FTI 2026

Tired of worrying about losing files when a colleague leaves? Join us for this one-hour informal segment designed to help departments move toward a more secure and resilient way of working. We will explore Google Shared Drives (ISDs)—team-owned storage hubs where files belong to the college, not an individual, ensuring your departmental resources remain accessible even as staff and faculty transition in or out. In this session, we will demystify Shared Drives and show you how to set up a stress-free digital workspace. Key topics include:

• My Drive vs. Shared Drives: Understand the critical differences in ownership and visibility to help you decide when and where to store your work.
• Permissions Made Simple: Learn how to use the five permission levels—including the "Contributor" role—to allow collaboration while preventing accidental deletions or messy folder moves.
• Managing Sensitive Data: Discover how to use Limited Access folders to keep confidential files (like budgets or personnel records) secure within a larger departmental drive.
• Organizational Best Practices: Explore strategies for keeping your drives uncluttered, including using clear naming conventions, limiting folder nesting to 4 or 5 levels, and creating a central "Staff Hub" for easy navigation.

Whether you are a Google power user or just getting started, this workshop will provide practical strategies to make your departmental storage more secure, organized, and less confusing.

LINKS:
Shared Drives Notes & Cheat Sheet
Shared Drvies Slide Deck