The topics that will be covered in this workshop: Three Options (p.2) Creating a Group (p.3) Ø Option #1 (p.3) i. Access Levels (p. 4) ii. Add Members (p. 5) Ø Option #2 (p.6) Groups (p.7) Search (p.7) Discussions (p.8) Members (p.9) Ø About this Group (p.9) Edit my Membership (p.10) Group Settings (Expanded View) (p.11) Ø General (p.11) Ø Access (p.11) i. Group Access Settings Owner (p. 12) Ø Appearance (p.13) Ø Navigation (p.13) Ø Email Delivery (p. 14) Ø Advanced (p.15) Ø Spam Controls (p.15) Management Tasks (p.16) Invite Members (p.16) Update your Mail Settings - Owner (p.17) Ø Verify your Email Address (p.18) Ø Receiving an Email Message (p. 18) Ø Choosing the correct FROM: Email Address (p.18) Google Apps Resource Website (p.19) NOTE: For more information visit www.austincc.edu/itdocs/google Page 1 of 19
Three Options Which group is right for you and your department/section? We strongly suggest using Option #1 or #2 for your departmental needs. 1. Google group associated with your email address that you create, maintain, and manage. a. The email associated with this account would be example- group@austincc.edu. The group is added to the email address. b. Members of this group may email documents to fellow group members. 2. Departmental Google group associated with an allocated owner that maintains and manages the group. a. Complete the form identifying the desired group name and the initial owner. b. If the owner of this group is to leave the ownership may be moved to another owner. c. Members of this group may email documents to fellow group members (they are housed on the discussion board), may send emails and reply to emails from group members, and use the discussion board. 3. $$$ (PHASE II Google Apps for Education). Departmental Google Group associated with the Department Email. a. Additional costs associated with the creation of this group. b. This type of group would have the exact features as each individual ACC employee when logging into Google Apps for Education (i.e. calendar, documents, sites, etc.). c. Must be requested directly through IT with supervisor approval. d. Requires you to maintain an additional email account. It is strongly recommended that you choose Option #1 or Option #2. Below you will find step- by- step directions for Option #1 and Option #2. Page 2 of 19
Option #1 (if you chose Option #2, turn to page 6 to begin) Creating a Group with Google Apps for Education Once logged on to Google Apps for Education, you will choose Groups from the drop- down arrow in the upper- left hand corner of the window. A new window opens, showcasing group information. To create a NEW group, you will click on the button Create This button is located in the upper- right hand corner of the window. A new window will open and you will find many new options and entry fields for your group. You may choose a name for your group (make sure your group name represents your group and it s functions), an email address for your group, obtain the web address for your group, write a group description, and choose and Access level for your group. Page 3 of 19
Make sure to read through the Access levels to make sure you select the right type of group for your specific needs. Access Levels Public - Anyone in austincc.edu can join, post messages, view the members list, and read the archives. Team - Only managers can invite new members, but anyone in austincc.edu can post messages, view the members list, and read the archives. o Also allow anyone on the Internet to post messages Announcement- only - Only managers can post messages and view the members list, but anyone from austincc.edu can join and read the archives. Restricted - Only managers can invite new members. Only members can post messages, view the members list, and read the archives. Messages to the group do not appear in search results After you enter all your group information, click on the button Create my group. The access levels may be changed at any time after creating your group. Page 4 of 19
Add Members The next step is to Add members to your group. If you chose Restricted access, you will notice that you can only add members directly to your account. Enter the email addresses of the people you would like to invite into the text field. Place your cursor in the text box until you see the blinking cursor and start typing. The emails should populate if the prospective members are on the Austin Community College Districts email system. If the prospective members are not on the email system, you will need to manually enter their email addresses. Make sure the email addresses are separated by a comma. Write an invitation message to be sent along with your invitation. Place your cursor in the text box until you see the blinking cursor and start typing. After you add your prospective members and write your invitation message, you are ready to Invite Members. Click on the Invite members button on the lower left- hand side of the window. You do have the option of skipping this step if you do not need to add members at the moment. You may choose to add members at any time. After you click on the Invite members button, you will receive verification that your group has been created (notice for Option #1 only). Page 5 of 19
Click on Visit your new group to access your new Group. NOTE: If you choose Option #2, please follow these steps to set up your Google Group. Option #2 Departmental Group Request Departmental Group Email and Allocate Owner If you want an email address without the - group for your department group email you will need to fill out a request form (https://spreadsheets0.google.com/a/austincc.edu/viewform?form key=de9xr25dudbou1rbvdzktgr1qvdlzmc6mq). NOTE: Make sure your group name represents your group and it s functions. Page 6 of 19
