Start requesting document approvals directly in Google Drive
Now available in beta version, “Google Approvals” is a new workflow feature that allows you to request approvals on all Google and non-Google files stored in Google Drive. With Google Approvals, you can invite reviewers to approve, reject or leave feedback on documents directly within Ryerson Google Workspace applications such as Docs and Drive. The feature will appear in your account within the next 24 hours.
Workflow management tools have been a popular request in the Ryerson community’s responses to the Digital Strategy Consultation initiative. We hope Google Approvals will address some of the workflow needs expressed in the consultations.
Beta version allows room for feedback
Google Approvals is currently a beta release which means it has been confirmed as a feature in Google Drive but will not officially launch until later this year.
Ryerson’s early adoption of Google Approvals allows advance access to the tool and also provides an opportunity to refine the feature by sharing your experiences with it. When you leave feedback on the Approvals feature using the “Feedback?” button at the bottom of the Approvals sidebar in Google Docs and Google Drive, your comments go directly to Google for consideration.
Who can request approvals on files?
Faculty, full and part-time and sessional contract lecturers, and full-time career and term employees will have access to initiating approval processes for any Google Drive or Shared Drive file on which you hold “edit” permissions.
As Google Workspace licenses differ according to our roles, those who cannot initiate but can participate in approval processes include students, research, graduate and teaching assistants, post-doctoral fellows and non-union casual employees.
Learn to use Google Approvals
Step-by-step instructions on topics such as requesting and managing approvals, locking documents and cancelling requests are available on the Google Approvals page on Ryerson’s Google Workspace site.
You may also wish to visit the Google Drive Help site’s get approvals on files in Google Drive page (external link) for more details. This page will be updated with new information once the product is fully launched and out of beta.
