Purpose and Overview
Slack and Google Meet are communication and collaboration tools primarily used by staff at Miami University. This instance of Slack is delivered by IT Services and provides real-time collaboration and video conferencing services via Slack and Google Meet, offering secure, dynamic platforms for faculty and staff. Designed to enhance teamwork and streamline daily operations, these tools provide digital workspaces for instant messaging, file sharing, and virtual meetings, making it easy for university teams to connect from anywhere.
Features and Benefits
Features:
Slack
- Real-Time Messaging: Use your Miami UniqueID to access direct messaging, group chats, and organized channels for departments, cross-functional projects, or daily team updates.
- Project Management & Workflows: Keep tasks centralized by setting reminders, integrating productivity tools, and utilizing searchable message histories.
- File Sharing & Collaboration: Drop files, documents, and media directly into chat threads for quick feedback and centralized team access.
Google Meet
- Video Conferencing: High-quality, secure virtual meetings featuring screen sharing, digital whiteboards, real-time closed captioning, and in-meeting chat.
- Google Workspace Integration: Seamlessly schedule, launch, or join video calls directly from your Miami Google Calendar invites or your Gmail interface.
Benefits:
- Enhanced Team Organization: Reduces email clutter by moving quick conversations and project updates to dedicated chat channels.
- Instant Connectivity: Enables immediate face-to-face virtual meetings and quick voice calls with colleagues.
- Secure Environment: University-managed instances ensure data shared within channels and meetings aligns with internal security standards.
- Flexible Hybrid Work: Supports a seamless hybrid work environment, keeping remote and on-campus staff connected in real time.
Service Boundaries and Constraints
- Eligibility: Slack and Google Meet accounts are primarily provisioned for active Miami University staff and faculty.
- Slack Licensing & Costs: Slack is a paid service for a full access license. This full license gives you the ability to use all the features in Slack, including making custom channels and adding integration with other tools. The cost of this license is $22.50 per user per year. There is also a single-channel guest license that is free but comes with many limitations including the ability to only join one channel. We are also limited on the number of single-channel guest licenses that we can issue.
- Account Lifecycle: Access to these platforms is tied directly to active university employment and is deactivated upon departure.
- Retention Policies: Messages, recordings, and shared files are subject to Miami University’s data retention and acceptable use policies.
- Platform Governance: Creation of public Slack channels or large-scale integrations may be subject to review by IT Services.
Eligibility and Audience
This service is available to:
- Faculty and Staff: For daily, operational communication, collaboration, and project management.
Getting Started and Support
- Access Google Meet: Launch a meeting instantly via meet.google.com or schedule a session directly through Google Calendar using your Miami credentials.
- Request Slack: Add free, single-channel guests or full, paid Slack users by using the Request Access button on this page.