Microsoft Teams is a collaboration tool licensed by Fairfield University for faculty, staff, and students. Microsoft Teams is supported on MacOS, Windows, iOS, and Android.

Signing into Microsoft Teams

1. Open the Microsoft Teams app OR open any web browser (Safari, Edge, Chrome, Firefox) and navigate to teams.microsoft.com.

2. When prompted for your email, please enter your full Fairfield email address.
   

3. Once redirected to the Fairfield University login page, delete "@fairfield.edu", leaving only your NetID. Then type in your password.
   

Getting Started with Teams

Create or Join a Team

1. On the left side of Teams, click Teams, and at the top of the Teams list, select ‘New Items’ and then select Join Team or New Team.

   1. If you selected New Team, the Create Team navigation pane will appear. You can create a team from a Template, another Team, or a Microsoft 365 group. We recommend creating a Team from a Template or another Team. From there you can select the options (such as a Public or Private Team) and then follow the prompts to create a new Team.

      1. You will be prompted to Add Members to your Team or you can skip and do that at a later time via the instructions below.

   2. If you selected Join Team, search for the Team you wish to join and follow the prompts. Some Teams may require authentication to join. Reach out to the Team creator for credentials.

Inviting Members

There are a few options to invite members to a Team after it has been created.

Add Members

1. Click the options button to the right of the Team name and select Add Member to search for the user(s) by their username.

Generate Code

1. Click the options button to the right of the Team name and select “Manage Team.”

2. Select Settings in the top navigation bar, expand the Team Code setting in the list and select Generate.

3. Share this code with the invited members.

Joining the Team with a Code

1. Sign into Teams.

2. On the left side of Teams, click Teams, and at the top of the Teams list, select ‘New Items’ and then select Join Team.

3. Search for the Team.

4. Enter the Code.

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Share a Link

1. Click the options button to the right of the Team name and select Copy Link.

2. Share the link with members either via email or posting in a shared space such as a Blackboard Course.

3. When members join via the link, you will receive a notification that a member has requested to join your team.

4. Click the options button to the right of the class team name and select “Members.”

5. Approve members as necessary.

Creating Channels for Discussions and Groups

Channels are a great feature for organizing discussions by topic or providing members with a virtual space within the class to collaborate on group work.

1. Find the Team you want to create and click the options button to the right of the Team name. Alternatively, you can right click the Team name to open the menu.

2. Select Add Channel.

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3. Provide the channel a name. (FAQ, Discussion 1: Topic “”, or Group Name.)

4. Choose a Channel Type.

   1. Standard. allows anyone in the main class team to have access to the new channel.

   2. Shared. People or Teams in your organization or outside can have access.

   3. If you are creating the Channel for group work, you will want to change this to Private and enter the students associated with that group to provide them access just to that Channel.

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Enabling Notifications for Teams and Channels

MS Teams automatically notifies you via email and push notification if you have been tagged in a conversation, but not for general updates. It’s important that you enable push notifications for your Team after joining to stay up to date and engaged in the conversation.

1. Select Teams on the left side menu and open the Team if you have not done so already.

2. Select the ‘Settings and more’ menu in the top right corner of the screen.

3. In the Settings window, select Notifications and activity. Customize as you see fit.

Class or Team conversations

1. Go to your Team home page by clicking on the Team and selecting a Channel.

2. To start a conversation with the entire Team, click on the Post in channel button on the bottom of the Posts window.

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One-on-One or Small Group Chats

1. On the left-hand menu, click on the Chat tab.

2. To create a new chat, click on the Compose button on the right-hand side of the chat bar.

3. Type the name of the person or people you would like to chat with, write your message in the message box and click Send.

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Video or Voice Chat

1. Select the Calls button from the left-hand menu.

2. Type in the name of the person you want to call on Teams and choose Call. Your most recent calls will be listed for quick access.

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Find and Upload Team Files

You can quickly share files for reference or discussion on Microsoft Teams. Any member of the Team can access these files anytime, from any device.

1. On the left-hand menu, click on Teams.

2. Click on the team (or class) you want to visit.

3. At the top of the window, click on Files.

4. You will then see any files that have been uploaded by anyone on your “Team.”
   

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I download Microsoft Teams on my mobile device?