Teams Getting Started

Microsoft Teams is a messaging platform for your group, team, or department. It provides a workspace for real-time collaboration and communication, meetings, plus files and app sharing.

Teams includes the following tools and capabilities:

• Chat-based collaboration hub
• Keeps all conversations in one place
• Create, upload, store and share files in one place
• Integrates with Planner to organize and manage tasks
• Virtual space for meetings that include audio, video, and recording capabilities
• Each team comes with SharePoint site in the background

Maximum Limits and Specifications

To review restrictions and limitations, such as storage limits and maximum limits on number of teams, members, etc. go to Microsoft Support: Limits and Specifications site for the most current information.

Go to our instructional pages for step-by-step instructions for the various tools found in Teams.  

These Microsoft apps have the same or similar features and it can be challenging to know which app to use when.

Similarities

• Upload, create, and share links to files.
• Can sync files to local computer.
• Sharing files allows you to allow or block download and editing.
• Co-author files in real time.
• Version history created every time file is saved.

Differences

OneDrive 

• OneDrive is for one person. This is your space to do work no one else needs access to, although you can share links to files if you choose. 
• OneDrive stays with you if you move departments. 

When to use:

Use OneDrive for your personal projects, such as a presentation you are doing on your own. It is not recommended for department files.  A best practice is to keep department files in a SharePoint site or Team, so no files have to be moved once you leave the department. 

SharePoint

• Create, store, share, and collaborate on files.
• Permission management: Create permissions so only a few have access to information not everyone should see. 
• Use Lists to view and manage data. 
• Integrate apps to create automated workflows. Contact us for more information. 
• Additional apps for productivity.

When to use:

Use SharePoint for collaborative work, manage permissions of certain files, store and manage files, and share files with others. 

Teams

• Create, share, and collaborate on files*. 
• Permission management: Create permissions so only a few have access to information not everyone should see. 
• Use Lists to view and manage data. 
• Integrate apps to create automated workflows. Contact us for more information. 
• Additional apps for productivity.

*Files are stored in the respective SharePoint site, which is created when you create a Team. You never have to access SharePoint if you don't wish to use the app. All files can be accessed, created, and updated through Teams. 

When to use:

Use Teams when you need to add communication to your work. All conversations about your work stay with the files you're working on for convenience. 

Check out our video to help explain the similarities and differences. 

Important

Microsoft cloud platforms are fully compliant with all regulatory frameworks, but if you are going to store Critical data (formerly Level 1/Confidential) in your Teams site, contact your Tech Support staff first. Find important information at the link below. 

You have the option to open Teams in a web browser from the Microsoft 365 landing page or you can use the desktop app, which can be downloaded and pinned to your taskbar. 

To download the app, select the ellipsis icon to the left of your photo or initials from the upper right-hand corner and choose download the desktop app.
View ScreenshotSelect 3 dots next to University of Kansas to open Settings, select Download desktop app

We strongly recommend that you download the desktop app, which will give you more options than the web app:

• Easy access from your toolbar.
• See notifications without having to log in to the web app.
• Several more options are available in the meeting app, including backgrounds, live captioning and breakout rooms not offered in the web app.
• Settings offers more features and options in the desktop app than the web app.

To create your own Team:

1. If you don't have the Teams desktop app, go to the Microsoft 365 landing page and choose theTeams icon.
2. If the icon isn't visible, search by selecting the App launcher at the top-right corner of the interface.
   View Screenshot
3. Click on the Teams app in the app bar to the far-left edge of the Teams interface.
   View ScreenshotSelect the Teams icon in the left app bar
4. Once you're in Teams, select the Teams icon in the left panel, then select the Plus sign at the top of the left panel.
   View Screenshot
5. From the 4 templates, we recommend that you choose Other for general use.
   View Screenshot Choose the Other template

Instructors Using Teams

If you are creating a team for a course, it is recommended that you use the Class template. Select the link below to learn more about the dos and don'ts of using Teams with courses. You can also request that the Education Technology staff build the course for you.

4 Templates

When creating a Team, you will have a choice of four types: Class, Professional Learning Community (PLC), Staff, and Other. KU recommends the use of the Other template for all of your teams. 
View ScreenshotFour Teams Templates.

If you want to use Teams for a course, KU Education Technology encourages you to use the Class template as a complementary teaching tool to Canvas. Please read Teams best practices in using Teams for your course. 

