use roles for attributes that rarely change, such as "Instructor," "Volunteer," or "Admin." 2. **System-Wide Impact**: Roles should be used when the classification affects a persons role throughout the system. 3. **Searchable Criteria**: Roles make it easy to filter or search for specific users, such as finding all "Staff" or "Board Members." > **Example**: Assign the "Board Member" role to a user who is on the organization board to ensure their profile is easily searchable and tied to relevant reports. --- ## **How to Create and Manage Custom Roles** ### **Adding a New Role** 1. **Navigate to Roles Definition**: Go to **Admin > System Setup & Defaults > Roles Definition**. 2. **Create a New Role**: - Leave the dropdown on **New Role**. - Enter the following: - **Role Value**: The system's internal name for the role (used in the database). This cannot be changed once saved. - **Role Label**: The name displayed in the user interface (e.g., checkboxes, dropdowns). 3. **Save the Role**: Click **Save Role**. Once saved, the **Role ID** will change from "new Role" to a numerical value, confirming success. --- ### **Editing an Existing Role** 1. Select the role you want to edit from the dropdown. 2. Modify the **Role Label** as needed. 3. Click **Save Role** to update. --- ### **Assigning Roles to Users** Roles are assigned through the **User Maintenance** screen: 1. **Navigate to a User Profile**: 2. **Edit or Create a User**: - For an existing user, select the account and click the **Edit Profile** icon. 3. **Assign Roles**: - Navigate to the **Profile Info** tab. - Check the boxes for the roles you want to assign. --- ## **Best Practices for Using Roles** 1. **Use Roles Sparingly**: Avoid creating too many roles to prevent visual clutter and confusion. 2. **Prioritize System-Wide Impact**: Only use roles for classifications that have broad implications across the organization. 3. **Consider Alternatives**: If a classification is temporary or specific to a project, consider using **[[User Groups]]** instead of roles. Groups are more flexible and personal. 4. **Avoid Redundancy**: If a user classification can be determined through a database search or transactional data, you may not need to create a role. For example, scholarship recipients can often be identified through payment history. --- ## **Key Considerations** - **Role Longevity**: Roles should represent stable statuses that are unlikely to change frequently. - **System-Wide Searchability**: Use roles when you need to easily filter or search for individuals based on specific attributes. - **Report Management**: Roles often are used for generating specific reports. --- ## **Alternatives to Roles** For more dynamic or project-specific groupings, use **Custom Groups** instead of roles. Groups are ideal for: - Temporary collections (e.g., "Potential High Donors"). - Situations where membership is fluid and changes often. To learn more, refer to the [[User Groups]] guide.