Google Workspace - Application Descriptions

Gmail is an email service available through a web-based client and email programs like Outlook and Apple Mail.

Gmail is the default university email account for students, and some persons of interest.

Help documentation:

• Using Gmail (provided by Google)
• Gmail Help, which includes CU Boulder specific login and program configuration instructions.
• Gmail Accessibility Considerations

Google Calendar is a web-based tool for personal scheduling and calendar sharing. It can be accessed through either a Web browser or through a third-party calendar client.

Google Calendar is available to students, and persons of interest.

Help documentation:

• Using Calendar (provided by Google)
• Google Calendar Accessibility Considerations

Google Contacts is a contact management tool incorporated into Gmail.

Google Contacts is available to students, and persons of interest.

Help documentation:

• Refer to Contacts section in the Gmail Help Center (provided by Google).
• Gmail Accessibility Considerations

Google Docs is an online word processor that lets you create and format text documents and collaborate with other people in real time.

Google Docs is available to students, faculty, staff, and persons of interest.

Help documentation:

• Using Google Docs (provided by Google)
• Google Docs Accessibility Considerations

Google Drive on the web lets you store, access, and edit your files anywhere — on the web, on your hard drive, or on the go.

Google Drive is available to students, faculty, staff, and persons of interest.

Help documentation:

• Using Google Drive (provided by Google)
• Google Drive Accessibility Considerations

Google Drive for desktop

Google Drive File Stream is now called Google Drive for desktop. Google is unifying sync clients to bring features from Backup and Sync to Google Drive for desktop and create a better user experience. Here's where you can learn more about the change to Drive for desktop. 

In order to further manage CU Boulder's Google data quota, Google Backup and Sync will no longer be available for newly created accounts starting with this fall semester. Newly created accounts will still be able to use File Stream and the streaming feature of the new Google Drive for desktop client, however.

If you have users who wish to backup their computers to the cloud, OIT recommends using Microsoft's OneDrive sync client. Switching backups from Google to Microsoft will go a long way toward helping the campus meet its new Google data quota.

To install, download Google Drive for desktop.

Please note: OIT no longer recommends using Google Shared Drives for storage due to upcoming storage limitations announced recently by Google. While still an option for collaboration and communication using Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Forms, long-term storage is not recommended in Google Shared Drive. Learn more about Google Storage Limitations and how to migrate data.

About Shared Drives

Google Shared Drives are shared spaces where teams can easily store, search, and access their files anywhere, from any device. Unlike files in My Drive, files in a Shared Drive belong to the team instead of an individual. If members leave, the contents of the Shared Drive stay exactly where they are so your team can continue to share information and collaborate.

Request a Google Shared Drives

Submit the Google Shared Drive Request form on OIT Messaging and Collaboration's Request Portal to get started. This form can be submitted by faculty and staff only. Students and other affiliates should contact the IT Service Center for assistance. Shared Drive names should follow this naming convention: [DeptAbbreviation]-SD-SharedDriveName (e.g. OIT-SD-SharedDrive).

Please Note: Google Shared Drives is available to students, faculty, staff, and persons of interest, but must be requested by a faculty or a staff member of CU Boulder. If the Shared Drive is being requested for a student group, the request must come via the Center for Student Involvement.

Migration Help

To request help migrating content from My Drive to a Google Shared Drives, contact the IT Service Center at 303-735-4357 or oithelp@colorado.edu. A member of the Messaging and Collaboration Team will contact you and develop a migration strategy based on the data you need migrated. Be aware that while it is possible to migrate data from a personal My Drive, there can be complications. Visit the Google Workspace Known Issues page to learn about potential problems with migrating content to Google Shared Drives.

Help documentation:

• Getting Started with Google Shared Drives
• Shared Drives: Add members and set permissions 
• Add Files and Folders
• Manage Files and Folders
• Shared Drives Support
• My Drive vs. Shared Drives FAQ

Google Forms is a tool that will allows you to create online surveys, quizzes, questionnaires, and registration forms. Google Forms can be connected to spreadsheets in Google Sheets. If a spreadsheet is linked to the form, responses will automatically be sent to the spreadsheet.

Google Forms is available to students, faculty, staff, and persons of interest.

Help documentation:

• Create a Survey Using Google Forms (provided by Google)
• Google Forms Accessibility Considerations

Google Groups allows you to create and participate in online forums and email-based groups with a rich experience for community conversations. At CU Boulder, Google Groups have been primarily used for mailing lists.

