CalGroups vs. bConnected Lists: Choosing the Right Group Tool

CalGroups is an access management system run by the CalNet Identity and Access Management team at UC Berkeley. Groups are created in Grouper (outside of Google) and can be configured to sync data to Google Groups and other services like CalShare. CalGroups can include membership automatically derived from systems like UCPath and SIS.
Google Groups is the Google App that allows users to manage groups for discussion forums, email lists, calendar invitations, and content sharing within Google Workspace.
bConnected Lists is the brand name for Berkeley’s mailing list service, powered by Google Groups. List membership is primarily managed on an ad hoc basis and may include non-Berkeley.edu addresses.

Decision Matrix: CalGroups Sync or bConnected Lists?

Use the following table to determine which service best meets your departmental needs.

Requirement	CalGroups Sync	bConnected Lists	Resources
I want to use groups beyond Google (e.g., Active Directory or application access control).	✅		Service Offering
I want members automatically removed when they leave the University.	✅		User Guide
I want groups automatically derived from Systems of Record (e.g., HR Department Codes).	✅		Official Groups
I want to manage group membership programmatically via API.	✅		API Info
I only want to use groups for Google Suite and will manage members manually.		✅	bConnected Lists
I want to include non-Berkeley (@berkeley.edu) email addresses.		✅	Mailing Lists

Question	CalGroups Synced	bConnected Lists (Google Only)
Where do I create it?	CalGroups Interface	bConnected Lists Interface
What account do I use?	Your personal CalNet account (after your folder is set up).	Departmental SPA for official lists; personal account for others.
Where do I manage it?	CalGroups for members and sync; Google Groups for mailing list settings.	Google Groups
How is ownership set?	Determined by the CalGroups folder admin group.	Determined by the account that originally created the list.