IT Community Chat Spaces are a great tool for focused discussions on specific topics.  With established ‘Space Norms,’ Chat Spaces can be a beneficial tool for all of those in the NC State IT Community.

Joining/Leaving IT Chat Spaces

Members of the “All NC State IT Staff” can join the Chat Spaces below. To join a Chat Space, click on the link for the Space you want to join or search for “ITC” while browsing All Spaces.

If you leave a Chat Space, you will need to click on the link for the Space you want to rejoin.

Available IT Community Chat Spaces

You can preview and join existing ITC Chat Spaces by clicking this link (will open up in Google Chat). Users not in the ALL-IT group will have to request to join and require approval by a space manager.

Organize Google Chats

Google Chat users can organize Spaces and Direct Messages using Sections. 

Notification Settings

• Turn notifications on or off.
• Customize notifications for specific conversations & spaces.
• Customize notification sounds.
• Get notifications in the Chat mobile app.
• Update device or browser notification settings for Chat on a computer.

Creating New IT Community Channels–Best Practices

The NC State IT Chat Spaces are created to only allow members of the All NC State IT Staff to join.  If you wish to create additional Spaces, you should mirror this setup for the entire IT Community or create them as private for smaller audiences.

Using the All University IT Staff method:

• Open Google Chat using your NC State Google account
• Click "New Chat" in the upper left-hand corner
• Click "Create a space"
  • Provide a space name - follow existing ITC naming convention "ITC-Some Topic Here"
  • Select "collaboration"
  • Access settings
    • Select "All University IT Staff"

• Once the chat space is created, be sure to update the space settings:
  • Permissions
    • Who can manage members and groups: Space managers only
  • Manage members
    • Invite users who should act as space managers
    • Click the ellipsis icon to the right of their record, and select "Make space manager"

Note: the "email to this address to post to the space" functionality is not supported.

Retention of IT Chat Space Content

IT Chat Space history will be turned on by default and retained for 18 months to allow all new users to a Chat Space to interact with all the content.

ITC Chat Space Guidelines/Space Norms

• Respectful Communication: Maintain a professional and courteous tone in all interactions. Avoid personal attacks, offensive language, or discriminatory remarks.
• Relevant Content: Keep discussions focused on the space's topic or related IT services. Avoid off-topic conversations or spam.
• Privacy and Confidentiality: Do not share sensitive or confidential information, including student data, personal information, or internal university documents, without proper authorization.
• Problem Reporting: Use these spaces for collaboration and discussion. For critical issues or urgent support, please submit a formal IT help desk ticket.
• Knowledge Sharing: Share your expertise, solutions, and best practices with the community. Help others learn and grow.
• Constructive Feedback: Provide feedback and suggestions in a positive and constructive manner.
• Adherence to University Policies: All users must comply with the university's IT policies and acceptable use guidelines.
• Use Threads: Please utilize threads when responding to a specific question or topic to keep the chat organized.

For more information on Google Chat, please visit this KB article.