Microsoft Teams is a service that combines several parts of Office 365 into one package. The main interface is a community chat window. Other apps include an attached document repository and group mailbox. Microsoft Teams can be used from a web browser, or from an app on your computer or mobile device. This service is available to any active faculty, staff or student. Outside guests can also be added to existing Teams.
Creating a Team
At the bottom of the Team list there is a Join or create a team button. Click that button and follow the instructions to create a Team. Review the naming conventions (below) for advice on naming your team. We recommend adding a description to be able to identify what your Team is for. Depending on your Team's purpose, you may want to include some document tabs that cover some basic information; for example, “Community Guidelines”, “Usage”, or “Etiquette Guidelines”.
Naming Conventions
We have two naming restrictions: all teams must start with “Team-“, and we maintain a list of blocked words that you cannot use. We also have some guidance for naming teams:
- Name teams specifically, to avoid confusion.
- Do not assume a top level name when a sublevel name is more appropriate; for example “Team-advisement” for a departmental advisement group would be a poor choice.
- Try to follow a sensible naming pattern (see below for some examples).