Frequently Asked Questions
How is Slack used at Lafayette?
Departments and divisions may choose to form Slack teams. Each team has its own public and private channels for internal communication. There is no Lafayette-wide Slack team.
How do permissions work in Slack?
Conversations in Slack are organized into channels. Full members of a team have access to all public channels, as well as any private channels to which they’re invited. Public channels are only public to the team; they are not accessible by non-team members outside of Slack.
On paid teams, single- and multi-channel guests may be invited to channels by full members. Examples of guest access include vendors working on projects, or regular collaborators from other departments.
How are channels organized in Slack?
Any full member on a Slack team can make a channel. Public channels tend to be organized around current projects or regular support tasks. Private channels tend be organized around personnel groupings.
What are the different tiers in Slack?
Slack has three tiers: free, Pro, and Business+ (formerly Plus):
- Free: good for teams just starting out, but messages older than 90 days are hidden. You’re limited to 10 custom integrations like Google Drive or Zoom.
- Pro: unlimited access to old messages, group voice, and video calling, ability to invite single- and multi-channel guests, screen sharing, unlimited custom integrations.
- Business+: everything in Pro, plus automatic user provisioning and the ability to log in with Lafayette SSO. We recommend this tier for administrative departments.
Because Lafayette is an educational institution, we receive an 85% discount on the paid tiers.
How do I log in to Slack?
Those using the free or pro version of Slack log in using a Slack ID. Lafayette teams that are on the Business+ tier use single sign-on (SSO) to log in.
How does my department start using Slack?
ITS provides guidance on how to structure a Slack team, and can assist departments with the initial creation of their teams. If your department is interested in using Slack, contact the Help Desk at help@lafayette.edu or (610) 330-5501.
How do I view my direct messages with former user?
Your messages with a disabled or deleted account are preserved, but you need to search in order to see them. The following search will show you a list of messages: from:@username in:@username, where @username is the Slack username of the disabled or deleted account.
How do I change my display name?
If your workspace is using Lafayette SSO to log in your display name will be set to your legal first and last name at Lafayette, and is locked by default. Your workspace administrator may change this by taking the following steps:
- In your workspace in the Slack application, navigate to Settings & Administration > Workspace settings.
- Click on the Authentication tab
- Click on “Change Settings” next to SAML Authentication Settings.
- Check the box next to “Allow users to choose their own display name” and click on “Save Configuration.”
Should I enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on my team?
Two-factor authentication (2FA) provides additional security when logging in to Slack. If your team uses Lafayette SSO (CAS) to sign in, then you’re already protected by Lafayette’s 2FA (Duo) and don’t need to use Slack’s as well. If you are not using Lafayette’s SSO, then you should enable 2FA. Your workspace administrator may enable or disable 2FA by taking the following steps:
- In your workspace in the Slack application, navigate to Settings & Administration > Workspace settings.
- Under Administration, click on Settings & permissions.
- Click on the Authentication tab.
- Expand the “Two-factor authentication for your workspace (2FA)” pane.
- Check or un-check “Enable 2FA for your workspace”.
- Click Save.