Google Apps FAQ

TCNJ Google Applications for Education

Frequently Asked Questions

Google Apps Questions

Google Email Questions

Google Calendar Questions

General Google Applications Questions

Google Email Questions

Google Calendar Questions

Google Documents Questions

Answers for General Google Applications

Who will be affected by the move to Google Apps for Education?

Only students and alumni will be affected by the move to Google Apps for Education

Will I need a new password to access the system?

If you plan to use the myTCNJ portal to access the Google Apps suite, you will use your regular TCNJ password. In fact, since we use a single sign on system, you won’t need to log into anything else. If you plan to use a POP3 or IMAP client to access your email (e.g. Thunderbird or Outlook), there may be a need to set a local Google password for those to work properly.

Who do I call if I have a problem?

If you have problems with Google Apps, please call the Help Desk: 609-771-2660. If the Help Desk cannot reolve your problem, or point you to the appropriate Google documentation, the call can be escalated to Google via the TCNJ liason with Google.

What is the difference between Google and Google Apps?

Google Apps is a suite of applications hosted by Google. It includes Google Mail (Gmail), Google Calendar, Google Docs, and so forth. Google Apps for Education allows institutions to brand and individualize their own copy of Gmail, etc. to their institution. Basically, it is like having our own Google community.

Will there be ads like in the consumer version of Google?

No. Ads will be disabled.

What level of privacy to I have with Google Apps?

There is language in our contract with Google that protects the privacy and confidentiality of user information stored on the Google Apps system. Google will not use (i.e. “data mine”) or divulge any personal information without consent from TCNJ unless required to do so by law. They will honor FERPA and NJ Open Public Records Act requirements.

Who owns what I put on Google Apps?

Our contract with Google states that Google does not own any of the data stored on their system.

What happens if Google goes down?

While there have been reports of outages with the Google service, TCNJ feels that the overall uptime of the Google products is excellent. As a leader in providing email services, Google takes great strides in minimizing any outages. of course, like any other site, if Google goes down, then your email will not be accessible during that timeframe. Google also has more staff to monitor and fix any issues that do arise than TCNJ does.

What applications will be available through Google Apps?

In addition to email, we plan to roll out Google Calendar and Google Docs, which includes word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, forms and drawing.

What are the advantages to faculty and staff of moving students and alumni to Google Apps?

Removing students from the TCNJ mail system opens up more storage space for faculty and staff. Additionally, students will have access to the Google Docs system, which gives them the ability to create documents, spreadsheets, presentations, forms and drawings.

Why aren’t faculty and staff moving to Google Apps at the same time as students? When will faculty and staff move to Google?

There is not, at the present time, a plan to move faculty and staff due to legal concerns (such as FERPA and e-Discover for subpoenas and audits). Additionally, Google doesn’t guarantee the location of our data (servers containing data may be located outside of the United States which may violate some grant requirements). However, our contract is being written to include faculty and staff Google access in the future.

What, if anything, will change in SOCS when the students move to Google Apps?

Since students will still have an @tcnj.edu email address, nothing at all will change in SOCS.

What web browsers can I use with Google Apps?

Google Applications supports the following browsers:

  • Google Chrome
  • Internet Explorer 7+
  • Mozilla Firefox 2.0+
  • Apple Safari 3.0

What languages does Google Apps support?

The interfaces for Google Email, Calendar and Documents are available in over 50 languages. For a list of the available languages, and instructions on how to set a different language, refer to the Gmail Help Center

What about Google Labs?

Google Labs is the development center for Google Applications. It’s where they test new applications that might, some day, be part of the official Google Applications suite. However all applications in the Labs are Use At Your Own Risk. Neither TCNJ nor Google provides support for these applications.

Answers for Google Email

Will my email address change?

No, you can expect your email addresses will stay the same (i.e. yourname@tcnj.edu)

Will TCNJ synch my existing email over to Google from Zimbra?

Yes, emails will be synched over from Zimbra to Google. There may be a delay of a day or two after switching to Google Apps before your old emails arrive in your new Inbox. Also, you may need to organize your Zimbra folders to meet the criteria for Google’s synch program to work. Please note that the contents of your Trash, Junk and Drafts folders (if any) will not be synched. You’ll need to move anything in those folders that you wish to keep into another location.

Will TCNJ synch my existing contacts over to Google from Zimbra?

No, we will be unable to synch your contacts. What TCNJ will do is extract your email primary contacts and calender and email them to you when you are converted to Google. You will need to export any additional address books and/or calendars you might have.

What about my contact groups?

Any contact groups (mailing lists) that you have created in Zimbra will not be automatically converted or exported to Google. You will need to re-create any such groups manually.

Can I use an email client such as Thunderbird or Outlook to read my email?

Absolutely! Google provides online directions for using either POP3 or IMAP systems to access your email account. Just click on one of the following to be directed to help and trouble shooting for either POP3 or IMAP. Supported clients include: Apple Mail 3.0 & 4.0, Outlook Express, Outlook 2002, 2003 & 2007, Windows Mail, Thunderbird 2.0 & 3.0, iPhone, Android, Palm, Windows Mobile 5 & 6, and others.

Can I forward my email from Google to another service (e.g. Hotmail or Yahoo)?