To have KU Education Technology assist you with creating and configuring a team, contact them at itedtech@ku.edu. 

To learn more, go to Microsoft Support: Choose a Team Type that outlines the differences between the Team types.

Layout and Background

There are a few options in Teams to change the look and layout. You can choose the List or Grid view, as well as a few background options.

The List view shows all of your teams in the left panel of your interface. The Grid view shows only the team you are currently accessing.
From the grid view, select All team

To change your view:

1. Go to the Settings icon […] to the left of your profile image > Settings.
   View Screenshot
2. Select Appearance and accessibility from left panel. 
3. Select Grid or List.
   View Screenshot

In List view, select the Settings icon is in the bottom left panel, then Switch view.

Settings provides several ways to manage how your Teams client is displayed, as well as managing other Settings preferences. 

Role Comparison Chart

Currently, there are three permission groups in a Team: owners, members, and guests. Guests are users external to KU.

Permissions apply to the entire permission group and cannot be customized for individuals. 

Guests have fewer permissions than members. See Microsoft Support: Comparison of Team Member and Guest Capabilities to see the differences in member and guest capabilities.

Add People and Assign Roles

1. Select the More options [...] next to the Team name and select Manage Team. 
   View ScreenshotSelect 3 dots the to the right of team name, select Manage team from panel
2. Under the Members tab, you can see who is in the Owner, Member, and Guest groups.

• Select the Add Members button to the right of the Members screen, which will open a field to type names of people you want to add. 
• You can also add office365 groups by typing the name of the group in the field. 
• All people at KU are added as members by default, while those external to KU are guests. 

Assign Roles

It's wise to have at least two owners of a team.

• Owners can remove Members and Guests by selecting the "X" next to the person's name. 
• To remove other owners, you must first change their role to member, then select the "X" next to the person's name. 
• Owners can change the Role of a member or owner by selecting on their current role.
  View ScreenshotSelect role to far right of person's name, select role 
• The Guests role cannot be changed.

Manage Team Permissions

To view or change permission settings:

• Select More options [...] next to the Team name and select Manage team. 
• Select the Settings tab at the top menu. 
  View ScreenshotSelect 3 dots the to the right of team name, select Manage team from panel
• Select or deselect the checkbox to the right of permission you want to change

Guest Access and Permissions

Guest Access

When an external user has been added to a Team, they will receive an email and must accept the invitation by selecting Open Microsoft Teams before they can access the team and its channels. 

Guest users who have an email address that is associated with Microsoft 365 or a Gmail account can access Teams directly. If the guest is using a personal account other than Gmail or doesn't yet have a Microsoft account associated with their email address, they'll be directed to create a Microsoft account for free. 

Guests do not have the same permissions as members. See Microsoft Support: Comparison of Team Member and Guest Capabilities for more information.

Select 3 dots the to the right of team name, select Manage team from panel

Instructors can use Teams to complement their courses. The Education Technology staff have expertise in best practices and recommendations for how it should and should not used. 

If you are a Guest in Teams external to KU, you will now be actively signed into multiple accounts at the same time and receiving real-time notifications no matter which one is currently in use. You can seamlessly engage with users across multiple accounts and organizations without having to drop out of a call or meeting, ensuring no disruption to your workflow.

Find your external organizations by clicking on your profile image at the top-right of the interface.
View Screenshot

Manage your external accounts:

1. Settings [3 dots at top to the left of your profile image].
2. Accounts and Orgs in left panel
3. Toggle switch on or off to receive notifications. 
4. Select Manage button at top of options to leave those accounts.
   View Screenshot

All inactive Teams will expire one year from the date of the last activity. Auto-renewal is automatically enabled for any team that has at least one channel visit from any team member before its expiration date is automatically renewed without any manual intervention from the team owner.

If there has been no activity for 365 days, the Group Owner(s) will receive messages via email and within the Teams Client 30, 15, and 1 day(s) before the expiration date asking if they wish to renew. If nobody renews, the group and all related content will be sent to the Recycle Bin and permanently deleted 30 days after that.

You are strongly encouraged to add additional owner(s) to your Team or Site to ensure that they remain current in the case that you leave the university or are not available to respond to the renewal requests.

Technical Support: itcsc@ku.edu | 785-864-8080

Training Support: training@ku.edu | 785-864-5155