SUSSED Groups – Becoming a Group Leader
‘Groups’ are online communities that you can join in SUSSED. There are various types, arranged into categories to make them easier for you to find. If you cannot find a group for your club, society, research group or workplace team then you can request to set up a new one and act as the group leader.
Requesting a new Group
To request a new group click the groups icon at the top-right of your screen. In the Groups section of the SUSSED Portal click once on the ‘Request Group’ tab. You are presented with the ‘Request New Group’ screen.
You should complete all sections of this form. Below is some advice on each section:
Group Name – Try to make it as obvious as possible what the group contains.
Group Title – This displays next to the name in the Groups index, so for instance, you might want to name the group ‘HistSoc’ and in the Group Title field enter ‘University of Southampton History Society’ There is no reason why the Name and Title fields cannot be the same if that makes it clear what the group contains.
Guest Page Description – This is a section of text that will be created on the Guest View when others are browsing the Groups index. Here is a chance to explain what your group does and why people should join. Try to be as informative and concise as possible.
Group Category – Select which category your group best fits into from: Academic, Research, Service, Social or Sports.
Group Type – Select the button to choose which type you want your group to be. Public is the most common, meaning anyone can join. If you want your group to be restricted to members that meet certain criteria you must give an explanation in the box below. Then, when a new person requests to join your group it will pass to you, as group leader, to ensure they meet the criteria laid down. This is useful, for example, for groups based on research projects, where you only want the people working on the project to have access to your group. It is possible to have a ‘Hidden Group’ which will not appear in the Groups index unless you are a member of it. It is unlikely that you would need to do this as you could normally use a Restricted Group to control membership. Please ignore this and the ‘Admin Blocked’ box unless you want to set up a totally confidential group. If you feel you do need a Hidden Group please contact ServiceLine (email: serviceline@soton.ac.uk or tel: 023 8059 5656) explaining your reasons.
Browse Control – Currently anyone can browse the Groups Index, but here you can add which categories of users can join your group: employee (any university employee who is not an academic or researcher), faculty (academic and research staff) or students. Click once to highlight the category you wish to allow to join your group and click the left arrow to move them into the ‘Selected Roles’ box.
Group Applications – This controls what features of the groups are available to group members. In the first instance leave this as it is; as group leader you can always change these after your group has been created. N.B. The Calendar function is not currently offered, but please leave the option ticked when you request your group.
Request Comment – This is a free text box where you can enter information that you think is relevant for the SUSSED Groups Administrator to see.
Groups Policy – Please read the text and check the box to say that you have understood the university’s policy on the use of groups. Once you are happy with your Group Request Form click once on the ‘Submit Request’ button. Once submitted your request will go into a queue for the SUSSED Groups Administrator to approve. We aim to reply to your request within 2 working days. Upon approval you will receive an email with some further information to help you get started with your new group.
Being a Group Leader
Becoming a group leader means you are responsible for the maintenance of the group’s homepages and activities. As group leader, if you think the administration is going to be too time consuming for just one person, you are able to delegate responsibility for certain functions to other group members. Remember, though, that you are ultimately responsible for the group and ensuring it adheres to the university’s Groups Policy.
Inside your group is a detailed PDF group leader guide. This contains information on how to add, edit and remove content from your group. iSolutions are also happy to provide all university staff with training on how to manage a SUSSED Group.
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