Google Groups are available to faculty, staff, and students provisioned with Google accounts. New Google Groups Can be requested by filling out the Google Groups Request form.

Help documentation:

• Using Google Groups (provided by Google)
• CU Boulder Google Groups service page and request process
• Google Groups Accessibility Considerations

Google Jamboard is an online, collaborative whiteboarding application that lets you create, edit, and collaborate with other people in real time. Google Jamboard applications can be accessed on the Web, Android, and iOS.

Google Jamboard is available to students, faculty, staff, and persons of interest.

Please note: Jamboard hardware is not provided or supported at this time. Support will be provided via best effort.

Help documentation:

• Using Google Jamboard (provided by Google)
• Google Jamboard Tool Reference and Glossary (provided by Google)

Accessibility Considerations:

If you are a Professor/Instructor and your course requires the use of Jamboard please use the following disclaimer in your syllabi or somewhere in the LMS:

“This course requires the use of Google Jamboard which has not yet been reviewed fully for accessibility. If you use assistive technology to access the course material, please contact your faculty member and Disability Services at 303-492-8671 or by email at dsinfo@colorado.edu as soon as possible to discuss other effective means for providing equal alternate access."

Google Sheets is an online spreadsheet application that lets you create and format spreadsheets and collaborate with other people in real time.

Google Sheets is available to students, faculty, staff, and persons of interest.

Help documentation:

• Using Google Sheets (provided by Google)
• Google Sheets Accessibility Considerations

Google Sites is a web-based tool designed to assist in the creation and deployment of websites. It has a basic interface that allows text, pictures, links, and other standard features to be added without knowledge of HTML. Its editor also permits some use of HTML code.

Google Sites is available to students, faculty, staff, and persons of interest.

Help documentation:

• About Sites (provided by Google)
• Google Sites Accessibility Considerations

Google Slides is an online, collaborative presentations application that lets you create, edit, and deliver presentations and collaborate with other people in real time.

Google Slides is available to students, faculty, staff, and persons of interest.

Help documentation:

• Using Google Slides (provided by Google)
• Google Slides Accessibility Considerations

Google Analytics generates detailed statistics about a website's traffic and traffic sources and measures conversions and sales. Administered by CU Boulder’s University Communications.

Google Analytics is available to students, faculty, staff, and persons of interest.

Help documentation:

• About Google Analytics (provided by Google)

Blogger is a weblog publishing tool. It integrates with other Google services such as Hangouts and Google Currents.

Blogger is available to students, faculty, staff, and persons of interest.

Help documentation:

• About Blogger (provided by Google)

Google Bookmarks is a web-based service to store bookmarks online. Google Bookmarks is available to students, faculty, staff, and persons of interest.

Google Chat is replacing Classic Hangouts and enables direct messages and team chat rooms along with other enhanced features. Google Chat is available in Gmail. You can also use Google Chat on the web and on mobile with apps for Android, iOS, and desktop.

Help documentation:

• About Google Chat (provided by Google)

Google Chrome Sync allows you to synchronize bookmarks, browser preferences and history across multiple Chrome and Chromebook instances. Google Chrome Sync is available to students, faculty, staff, and persons of interest.

Google Workspace search history is a new setting on by default in the My Activity page. When it's enabled, as you type search text, you'll see suggestions from your search history. You can easily rerun previous searches.

Google Workspace search history collects search data for Google Workspace products like Gmail and Google Drive. Web & App Activity previously collected searches for all Google services. Now it only collects searches for additional Google services.

You can see and delete your search data or opt out of Google Workspace search history on the My Activity page. For details, on this page, go to Turn Google Workspace search history on and off.

Google Meet enables conversations with photos, emoji, group video calls for free. You can connect across computers, Android and Apple devices.

Google Meet is available to students, faculty, staff, and persons of interest.

Help documentation:

• About Google Meet (provided by Google)
• Google Meet Accessibility Considerations

Google Maps is a desktop and mobile web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, offering satellite imagery, street maps, and Street View perspectives, as well as functions such as a route planner for traveling by foot, car, bicycle, or with public transportation.

Google Maps is available to students, faculty, staff, and persons of interest.

Google Takeout is a service that allows users of Google products, such as YouTube, Gmail, etc., to export their data to a downloadable ZIP file. Google Takeout is available to students, faculty, staff, and persons of interest.