IT Guide: How to use Google Calendar Appointment Slots

This document serves as a ‘quick start guide’ to using Google calendar appointment slots.  You can also look at Google’s online instructions by doing a good search for “How to use Google calendar appointment slots”.

Google Appointment slots allow you to designate a range of time when you are available to accept appointments. This feature is a particularly great way to allow students to schedule an advising or office hour appointment with you.

Definitions:

• “Appointment Page”: This is where students can see your available appointment slots. It is kind of like a public version of your calendar except that it only displays available appointment slots. You have only ONE “appointment page”. That appointment page can have many appointment slots – and you can add and remove appointment slots anytime you wish. (See picture on next page)
• “Appointment Slot”: This is a range of time that you specify on your calendar within which a student can “reserve” an appointment. Once a student makes an appointment, Google calendar automatically sends a calendar invitation to the students @webmail address and it places the appointment as an event on your calendar.

How to Add Appointment Slots:

1. Open your Blue Ridge Google Calendar
2. Make sure you are in “Week” or “Day” view – NOT “Month” or “Year” view
3. Click on any available time / day  space in your calendar where you would like to add an appointment slot
4. In the pop-up box that appears after you click on the open space, select “Appointment slots” instead of “Event”.
5. Click the “More Options” button
6. Fill in the fields as desired then click the Save button

If you would like to repeat this appointment slot at the same time of day over multiple days or on a weekly basis, you can click on the “Does not repeat” drop down and select your desired option.

Hint:  You will probably find the “Custom” option the most useful since you can set specific days of the week and limit the repeat to a set number of time or until a specific date.

If you would like to repeat this appointment slot at different times, over multiple days:

• Save the appointment slot, then
• Click on the appointment slot from your calendar and
• Click the three-dot menuand select “Duplicate”. Then update the information as needed and save.

Appointment Page with Appointment Slots:

Note: When YOU view your Appointment page, you might also see other events that are on your Google calendar. However, students will ONLY see the appointment slots.

How to Post your Appointment Page to your online Faculty Locator Card

You only need to perform the steps below one time. Once you complete these steps, your “Appointment Page” will always appear on your locator card for future semesters.

1. Go to your “Appointment Page”. You can do this by clicking on any appointment slot that you created in your Google Calendar and clicking the “Go to appointment page for this calendar”
2. While you are viewing your “Appointment page” in a web browser, copy the entire URL (aka the address).
3. Go to the faculty locator card edit page by either:
   1. Clicking on this link to the faculty locator card edit page   or
   2. Go to the following address: http://www2.blueridge.edu/locator_card/startPage.php or
   3. Go to “The Insider” (aka SharePoint) and click on the “Build or Edit Locator Card” link visible in the vertical navigation menu on the left of the Sharepoint page

Important Note: You must use either Google Chrome or Firefox to edit your locator card. The locator card is visible to students using any web browser.

1. Type in your BRCC username, select the semester and year then click “Submit”
2. Paste your “Appointment Page” URL into the “Appointment link” text box that is near the top of the page
3. Click “Submit”

How to add a “Sign up for an appointment” link to your BRCC email signature

In addition to the basic instructions provided below, you can find Google’s, more detailed, online instructions on changing your email signature by doing a Google search for “How to change Gmail signature”.

1. Go to your “Appointment Page”. You can do this by clicking on any appointment slot that you created in your Google Calendar and clicking the “Go to appointment page for this calendar”
2. While you are viewing your “Appointment page” in a web browser, copy the entire URL (aka the address).
3. Go to your Blue Ridge email account
4. Click on the gear icon towards the upper right of your Inbox
5. Click “Settings”, scroll down to the section labeled “Signature”
6. Place your cursor at the location within your signature where you want the “Sign up for an appointment” link to appear
7. Click the insert link icon
   1. In the “Web Address” box paste your Google “Appointment Page” URL
   2. In the “Text to display” box, put “Sign up for an appointment”
8. Click “OK” then, scroll to the bottom of the Settings page and click “Save Changes”

How Students Can Make an Appointment

A student can either click on the “Make an Appointment” link in your online Locator card or click on the “Sign up for an appointment” link in your email.

Once the click the link, they will see your “Appointment Page” and they can click on any available appointment timeslot they wish.

Once an appointment slot is taken, it will automatically no longer appear as an option.

A Student’s View of your Appointment Page: