Side Navigation Bar for Admin and Manager Dashboards

Description

This release introduces a new side navigation bar on the Galaxy home page that streamlines access to key administrative workspaces. The bar provides direct links to the admin dashboard, the manager dashboard, and the system settings interface, and can be expanded to show full page titles or collapsed to save space.

The component establishes a new navigation paradigm designed to simplify access to current and future dashboards. Visibility of each destination respects feature permissions, so users only see the pages they are entitled to access. The first time it is viewed the bar appears expanded; once closed, it defaults to a collapsed state across all supported pages.

Business Need

Administrators and managers frequently move between multiple workspaces to complete routine tasks — reviewing learning assignment failures, checking team compliance progress, and updating security roles. Reaching these areas through the traditional navigation header requires knowing the information architecture, which slows experienced users and creates an overwhelming experience for newly onboarded admins.

By placing the most-used admin and manager workspaces directly on the home page, the side navigation bar significantly reduces the time required to complete these tasks and lowers the cognitive load of remembering where each activity lives.

Key Features

• Provides quick access to the admin dashboard, manager dashboard, and system settings directly from the home page.
• Offers an expandable and collapsible bar that defaults to a collapsed state once it has been closed by the user.
• Governs visibility and access to each destination based on feature permissions, tailored to the admin and manager personas.
• Displays only on the home page, admin dashboard, and manager dashboard rather than as an ever-present component.
• Introduces two new permissions, Can View Manager Dashboard and Access to System Settings, alongside existing Learning Experience and Galaxy Admin Dashboard permissions.

Deployment & Considerations

The side navigation bar is available at the start of UAT and in production with this release. It is on by default for all single architecture customers and is not configurable — the pages shown are determined entirely by permissions.

Access to the home page requires the Access to Learning Experience permission, and the Admin Dashboard requires the Galaxy Admin Dashboard permission. Two new permissions are introduced in production: Can View Manager Dashboard controls the manager dashboard, and Access to System Settings controls the system settings interface. Note that the component is not displayed on every page, and users who lack access to both the admin and manager dashboards will not see the side navigation at all — access to at least one dashboard is required for it to appear.