Applying to Create a Group
Use this section to apply for a group.
Attributes of a Group
This section describes the attributes that a group has. When you apply to create a group, you will need to choose values for each of these categories.
Group Name is a required field. The name will be used to identify the group in notifications sent to users, in the context created for the group, and, if the group is public, in the Campus Groups Directory.
Note that groups names usually are seen outside the context of the category that the group belongs to. So the name you suggest should make sense on its own.
The group application form does not include a field for group leader, but when you submit the application, you will automatically be suggested as the group leader. It is possible for the administrator to change this after approving the group. However, if that does not happen, you will be the leader, which means you will be responsible for the group. If desired, once the group is created, you can designate someone else as a co-leader. After doing that, you can also demote yourself to being a member (or you can drop the group).
Each group must be assigned to a category that describes the general purpose of the group. If it is a public group, the Category classification will help other users find the group when they are browsing the Campus Groups Directory.
Each group must be classified as either public or private. This designation affects whether the group is listed in the Campus Groups Directory, and how people become members in the group.
A public group is one that is listed in the Campus Groups Directory, and which can have any of several membership options. These options are described in the following Public Group Enrollment section.
A private group is one that is not listed in the Campus Groups Directory, and which has only one style of membership, which is that members are added manually by the leaders. This is similar to the “invitation” style of membership seen in public groups, except that people added to private groups do not have to actively accept an invitation—when they are added by the leader, they simply receive a notification that they have been added.
Public group enrollment is relevant only if the group is public. The options are as follows:
Open, no application required—Any user can proactively join the group and instantly become a member. Each time this happens, the leader gets a notification indicating who has joined.
Open, by membership application—Any user can submit an application for membership, and if the application is approved by the group’s leader, the applicant becomes a member. Note that the system always presents the same application; it is essentially a form that asks why the user wants to join. However, for each group, the application’s introductory text can be customized (by changing the Application to Join template, as described in Working with Message Templates for a Group). If the group leader needs to collect specific data as part of the application, it might be a good idea to provide a detailed list in the introductory text.
Open, by invitation only—A user can become a member only if he or she receives an invitation from the group’s leader. The invitee then must accept the invitation to become a member, by visiting the Join Group feature on the inviting group’s Public Page, or visiting a Campus Groups feature listing the user’s current groups and clicking on the Join Now link provided there. Note that each group has an invitation template that can be customized on a case-by-case basis (the Invitation to Join template, described in Working with Message Templates for a Group).
Closed to new members—No one can join the group. At the time the group is created, this might be an appropriate choice if the leader(s) need time to set up the group’s pages or if they want to do some other prep work prior to accepting members.
When the maximum number of members has joined a group, the system automatically closes the group to new members. You can also manually close a group at any time by editing its membership settings (described in the Manage Membership Settings section). This is an optional setting.
This description offers more details about the group. This description is displayed only to administrators reviewing the group’s data.
Use this procedure to submit an application for a new group. After you do this, an administrator will review your application and can decline or accept the application, with or without changes.
To apply to create a group:
Log in to the portal and navigate to an instance of the Campus Groups Directory feature. In the default setup of the portal, there is a Campus Groups Directory feature instance in your My Pages context.
Click Create new campus group.
The system displays a form.
Fill out the form as appropriate. If you need help with any field, see Applying to Create a Group.
After you have filled out the form, click Submit Application.
The system submits your application for review and displays an on-screen message stating as much. You will also receive an automated email or Message Center notice saying this. Later you will received another message specifying whether the application has been approved or rejected.