How Do I Create a Group or Sub-Group?

Before creating a new group, search for groups that may fit the needs or objective of your proposed group.

How to create a group

Click on Groups in the main navigation bar.

Click Create a new group

You will be prompted to fill out details about your group, including the name and other preferences. (see Editing group options below for further details).

Click Create group to finish.

How to create a sub-group

Sub-groups are groups that exist within a parent group. Before creating a sub-group, consider that circumstances may change over time (the parent group may change or no longer be needed). Each sub-group member must also be a member of the parent group, which can add complexity to the group membership process. As it isn’t possible for a sub-group to become a parent-level group, or independent of the parent, sub-groups should be considered carefully.

In order to create or join a sub-group, you must first be a member of the parent group.

Start on the activity page of the parent group, click the Settings Icon that is located at the right of the page, and a drop-down menu will appear.

Click Create a Sub-Group.

You will be prompted to fill out details about your group (see Editing group options below for further details).

Click Create group to finish.

Editing Group Options 

Under Group Profile/Tools tab when creating a group, the following options are available: 

Group name

If you are making a bilingual group, remember to add both the French and English names in each of the respective language tabs.

Group icon

Click on Browse to select a file from your computer to use as a group icon. A group icon is highly recommended as it allows for quicker identification and provides your group with a more polished and complete look.

Cover image

Click on Browse to select a file from your computer to use as a cover image. The cover image displays at 1140 pixels wide by 145 pixels tall. If the dimensions of your image are greater or smaller than that, the image will be scaled to fit the area. A group cover image enables you to further personalize your group.

Brief description

This acts as a short description of the group (350 words). It should catch the attention of users as they browse through the Groups main page. Try to keep this short and simple; ideally one short sentence. If your group is bilingual, remember to post the description in both official languages using the language tab.

Long description

The long description summarizes the purpose of the group and any other necessary information. Try to be as detailed and transparent as possible. Any acronyms should be written out in full on first reference. In the case of a bilingual group, remember to post the description in both official languages using the language tab.

Tags

Tags are keywords that are associated with the purpose of your group. They make your group searchable.

Here are some guidelines on using tags:

• Separate each tag with a comma and a space.
• Tags should be words or short phrases members will use when searching for groups.
• Remember to make tags bilingual in order for members to be able to find your group in either language.

Group membership permissions settings

Group owners and operators can set privacy settings when creating a group according to the function, needs or purpose of the group.

• Open Groups allow any logged-on GCcollab user to instantly join a group.
• Closed Groups require GCcollab members to request group membership, and then be accepted by the Group owner or operator. Alternatively, the Group owner or operator can invite GCcollab members or anyone with an email address to join.