Google Shared Drive allows cohort members to grant non-cohort staff access to individual documents and folders in the SILS Cohort shared drive. This is wonderful news for anyone wanting to share a folder or document with someone outside the cohort. 

Principles

1. Cohort members are managed at the DRIVE level (not folders and not docs); 

2. Non-cohort members may request access at the folder or file level (as one-offs).

   1. Currently DOC and LG members have drive level privileges outside of the SILS Cohort.

3. Non-cohort members need to be UC-affiliated and need to use their institutional email address as their Google account.

4. Non-cohort members will by default be given “Viewer” access to any materials they request. 

   1. View-only access will be by person and not by link, unless otherwise appropriate.

   2. Exception: personnel discussions, fiscal, PII (etc.) will be handled on a case by case basis

   3. Materials can be shared on an edit basis for staff doing collaborative work with OST members - in which case “Contributor” level permissions are appropriate. 

5. Team chairs will be notified of access requests to their folder / files by SILS Ops Center, and will be given the opportunity to modify or revoke the request.

Google share instructions

1. Gather the names and UC google accounts of the people you would like to add.

2. Review Google Shared Drive Access Levels and choose appropriate access level; contributor, commenter, or viewer recommended for guest access (NOT ‘content manager’).

3. Notify the appropriate OST chair and vice chair or group leader that new guests will have access. 

4. For single files or shared folders:

   1. To add guests: 

      1. Select the document or file you wish to share. 

      2. Right-click and choose “Share”. 

      3. Add the guest’s email address and choose the permission level. 

      4. Type a message if desired, then hit “Send” to send the invite. 

      5. They will now show up in the “guests” tab. 

      6. Remember to remove guests when access is no longer needed.

   2. To share a link: 

      1. Right-click on the file and choose “Get link”. 

      2. Select “Anyone with the link” and choose the access level (contributor, commenter, or viewer)

      3. Click “Copy Link’ and share the link. 

      4. Remember to change the link back to “Restricted” when sharing is no longer needed.

Procedure when share requests come to SILS Ops Center (SOC)

(generated when non-cohort members click ‘request access’)

1. Request access comes in.

2. SOC staff respond to access request by granting “view access” to that specific account AND copy the chair and vice chair with the following message:

   1. Our policy is to grant non-Cohort members indefinite view-only access. If you want this person to have higher privileges, or if you want their access revoked after a certain date, please respond to this email. Otherwise no action necessary!

View access 

1. What is the maintenance difference between “anyone with link can view” and granting access specifically to that person?

   1. Anyone with the link doesn’t restrict to UC-only

It’s not possible to add manager-level permissions to Chairs at the folder level (only the Drive level).

Risks 

1. If / when we have to move these files, permissions can be a problem or get in the way? (owner)

2. If people separate from UC, what happens to their account? 

3. (depending on access level) Non-cohort person edits or changes a Cohort working doc. OR, someone edits an established doc after the fact. Or delete.

4. Is there cohort-only information that we might accidentally give access to?

   1. Personnel, ppi, fiscal

5. Could someone accidentally delete needed files/folders; how could those be recovered in time?

Reference links

Shared Drive Access Levels