Reports FAQ – Tableau
What is Tableau?
Tableau is a business intelligence application. IT Services manages a server instance for administrative use that allows for creating and sharing content among licensed users. Content may include:
- Visual representations of summarized or calculated data
- Dashboards with multiple visuals
- Ad-hoc data visualization tools
- Meta data such as dictionaries and other information designed to increase data literacy for analytics viewers.
What content can I find on Tableau Server?
- Finance and Operational dashboards and reports.
- Some content owned by other units, including Institutional Research.
For dashboards with enrollment and other student data, try the Enrollment Dashboard (requires MyGS credentials). For publicly available reports on enrollment and student trends using official census data, try the Office of Institutional Research.
Tableau Server does not host content for public view or student use.
Where can I get help with Tableau Server?
For general questions about Tableau Server and its published content, submit a ticket via MyHelp on the MyGeorgiaSouthern portal. If you need help with content that IT Services does not manage, contact the unit that published the content. Please include the name and URL of the view or dashboard in requests.
Access
Who can access Tableau Server?
Content type, data governance policy, and license availability all play a role in access approval. As we add more relevant content, more people will receive invitations to access the server. Not all requests will be approved. If you’ve been invited to view content by one of the units with permission to publish on the server, such as the Office of Institutional Research, you may submit an access request (a link can be found in the sidebar under “Resources”).
Access Process
For the easiest access request experience, prepare in advance with the information needed to complete the form. Form submitters should know which content they need access to, and the content owner should be aware that the request is being submitted. There is a three step process for access approvals; the content owner will receive the first request notification, and if they approve of the access, then the request moves on to administrative and license availability review. If the second step succeeds, a ticket will be created to grant access to the server and the specified content.
Are there different access levels for content hosted on Tableau Server?
Yes. Most users are “Viewers” and can see reports but cannot make changes, while a small number of people trained to create visuals and write queries have broader permissions. Those interested in content creation may submit inquiries via a MyHelp ticket submitted via the MyGeorgiaSouthern portal.
Data and Content
What can I do with a Tableau Visual?
- Click on items in the visuals to change how they look:
- Buttons, checkboxes, drop-down menus act as filters.
- Marks – a mark is a Tableau term for a data point or group of data points which represent rows or groups in a data source. Columns, pie slices, and lines are all types of marks. Marks might also be text, shapes, or other indicators. Click on a mark in a visual to filter, highlight items, and view pop-ups.
- Look for tooltips that appear when a cursor hovers over a particular mark. Tooltips may also contain their own linked visuals.
- Look for navigation buttons and other menus for more options.
How is data managed for visuals hosted on Tableau Server?
Data models vary depending on the report design and purpose. Content publishers work with data owners, stewards, and managers to build valid data models, and to ensure only those who have permission (granted by data owners) can see visuals and underlying data.
- Does IT Services validate data for visuals hosted on Tableau Server?
Yes – but only for content that IT Services publishes or maintains. IT Services identifies such visuals whenever possible.
- How do I find out what the report fields mean?
At this time, IT Services maintains no published data dictionaries for data models used in Tableau. Submit questions about particular visuals to the publishing unit for the content in question.
- How do I refresh the data in a report?
Use menu buttons at the top of most content browser windows to refresh visuals that use “live” data sources. Often, data sources update on preset schedules; in this case, the refresh button refreshes the data appearing in the view in the event that the underlying data source updated while you had the view open. Submit questions about data freshness to the publishing unit for the content in question.
Content Sharing and Content Publishing
Can I share content that I can view on Tableau Server?
Viewers should not share content hosted on Tableau Server without permission from the content managers and data owners. For official university reports meant for external publishing or sharing, please contact the Office of Institutional Research.
I have my own Tableau Desktop license – Can I publish content on the Tableau Server?
People with Personal Tableau Desktop client licenses cannot publish content to Georgia Southern’s Tableau Server without obtaining the appropriate license to become a content creator.
I have my own Tableau Desktop license – Can I publish content and share it with others?
People with Personal Tableau Desktop client licenses cannot publish content to share with others unless the terms of their individual license purchases with Tableau by Salesforce permits it, and should not publish university content for sharing without express permission. Those with a license for Tableau Public may have access to publish content to the general public using that service, however, those who publish data on Tableau Public do so do at their own discretion and risk. University employees should not publish without supervisory oversight and the appropriate permission depending on who owns and manages the data in question. Licenses for Tableau applications purchased independently are the responsibility of the units making the purchase. All third-party applications must undergo a third-party risk review to be installed on university-owned devices or to access university data.
Review applicable Georgia Southern and University System of Georgia policies as well as applicable state and federal laws before publishing. For more information and resources on data management and data governance, including the rights and responsibilities of members of the campus community, see Georgia Southern’s resources for Data Governance.
To request help with embedding a Tableau Public visual on a webpage you manage, please consult resources available for web content managers.
Last updated: 5/5/2025