Groups When you select the Groups feature a new window will open, listing all of the groups in which you are associated. Search You may do a simple search within a group or groups. You can also do an advanced group search, by selecting Advanced Group Search. Features available on this page include search by author, group, message ID number, language, date range and subject. Click on the name of the Group to access the group. Here you will have access to the discussion area and other features. Page 7 of 19
Discussions You can submit a new post to a group either by posting directly to the group or sending a message via email. To submit a post directly to a group: visit the group's homepage and click the+ new post button in the colored Discussions bar on the right side of the page. (Alternatively, you can click the Discussions link on the right side of the page and then click the + Start a discussion button at the bottom of the page. This button only appears for the first post to the group.) To reply to an existing topic, click Reply near the bottom of the posting. To submit a new post via email: send an email to your group's email address. The subject line of the email will be the title of the post, and the body of the email will be the content of the post. Users can post on behalf of the group itself instead of their individual username, using the web interface. This setting is on the "Group settings" "Email delivery" page. You have to be an owner to enable this setting. Turning it on means that when users post from the web interface, a dropdown menu appears where users can choose whether the email appears to come "From: username@domain.com" or "From: groupname@googlegroups.com". You can reply to an existing post over email if you're set up to receive all posts to the group through email. Simply find the post you'd like to reply to in your email inbox and click the Reply/Reply All button in your email program. Type your message into the body of the email, making sure you keep the subject line of the email intact so that your post is sent to the correct thread. If posting to the group is restricted by the owner, the post may be reviewed by a moderator and you may be asked to join the group before you can post. NOTE: Go to this URL for a tour - http://www.google.com/intl/en/googlegroups/tour3/index.html. Page 8 of 19
Members To get a list of group members, click the "Members" link on your group's homepage. The link is located on the right- hand side of the browser window. You can subscribe to a group through our web interface or via email. To subscribe to a group through our web interface, simply log in to your Google Account and visit the group of your choice. Then click the "Join this group" link on the right- hand side of the page under "About this group." To subscribe to a group via email, send an email to [Groupname]+subscribe@googlegroups.com. For example, if you wanted to join a group called google- friends, you'd send an email to google- friends+subscribe@googlegroups.com Note: for restricted- membership groups, the group owner will need to approve your subscription request before you can join. About this group If you d like to remove yourself from a Google Group, do any one of the following steps: Reply to an email from the group with REMOVE ME as the subject of your message. Send an email to groupname+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For example, if you want to leave the Page 9 of 19
group myfriends@googlegroups.com, you could remove yourself by sending a blank email tomyfriends+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. Go to the Group s homepage and remove yourself as a member. 1. Go to the group s homepage. (Hint: If the group s email address isexample@googlegroups.com, then the URL for the group will be http://groups.google.com/group/example.) 2. Click Edit my membership. 3. At the bottom, click Unsubscribe. Edit my Membership Once the group settings have been set, then members will need to manipulate their own membership settings for the group to improve their communications with the group members. Each member of the group should do the following steps: Login to ACC Google Apps for Education (http://www.austincc.edu/accmail/) Click on Groups (located in the upper left- hand corner of the browser window). Select the group in which you need to make changes to your settings (your membership). Click on Edit Membership on the right- hand side of the page. Choose how you want to read the group and a nickname if you would like one associated with the group. Click on Save these settings. Page 10 of 19
Group Settings (Expanded View) You may access your group settings two different ways. You may click on the Group settings link located on the right- hand side of the window or click on the + sign beside the quote bubble with a question mark (the placeholder for your group picture). General From this tab, you may edit your Group name, Description, Public website, and/or a new Group address. Remember to save your changes. Access From this tab you may edit accessibility settings for your group (who can view, directory listing, who can view members, who can join, external members, who can create and edit pages, who can upload files, who can post messages, who can invite new members, and/or message moderation. Remember to save your changes. Page 11 of 19
