User roles and access rights management

E-LEARNING PLATFORM – USER ROLES AND ACCESS RIGHTS MANAGEMENT – ELE-PRO-013-A

Version: 1.0 | Last update: 04/11/2025 | Department: IT & E-learning

🎯 Objective

Define the standardized process for managing user roles and access permissions on the
Dubai Precious Metals University e-learning platform
(dubai-precious-metals-university.com),
built with the MasterStudy LMS theme.
This ensures consistent, secure, and role-based access control aligned with organizational hierarchy and pedagogical responsibilities.

👤 Who

IT & E-learning Administrator
Academic Coordinator
Administrative Assistant (CRM updates)

🧩 Inputs / Outputs

Inputs:

List of active users (students, instructors, staff)
Defined role matrix (see below)
Zoho CRM user records with validated email and position

Outputs:

Users assigned the correct roles and permissions in WordPress / MasterStudy
Restricted access according to function and confidentiality
Traceable updates recorded in Zoho CRM

⚙️ Process Steps

Understand the Role Hierarchy
The DPMU platform uses the following official access hierarchy:
- 🟢 Administrator – full system rights (IT team only)
- 🔵 Academic Coordinator – manage courses, instructors, and enrollments
- 🟣 Instructor – create, edit, and monitor their own courses
- 🟠 Student – view assigned courses and participate in quizzes
- ⚪ Alumni / Inactive – limited read-only access to certificates and archives
Custom roles may exist for communication, quality, or direction teams if needed (managed case-by-case).
Role Assignment During Account Creation
When a new user is created:
- Verify their status and position in Zoho CRM
- Log in to
  
  dubai-precious-metals-university.com/wp-admin
- Navigate to Users → Add New
- Assign the appropriate role based on function
- Click Add New User
Record the assigned role in the Zoho CRM user record (field “Platform Role”).
Modify or Update User Roles
If a user’s function changes (promotion, end of contract, completion of studies):
- Go to Users → All Users
- Select the account → click Edit
- Change the Role dropdown to the new status
- Click Update User
Example transitions:
- Instructor → Academic Coordinator (if promoted)
- Student → Alumni (after graduation)
- Temporary Staff → Inactive (end of contract)
Update the change in Zoho CRM with the note: “Role updated – [date]”.

Access Rights Definition
The table below summarizes permissions for each role:

Role	Access Level	Typical Permissions
Administrator	Full	Manage users, courses, LMS settings, backups, themes, plugins
Academic Coordinator	High	Create courses, assign instructors, validate content, monitor performance
Instructor	Medium	Edit own courses, view student progress, grade quizzes, upload media
Student	Basic	View courses, complete quizzes, download certificates
Alumni / Inactive	Limited	Access archived materials or personal certificates only

Periodic Review of Roles
Every quarter, the IT team verifies:
- That all active users have the correct role
- That no user has higher rights than necessary
- That ex-students or ex-staff accounts are deactivated
Export the All Users list from WordPress and cross-check with Zoho CRM for discrepancies.
Role Security Controls
- Only IT Administrators can assign or modify the “Administrator” role
- Two-factor authentication (2FA) is mandatory for Administrator accounts
- Any role change must be recorded in ELE-LOG-007 (Role & Access Register)
- Former users’ access must be disabled within 24h of departure confirmation
Archiving and Traceability
- All role modifications are documented in Zoho CRM Notes with date and author
- Export of the updated user list stored quarterly in
  WorkDrive › IT › Access Rights › ELE-PRO-013-A
- Keep historical versions of the role matrix for 24 months minimum

✅ Controls

Quarterly access review between IT and Academic departments
System log monitoring for unauthorized privilege escalations
Audit of Zoho CRM and WordPress role alignment

📁 Records

Role & Access Register (ELE-LOG-007)
Exported user list (CSV / Excel)
WorkDrive archive IT › Access Rights › ELE-PRO-013-A

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