--- course/edit_form.php	2009-08-18 12:26:23.000000000 +0100
+++ course/edit_form.php	2009-11-26 16:31:38.000000000 +0000
@@ -309,6 +309,13 @@
             $mform->addElement('select', 'defaultgroupingid', get_string('defaultgrouping', 'group'), $options);
         }
 
+        if ($course and !has_capability('moodle/course:managegroups', $coursecontext)) {
+            $mform->hardFreeze('groupmode');
+            $mform->setConstant('groupmode', $course->groupmode);
+            $mform->hardFreeze('groupmodeforce');
+            $mform->setConstant('groupmodeforce', $course->groupmodeforce);
+        }
+
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         $mform->addElement('header','', get_string('availability'));