Group Access Settings Owner The owner of the group manages the group from that point forward. The owner of the group decides who belongs in the group, who can see the group, who can post to the group, etc. Once the group is created, then more specific settings may be determined, such as, who can view emails and see content. Click on Group Settings on the right- hand side of the page. Then click on the Access Tab to update your group settings. Save your changes. (NOTE: the settings below are not official settings and should be adjusted based on your department needs). Page 12 of 19
Appearance Select a picture for your group, select a different look, and/or customize fonts and colors. Remember to save your changes. Navigation As group owner, you can customize the layout of your group's homepage and the navigation links on the right- hand side of the page. To do so, click on the "Group settings" link, and then click on the "Navigation" tab. There will be two fields: "Discussions" and "Members". To change the locations of these sections of your group, click on the up and down arrows next to the fields. You can also choose not to display any of these sections by clicking on the "Hide" button next to each field. If you'd like, you can also edit the names of these sections by clicking inside the fields and adding your own language to your group's categories. Think "Discussions" instead? Don't let us tell you how to say it. Just don't forget to click "Save Changes" when you're done. Remember to save your changes. Page 13 of 19
Email Delivery Choose specific formatting for your emails that are delivered to your group members. Choose a subject prefix, message footer, choose how replies are sent, select a maximum message size, designate whether or not you want members to be able to post things on behalf of the group, and/or choose from notification options. Remember to save your changes. You have a choice of three footers to add to each email to your group: use the default footer, have no footer, or create your own custom footer. The default footer looks like this: You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "[groupname]" group. To post to this group, send email to [groupname]@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [groupname]+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/[groupname] If you'd like to use the default footer, you don't need to do anything. If you'd like to remove the footer or change it, go to your group's homepage and click on the "Group settings" link on the Page 14 of 19
right side of the page. On the settings page, click the "Email delivery" tab. To remove the footer, select "Do not use a footer" and click the "Save Changes" button. To make your own custom footer, select "Make a custom footer" and enter your changes into the text field. Click the "Save Changes" button when you're happy with your new footer text. Advanced From this tab, you may choose the primary group language, delete your group, archive message options, and/or receive communications from Google. Remember to save your changes. Spam Controls You have a few options when it comes to controlling your spam messages. Remember to save your changes. Page 15 of 19
Management Tasks If you'd like to make changes to certain members' settings, click "Management tasks" from the group homepage. Then click the "Manage members" tab. Invite Members To add members to your group, just follow these steps: 1. Click Invite members from your group's homepage. 2. Select the Add members directly tab. 3. Add the email addresses of the members you'd like to add to your group, separating each email address with a comma. 4. Write a welcome message for your new group members. 5. Select a default subscription setting for your group members under Email subscription options. They'll be able to change these settings later if they have a Google Account. 6. Click Add members. Your new members will then receive your welcome message informing them that they've been added to your group. Page 16 of 19
Update your Mail Settings Owner You must update your email account settings if you want your replies to the group to be from the group address. Click on Mail in the upper- left hand corner. Click on the Options icon in the upper right- hand corner of the browser window and select Mail Settings. Click on the Accounts Tab. Click on Add another email address you own. You will be prompted to enter your name, email address, and reply- to email address. Place your group nickname in the Name field, your group email address in the email address field, and your group email address in the reply- to address field, then click on Next Step. Page 17 of 19
Verify your Email Address Click on Send Verification to verify that you are the owner of the departmental group email address. An email confirmation code will be sent via email to the owner. The owner must enter the email code to verify ownership. Once the owner verifies the code, they are directed back to the Account Settings area. Receiving an Email Message A new area appears under Add another email address. Click on Reply from the same address the message was set to, so the emails sent come from the group email address. Choosing the correct FROM: Email Address When composing new mail messages you will now have a variety (dependent upon how many group email addresses you have) of FROM: options. To choose the correct FROM: email address, click on the drop- down FROM: menu, and choose the correct email address. This will be the email address that the current message you are composing will be from, so those that reply will respond to the same email address. NOTE: From your General Tab under Mail Settings - update your group signature to coincide with your replies to the group! Page 18 of 19
Google Apps Resource Website - http://www.austincc.edu/itdocs/google/index.php Rules and Terms of Service - http://www.austincc.edu/itdocs/google/rules.php Google Apps FAQs - http://www.austincc.edu/itdocs/google/faqs.php Page 19 of 19