We’re all on the same team- security experts, academic savants, and Blazers. So why not strengthen the connection with each other by using Microsoft Teams?

Teams is a messaging app — and much more — that can help play a vital role in your workspace. The software supports real-time collaboration and communication, can serve as a meeting platform, and can even store files that can be shared through SharePoint. Faculty, staff, and students have free and easy access to Microsoft Teams.

Faculty:

Educators can benefit from using Teams by being able to communicate with their academic departments all in one place. Within the software, faculty members can develop and evolve a course of study, collaborate on course plans with other members, and develop rubrics for classes. Whether it be in a virtual meeting or a quick chat anything can be shared with quick access.

Staff:

Like faculty, Teams can help you reach out within your department, and even to other users in different units across campus. Just because you work in one department does not mean you can’t interact with your other coworkers. Teams let you create groups so you can grow personally and professionally with others.

Students:
Three words: group project management. Like faculty, you can create a group for your project and invite classmates to join. In this group, you can host video chats, upload files, add tasks for classmates, and upload a calendar so everyone can stay on task. This way when it comes time to submit a work log for the project everything is right at your fingertips. Video meetings scheduled in the group can even show attendance and can be recorded, there that way everyone in the group will be accountable.

How does Teams hold up to the other collaborative communication options on campus?

Here are just a few of the many apps active in UAB’s Teams instance:

Tasks:
Create, assign and track tasks as an individual or with your team. You can add a tab to the top of your channel, and insert items from the app into messages to get all the new information out fast.

Microsoft Forms:
Create surveys, quizzes, and polls fast. They are easy to use with clear design choices that are simple and effective. You can get feedback quickly and can access it through any device.

Microsoft Bookings:
With Bookings, you can schedule out your time for meetings and projects, and set times for yourself that no one else can book.

Microsoft Lists:
Users can create lists from scratch, use templates, or import something from Excel. You can track the status of projects and leave notes about how the item is moving along. Users can find it in a tab at the top of their channel.

To learn more about Microsoft Teams, visit our website.