diff --git a/app/controllers/account_requests_controller.rb b/app/controllers/account_requests_controller.rb
index c4b79e065..79c1e183c 100644
--- a/app/controllers/account_requests_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/account_requests_controller.rb
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ def account_request_params
     elsif !['Approved', 'Rejected'].include?(params[:account_request][:status])
       raise StandardError, 'Status can only be Approved or Rejected'
     end
-    params.require(:account_request).permit(:username, :full_name, :email, :status, :introduction, :role_id, :institution_id)
+    params.require(:account_request).permit(:username, :full_name, :email, :status, :introduction, :role_id, :institution_id, :date_format_pref)
   end
 
   # Create a new user if account request is approved
diff --git a/app/controllers/authentication_controller.rb b/app/controllers/authentication_controller.rb
index 696c4ab21..5140aa2bb 100644
--- a/app/controllers/authentication_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/authentication_controller.rb
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ def login
     user = User.find_by(name: params[:user_name]) || User.find_by(email: params[:user_name])
     if user&.authenticate(params[:password])
       payload = { id: user.id, name: user.name, full_name: user.full_name, role: user.role.name,
-                  institution_id: user.institution.id }
+                  institution_id: user.institution.id, date_format_pref: user.date_format_pref }
       token = JsonWebToken.encode(payload, 24.hours.from_now)
       render json: { token: }, status: :ok
     else
diff --git a/app/controllers/institutions_controller.rb b/app/controllers/institutions_controller.rb
index 1eaa1f431..4e8596043 100644
--- a/app/controllers/institutions_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/institutions_controller.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 class InstitutionsController < ApplicationController
   rescue_from ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound, with: :institution_not_found
   def action_allowed?
-    has_role?('Instructor')
+    has_role?('Instructor') || has_role?('Administrator')
   end
   # GET /institutions
   def index
diff --git a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
index 83d7352fd..8e608ca40 100644
--- a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ def role_users
   def user_params
     params.require(:user).permit(:id, :name, :role_id, :full_name, :email, :parent_id, :institution_id,
                                  :email_on_review, :email_on_submission, :email_on_review_of_review,
-                                 :handle, :copy_of_emails, :password, :password_confirmation)
+                                 :handle, :copy_of_emails, :password, :password_confirmation, :date_format_pref)
   end
 
   def user_not_found
diff --git a/app/models/role.rb b/app/models/role.rb
index 3cce77975..1440f04dd 100644
--- a/app/models/role.rb
+++ b/app/models/role.rb
@@ -5,12 +5,12 @@ class Role < ApplicationRecord
   belongs_to :parent, class_name: 'Role', optional: true
   has_many :users, dependent: :nullify
 
-  # Role IDs
-  STUDENT_ID = 1
-  TEACHING_ASSISTANT_ID = 2
+  # Role IDs (must match db/seeds.rb)
+  SUPER_ADMINISTRATOR_ID = 1
+  ADMINISTRATOR_ID = 2
   INSTRUCTOR_ID = 3
-  ADMINISTRATOR_ID = 4
-  SUPER_ADMINISTRATOR_ID = 5
+  TEACHING_ASSISTANT_ID = 4
+  STUDENT_ID = 5
 
   def super_administrator?
     name['Super Administrator']
@@ -67,4 +67,4 @@ def as_json(options = nil)
     options = options || {} # Ensure options is a hash
     super(options.merge({ only: %i[id name parent_id] }))
   end
-end
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 0e77e25dc..4aedcd459 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -21,11 +21,11 @@ class User < ApplicationRecord
   has_many :teams, through: :teams_users
   has_many :participants
 
-  scope :students, -> { where role_id: Role::STUDENT }
-  scope :tas, -> { where role_id: Role::TEACHING_ASSISTANT }
-  scope :instructors, -> { where role_id: Role::INSTRUCTOR }
-  scope :administrators, -> { where role_id: Role::ADMINISTRATOR }
-  scope :superadministrators, -> { where role_id: Role::SUPER_ADMINISTRATOR }
+  scope :students, -> { where role_id: Role::STUDENT_ID }
+  scope :tas, -> { where role_id: Role::TEACHING_ASSISTANT_ID }
+  scope :instructors, -> { where role_id: Role::INSTRUCTOR_ID }
+  scope :administrators, -> { where role_id: Role::ADMINISTRATOR_ID }
+  scope :superadministrators, -> { where role_id: Role::SUPER_ADMINISTRATOR_ID }
 
   delegate :student?, to: :role
   delegate :ta?, to: :role
@@ -34,17 +34,17 @@ class User < ApplicationRecord
   delegate :super_administrator?, to: :role
 
   def self.instantiate(record)
-    case record.role
-    when Role::TEACHING_ASSISTANT
+    case record.role_id
+    when Role::TEACHING_ASSISTANT_ID
       record.becomes(Ta)
-    when Role::INSTRUCTOR
+    when Role::INSTRUCTOR_ID
       record.becomes(Instructor)
-    when Role::ADMINISTRATOR
+    when Role::ADMINISTRATOR_ID
       record.becomes(Administrator)
-    when Role::SUPER_ADMINISTRATOR
+    when Role::SUPER_ADMINISTRATOR_ID
       record.becomes(SuperAdministrator)
     else
-      super
+      record
     end
   end
 
@@ -72,10 +72,10 @@ def reset_password
   # Get instructor_id of the user, if the user is TA,
   # return the id of the instructor else return the id of the user for superior roles
   def instructor_id
-    case role
-    when Role::INSTRUCTOR, Role::ADMINISTRATOR, Role::SUPER_ADMINISTRATOR
+    case role_id
+    when Role::INSTRUCTOR_ID, Role::ADMINISTRATOR_ID, Role::SUPER_ADMINISTRATOR_ID
       id
-    when Role::TEACHING_ASSISTANT
+    when Role::TEACHING_ASSISTANT_ID
       my_instructor
     else
       raise NotImplementedError, "Unknown role: #{role.name}"
@@ -153,4 +153,4 @@ def generate_jwt
     JWT.encode({ id: id, exp: 60.days.from_now.to_i }, Rails.application.credentials.secret_key_base)
   end
 
-end
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/db/migrate/20251201034750_add_date_format_pref_to_users.rb b/db/migrate/20251201034750_add_date_format_pref_to_users.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dba4eb313
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20251201034750_add_date_format_pref_to_users.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+class AddDateFormatPrefToUsers < ActiveRecord::Migration[8.0]
+  def change
+    add_column :users, :date_format_pref, :string, default: "mm/dd/yyyy"
+  end
+end
diff --git a/db/schema.rb b/db/schema.rb
index d3a15fcfa..0a1895b07 100644
--- a/db/schema.rb
+++ b/db/schema.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #
 # It's strongly recommended that you check this file into your version control system.
 
-ActiveRecord::Schema[8.0].define(version: 2025_10_29_071649) do
+ActiveRecord::Schema[8.0].define(version: 2025_12_01_034750) do
   create_table "account_requests", charset: "utf8mb4", collation: "utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci", force: :cascade do |t|
     t.string "username"
     t.string "full_name"
@@ -411,6 +411,7 @@
     t.bigint "institution_id"
     t.bigint "role_id", null: false
     t.bigint "parent_id"
+    t.string "date_format_pref", default: "mm/dd/yyyy"
     t.index ["institution_id"], name: "index_users_on_institution_id"
     t.index ["parent_id"], name: "index_users_on_parent_id"
     t.index ["role_id"], name: "index_users_on_role_id"