Absolutely. In much the same way that you can forward from Zimbra to another email service if you don’t like Zimbra’s interface (or if you have an alternate account you prefer to use), you can easily forward your email from Google to another service. Google’s help documentation provides an easy to follow, step-by-step procedure.

Is my email backed up by Google?

Google maintains backsups for disaster recovery and legal discovery needs. Neither Google nor TCNJ will have the ability to restore either single emails or files/folders of emails if they are accidentally deleted.

Is there a global email list?

No. At the present time, there is no global listing of all TCNJ email accounts available through Google Apps. You’ll have to know the email address of the person you need to contact, or have them in your personal contacts listing.

How much space will I have for my Google Email account? What happens if I run out of space?

Your account has 7.5GB of storage, which is 300 times the amount you have in Zimbra. You’ll probably never run out of space. In fact, a heavy email user who sends and receives lots of file attachments and archives all messages might use up to five percent of this space per year (usually less). So it would take decades to fill up all of the available space. Also note that Google Apps restricts the size of file attachments to 20 MB (which is more than the 12 MB restriction in Zimbra), so you won’t have to worry about a few large files using up your storage space.

Can Gmail automatically spell-check messages as I write?

No, Gmail doesn’t include automatica spell-check. However, you can check your spelling at any time by clicking the “Check Spelling” button at the top of the message you’re composing. Misspelled words are highlighted in yellow. Click a misspelled word to see suggestions for similar words.

Can I create an email signature that will be applied to any message I send?

Yes, you can. You can create a custom signature which will not only apply to any email you send, but also to emails you forward or to which you reply. Instructions for creating a signature are located here.

Can I send file attachments in Gmail using the “Send To > Mail Recipient” feature in the Windows right-click menu?

No, this feature only works with a client email program (such as Thunderbird or Outlook) installed on your computer, not a web email program.

Is it possible to recall, or un-send an email?

No, Gmail does not currently support message recall.

Is there a size or type limitation for file attachments in Gmail?

Yes. To help prevent viruses, Gmail won’t accept file attachments that are executable files. There is also a 20 MB size limitation for attachments. For details on blocked file types, click here.

There are no folders in Google email. How do I organize my messages?

Instead of folders, Gmail has a “labels” feature. Labels are similar to folders, but are more powerful and flexible, because you can add multiple lables to one message to categorize it in different ways. For details, see the Google Help Center.

What are stars and how do I use them?

Stars are a way to highlight messages. Assign stars to special conversations or to messages in your inbox, or use them as a visual reminder that you ned to followup on a message or conversation later. To quickly see all messages with a star, click “Starred” at the left of your mail window.

How long do deleted emails stay in the trash?

Messages remain in the trash folder for 30 days. After that, Gmail permanently deletes them.

Is there a way to automatically add new contacts based on people with whom I’ve corresponded?

Yes. Whenever you send an email message to someone, the Google Apps contacts manager adds that person’s email address to your Suggested Contacts list. You can then select the addresses you want to add to your personal contacts as follows: On the left of your Mail window, click Contacts, and then click Suggested Contacts. Select the addresses you want to add, and then click Move to Contacts.

Can I create my own mailing lists in Google Apps?

Yes, you can create “Contact Groups” by accessing your Google Apps contacts picker, and then creating a new contact group. Your contact group then appears in your personal contacts manager in Google Apps. To access the contacts picker when composing an email message, click the “To:” link.

How do I check my quota in Google Email?

Simply log into your Google Email account, and look at the bottom of the screen (below your inbox). You’ll see how much space your using, and what percent of your quota this is.

Answers for Google Calendar

Will TCNJ synch up my existing calendar over to Google from Zimbra?

No, we will be unable to synch your calendar. What TCNJ will do is extract your email primary contacts and calender and email them to you when you are converted to Google. You will need to export any additional address books and/or calendars you might have.

How do I set the time zone and language for my calendar?

The first time you access your Google Calendar, you will be asked to set your time zone. However you can change the time zone, language, and other settings at any time. Visit the Calendar Help page for more information.

Does Google Calendar have event reminders?

Yes. By default, Google Calendar displays a pop-up reminder 10 minutes before the start of an event. You can change the reminder time by editing the settings for your calendar

I gave someone else access to my Zimbra calendar. Can this person automatically access my Google Calendar?

Another person’s access to your calendar will not automatically migrate from Zimbra to Google. However you can easily re-establish access by sharing your calendar. You can find details in the Google Calendar help online

If someone shares their calendar with me, can I hide it so I don’t have to always see it on my scren?

Yes. You can hide any calendars by clicking it in your list of calendars to the left of your calendar view.

Answers for Google Documents

What types of documents can I create in Google Docs?

You can create documents, spreadsheets, presentations and forms.

Can I import documents, such as Microsoft Office documents, into Google Docs?

Yes. You can import the following types of documents into Google Docs:

  • Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx)
  • Microsoft Excel (.xls, .xlsx)
  • Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt, .pps)
  • Rich Text (.rft)
  • Plain Text (.txt)
  • HTML (.htm, .html)
  • PDF (.pdf)
  • Comma-separated values (.csv)
  • Tab-separated values (.tsv)
  • OpenDocument Text (.odt)
  • OpenDocument Spreadsheet (.ods)
  • StarOffice (.sxw)

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