University of Saskatchewan


Return to FAQs

1.What types of groups can I create?
2.How do I request a new group?
3.What is the browse control for when I set up a group?
4.What qualifies as a "Study Group" in the groups category?
5.Can the expiry date for announcements be changed?
6.I would like to upload a file to PAWS and make it available to my group members. What is the maximum file size that I can upload?
7.What is my group's disk quota (amount of disk space)?
8.How do I delete a group?
9.I have modified an existing announcement in my group using the Group Studio tools and now group members can see both the original and the modified announcements. Why?
10.Is there a limit to the length of topics and messages that can be posted in my group?
11.I have placed a file in my group but some of my group members are not able to download it. Why?

1 . What types of groups can I create?

Various options allow you to specify a group's intended membership and the level of accessibility or privacy required by the group. "Public" groups are open to everyone who has access to PAWS. "Restricted" groups are open only to those approved by the group leader - usually members of an existing group or class (everyone in a particular club or study group, or on a certain committee, for example). "Hidden" groups are not displayed in the Groups Index and do not have a guest view page. Hidden groups are typically used to publish and discuss sensitive information that should not be available even as a restricted group. The "Admin Blocked" checkbox requests that group content be made inaccessible to everyone without membership including PAWS Administrators. Admin blocking is reserved for special circumstances and requires the approval of an Associate Vice-president of the University of Saskatchewan.

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2 . How do I request a new group?

Select the Groups icon from the icon bar in the top right of PAWS, then select "Request Group." The request will be sent to the PAWS Content Administrator for approval. As soon as your request has been approved or rejected, you will receive an e-mail notification, along with an explanation of the decision.

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3 . What is the browse control for when I set up a group?

Browse control allows group leaders to determine who can see the group name while browsing the list of groups in the Groups Index. This is done by selecting specific roles, such as "students_all_current" or "employees." (Please note that many of the roles listed are system roles and have very few people, if any, in them.) If none of the roles are selected (this is the default setting), anyone can browse or search for the group.

The browse control has the most impact on public groups, because these are open to everyone who has access to PAWS. If people cannot see the group in the Groups Index, they will not be able to join it. (Membership requests for restricted groups require approval before people can join, so they are less impacted by the browse control.)

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4 . What qualifies as a "Study Group" in the groups category?

A subsection of the "Academics" groups category, "Study Groups" are used by students who have organized to study together for a particular topic or class, or who are working together on a class project. Study Groups, including all files and other content, are removed from PAWS after the session for which the group has been approved has ended. Group leaders are notified before this process begins.
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5 . Can the expiry date for announcements be changed?

No. Announcements expire after 14 days and this cannot be changed.
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6 . I would like to upload a file to PAWS and make it available to my group members. What is the maximum file size that I can upload?

Files:

  • A maximum of 500 files per group
  • Each file may be up to 700 MB in size
  • A total of 700 MB of file storage per group

Photos:

  • A maximum of 450 photos per group
  • Each photo may be up to 12 MB in size
  • A total of 24 MB of photo storage per group
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7 . What is my group's disk quota (amount of disk space)?

Each group in PAWS is allocated 700 MB of disk space.

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8 . How do I delete a group?

Only the group leader can request deletion of the group. Select the Groups icon, from the icon bar in the top right of PAWS, then select "General Settings" under Configuration Tools. Add "Please Delete" to the Group Name or Group Title. Scroll down to the Modification Comment box and enter your request to delete the group. Click "Save". The request will be sent to the PAWS Groups Administrator for deletion.
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9 . I have modified an existing announcement in my group using the Group Studio tools and now group members can see both the original and the modified announcements. Why?

After modifying the original announcement and posting it, you must delete the original announcement to prevent both from appearing.
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10 . Is there a limit to the length of topics and messages that can be posted in my group?

Yes. The content of a topic is limited to 512 characters and the content of a message is limited to 2048 characters.
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11 . I have placed a file in my group but some of my group members are not able to download it. Why?

Some web browsers cannot access filenames that have spaces in them. When uploading files to your group, ensure that the filenames do not contain spaces. For example, to make a file named "topics to discuss" available to everyone, it should be stored with a filename of "topics_to_discuss.doc" .
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