General access to Slack Course Workspaces is determined by the enrollments within the Canvas course site's People Tool.  In general, anyone listed in the Canvas course People Tool with a role other than Designer or Observer will have the option to join the associated Slack Course Workspace. 

Due to the nature of Slack and it's ability to bridge conversations within and beyond the classroom, there are special FERPA-related considerations that instructors will need to weigh before implementing a Slack Course Workspace 

Students:  Joining a Slack Course Workspace & FERPA

Joining the Slack Course Workspace is at the discretion of each user.  When the user clicks on the Slack button in the Canvas course navigation menu, they will be prompted to acknowledge that they understand that their name will be visible to the other users of the workspace and confirm that they will behave in a manner that is appropriate.  

By joining this Slack Workspace I acknowledge that my name will be visible to all other members of this Workspace and I agree to interact with my fellow classmates in a professional and collegial manner in alignment with Brown University's Code of Conduct and the Slack Terms of Use.

Instructors:  Adding Un-Registered Users to a Slack Course Workspace & FERPA

Students who join acknowledge that their information will be visible to the other members of the Slack Course Workspace.  It is up to the instructor to honor those students' preferences by announcing their intentions to add un-registered users to a Slack Course Workspace.  

To be in compliance with FERPA guidelines, instructors should provide students a minimum of 48 hours to voice concerns over the addition of outside users to the Slack Course Workspace.  If no student objects, the instructor is free to add un-registered users to the workspace.

Please note that when an instructor creates or joins a Slack Course Workspace, they must agree to the following terms which outline the requirements for adding un-registered users:

By creating a Slack workspace for this course, all users who are enrolled in this course’s Canvas site are permitted to join the Slack workspace at their discretion.  In accordance with FERPA guidelines, instructors must provide students with 48 hours advance notice of their intent to invite unregistered users to the course’s Slack workspace and provide registered students with the opportunity to respond with concerns or objections. If no student objects, the additional user(s) may be invited to join the course’s Slack workspace.  

Need Additional Help?

• For help with Canvas, please contact dld@brown.edu.
• For help with using Slack, please contact Brown's OIT Service Center.