Environment
U-M Slack, Maize & Blue workspace
Issue
- How do I make or add a new workspace in U-M Slack?
- When trying to create a new workspace, the Slack.com website reports "Only Org Admins can create new University of Michigan workspaces."
Resolution
To meet U-M needs, ITS provides three options for creating your U-M Slack workspace. The option you choose will depend on how you want to manage membership in the workspace.
Before you Begin
- Important: You must be a member of U-M Slack for at least 24 hours prior to setting up a workspace
- It is not possible to change the type of workspace; for example if you select standalone and then want to start using MCommunity with it to sync after the standalone workspace is created, that’s not possible
Option 1: MCommunity Group Workspace
- Membership is synced to one existing MCommunity group of which you are an owner
- Multiple existing MCommunity groups can be added as subgroups to the parent MCommunity group that owns the Slack workspace; all eligible members of each MCommunity subgroup are added to your workspace
- Only individuals eligible for U-M Slack will be synced to the workspace
- You may still add members and guests directly in Slack, but those individuals will not be synced to the MCommunity group and will need to be manually removed when no longer needed
- Note: You must create and own the MCommunity group before filling out the form below. If you do not see the group, log out by hovering over your uniqname in the upper right of the form page and clicking logout, then log back in by navigating back to the form. This will refresh your list of groups. You can also use an incognito/private browser window instead of logging out and back in.
Create an MCommunity Group Workspace
Option 2: Ann Arbor Canvas Course(s) Workspace
- Membership is synced to one or more official Ann Arbor Canvas courses of which you have a Teacher role
- You cannot create a workspace for an unofficial course or course from another term
- If you want to sync the workspace to a Canvas course that you are not a Teacher in, you can:
- Ask someone who has a Teacher role to create the new workspace
- Ask someone who has a Teacher role to provide you with a Teacher role (if appropriate) for as long as it takes to create the workspace
- They can then demote you back to your regular role
- For example, if there are three sections of the same course, each with a different instructor, and the instructional team wants one Slack workspace for all three sections, select one instructor to create the workspace and have all instructors add that person as a Teacher to their section; the instructor can then create the workspace and, afterward, be removed
- Everyone in the Canvas course will automatically be added to the workspace (you do not need to add students manually)
- Anyone removed from the Canvas course (such as a student who drops the course) will automatically be removed from the workspace (You do not need to remove students manually)
- All Canvas course roles are synced, as long as the individual is eligible for U-M Slack
- Course workspaces are never deleted
- The U-M Slack team is developing a tool that will allow faculty and instructors to delete their course workspaces if desired
- Support for Dearborn and Flint is on the roadmap, but no estimated time frame can be provided at this time
Create a Course Workspace
Option 3: Standalone Workspace
- You will be responsible for adding and removing individual members directly in U-M Slack
- Members must have already created their U-M Slack account in order to be added
- You cannot add MCommunity groups as members. All members must be added as individuals
Create a Standalone Workspace
Verify your Workspace
Verify that the workspace has been created by going to https://admin.slack.umich.edu/create/
Additional Information
An Alternative: Use the Maize & Blue Workspace
Need additional information or assistance? Contact the ITS Service Center.