Center for Information Technology

Google Groups Policy

Google Groups are created by the Center for Information Technology for departments, student organizations, and groups. This policy guides the acceptable administration and use of those Groups.

Policy #: 01.001
Policy Title: Google Groups
Responsible Position for Policy: Chief Information Technology Officer
Office/Department Responsible for Policy: Center for Information Technology
Division Responsible for Policy: Office of Finance and Administration
Scope of Policy: All users of Google Groups, including Group Managers, Group Members, and faculty and staff advisors of chartered student organizations who are issued Groups.
Original Issue Date: 06/17/2020
Last Revision Date: 03/04/2021
Log of Previous Revisions: 03/04/2021

Policy Purpose

Google Groups are created by the Center for Information Technology for departments, student organizations, and groups. This policy guides the acceptable administration and use of those Groups.

Policy Statement

  1. All Google Groups must be managed by a current Oberlin College faculty or staff member or an officer of a chartered student organization. Groups will only be created for College-related business or activities. By agreeing to manage a Google Group, the Manager assumes responsibility for day-to-day monitoring and operation of the Group. It is the Manager’s responsibility to ensure the Group continues to run smoothly, College policies, including the Acceptable Use Policy, are adhered to, and the stated objective(s) of the Group are followed. The Manager shall be the point-of-contact for subscribers when problems or questions arise.
  2. Group Managers must be an individual (rather than another Group) and must be an @oberlin.edu email address.
  3. Group Managers are responsible for maintaining accurate membership of their Groups, ensuring that defunct email accounts are promptly removed from Groups.
  4. In most cases, Group members must consent to being a member of a Group. Group Managers must either configure their Groups such that members can unsubscribe or comply immediately to requests from subscribers to be removed from Groups. Class instructors or Oberlin College offices may use Groups of students in a class, students of a particular major, staff in a particular department, etc. In cases such as these, a request to be removed from a Group need not be honored by the Group Manager.
  5. Groups may not attempt to address the entire Oberlin College community, nor any other large contingent of individuals for which the Group Manager does not have administrative responsibility. No mass unsolicited mailings are allowed. 
  6. Addresses from Groups may not be compiled, collected, or used for any purpose other than the original intended purpose of the Group.
  7. Subscribers agree to hold Oberlin College, the Center for Information Technology, and Group Managers harmless for any opinions expressed on a Group mailing. Opinions so stated do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Oberlin College, the Center for Information Technology, or the Group Managers.
  8. Group Managers are requested to state the specific purpose of their Group in the “Description” section of the Group Request Form.
  9. Group Managers shall provide “end dates” for their Group, i.e. date when the Group can be discontinued. Additionally, Group Managers will receive an email notification prior to Group removal. Managers must reply to this message prior to the renewal date specified, or their Group will be removed from the system.
  10. The Group Manager is responsible for transferring group management to another user prior to their planned departure from the College (e.g., upon graduation, retirement, or end of employment). Otherwise, CIT reserves the right to remove the Group without notice when the Manager’s account is removed.

Scope

All users of Google Groups, including Group Managers, Group Members, and faculty and staff advisors of chartered student organizations who are issued Groups.

Administration

The Chief Information Technology Officer is assigned to administer this policy. This individual is responsible for keeping the policy up to date and coordinating a detailed review at least once every five years.

Procedures

CIT retains the right to promptly remove or disable any Group found to be in violation of this policy without notice.