Create and Manage Nodes in Institutional Hierarchy
On this page, learn more about creating and managing nodes in Institutional Hierarchy. The structure of your hierarchy is based on the nodes you create and how you associate them to model your organizational structure.
Manually create and manage nodes
You can create and associate nodes manually to build the structure of your hierarchy. For larger scale integrations, it is recommended that you Manage Institutional Hierarchy Nodes Through SIS Integration.
Create a node
When you create a new node in the Institutional Hierarchy, you are defining a distinct organizational unit such as a college, school, department, or unit. Nodes can be arranged in parent-child relationships to reflect the real-world structure of your institution. Use clear, unique names to ensure accurate reporting, role assignments, and configuration management across the hierarchy.
In the Administrator Panel, in the Communities module, select Institutional Hierarchy.
Select the branch where you wish to add a node. Select Create Node. This adds a node to your selected branch.
Enter a name in the required Name field. For example: “Academic Schools, Colleges and Departments”.
The required Identifier field is prepopulated with grayed out text. It is highly recommended to rename your identifier to something descriptive to your institution. This identifier can be used for data integrations. To add context, build out the identifier with the branch path embedded within it. For example: “ASCD”.
Select Submit. This adds the node to the hierarchy. You should see the new node displayed on the side panel.
Once you create a node, you can add properties such as Children, Administrators, Courses, Organizations, Users, and Tools to give you functionality at that node level.
Create a child node
Creating a child node adds a descendant node below the node you’ve selected.
Select the node you want to create a child node for.
In the Children tab, select Create Node.
Enter a name in the required Name field. For example: “College of Arts & Sciences”.
Enter a descriptive identifier in the optional Identifier field. For a child node, it is recommended to include the parent node ID as part of the child identifier. Doing so adds context as your hierarchy becomes more complex. For example: “ASCD-CAS.”
Select Submit. This adds the child node nested under the parent node.
Edit a node
Editing a node allows you to update its core details, such as its name or descriptive information. Renaming a node should be done thoughtfully, as the updated name will appear wherever that node is referenced in system settings, configurations, and reports. Editing the node's name or details does not alter the node’s position in the hierarchy unless you explicitly move it.
In the Administrator Panel, in the Communities module, select Institutional Hierarchy.
Select the chevron for the node you want to edit and choose Edit.
Make your changes.
Select Submit.
Move a node
Moving a node changes its parent-child relationship within the Institutional Hierarchy. This can shift which rules, permissions, or configurations the node inherits from its new parent. Moving a node also changes its placement in navigation paths and reporting structures. Before moving a node, it’s important to verify that the new location accurately reflects your institution’s structure and will not disrupt existing access or configuration logic. When a node moves, it keeps the administrators, courses, organizations, users, and descendant nodes added to it.
In the Administrator Panel, in the Communities module, select Institutional Hierarchy.
Select the chevron for the node you want to move and choose Move.
Search for the hierarchy level node you want to move the current node to and select it.
Select Submit.
Delete a node
Deleting a node permanently removes that organizational unit from the hierarchy. Any users, courses, or roles associated with the deleted node will lose that association and any rules or configurations applied through it. Because deletion can affect reporting, access controls, and downstream configurations, it’s recommended to review all dependencies before removing a node. This action cannot be undone
In the Administrator Panel, in the Communities module, select Institutional Hierarchy.
Select the chevron for the node you want to delete and choose Delete.
Select Submit.
Caution
Deleting a node and its children will also remove their associated repositories in the Learning Object Repository. Any associated objects will be disconnected, making them fully editable within courses and organizations.
Add an administrator
To add an administrator:
In the Administrator Panel, in the Communities module, select Institutional Hierarchy.
Select the node you want to add an administrator to.
In the Administrator tab, select Add Administrator.
Enter a username in the required Name field. You can browse for usernames as well.
The ROLES area displays system roles that have been created in this environment under Items to Select. Select the appropriate role(s) and move them to the Selected Items field.
Select Submit. The selected user is added as an administrator with role-specific privileges associated with that node and its descendant nodes.
Edit or remove a hierarchy level administrator
Navigate to the hierarchy level node you want to edit or remove an administrator for.
Select the Administrators tab.
Find the administrator you want to edit or remove and open its menu.
Select Edit or Remove.
Manage associations
Associations define how courses, organizations, users, programs, subjects, tools, and repositories are connected to an institution’s Institutional Hierarchy. These associations establish ownership, inheritance, and governance rules.
Important
It may be easier to add courses, organizations, or users through SIS integration rather than the manual approach.
Add courses, organizations, users, programs, or subjects to a node
The steps below are the same for all objects. Substitute the relevant object name in each step.
In the Administrator Panel, in the Communities module, select Institutional Hierarchy.
Select the node you want to add objects to.
Select the relevant tab (for example, Courses or Users).
Select Add [Object}.
Search for and select the objects you want to add.
Select Submit.
You can also add an object to a node from its create or edit page.
Add tools to a node
In the Administrator Panel, in the Communities module, select Institutional Hierarchy.
Select the node you want to add tools to.
Select the Tools tab.
In the Availability column, select ON for the desired tool.
Select Submit.
Note
Tabs are unique to the Original experience and are no longer supported. Modules are unique to Original courses and organizations; they are not supported by Blackboard Ultra.
Set primary associations
A course or user can have multiple associations, mirroring your institution. A course's primary association is used to designate rules around tool access and configuration for that course.
For example, you may have a physical chemistry course. The course may be associated to multiple nodes at once for different purposes:
Academic structure. The example course is taught within the Chemistry department, but is also related to the Physics department. Since both chemistry and physics are physical sciences, the course is also associated with the School of Physical Sciences. Since the School of Physical Sciences is part of the College of Arts and Sciences, the course is also associated with the College of Arts and Sciences. The Physical Chemistry course section now has four node associations to mirror a common university academic structure.
Campus structure. The example course can be associated with an institution’s downtown campus to indicate where the specific course offering meets.
When you have multiple associations to a course, there is one that's designated as primary. This primary association is used for determining specific rules around tool access and configuration. For example, an English department may not be using Blackboard's Roster tool, so the appropriate system administrator can turn it off. But in that college’s History department uses the Roster tool, so tool access would be configured differently. In another case, a Physics department may license a particular tool that it pays for. This integration is made through the primary association of the Physics department’s node.
Select a primary node association
From a new or existing object:
Create or edit an object, such as a course or user.
Select Find Node.
Search for a node and select it.
Select Submit.
Note
If more than one node is associated, select the one you want to be primary.
It is recommended that primary associations are made where policies, budgets, and tool purchases are determined. This is generally where decisions are made about tool use and access.