Overview
Microsoft Teams is a collaboration platform included in our Microsoft 365 subscription.
Key Features:
- Organized instant messaging (chat)
- File sharing
- Video/audio meetings
- Integration with Microsoft and third-party apps
Teams is useful for department collaboration, campus-wide communication and online class meetings.
Important Note: Students can create Teams Meetings and access all Teams features, but only faculty/staff can create a Team (the collaborative workspace). Faculty advisors can create a Team for RSOs or projects and transfer ownership to a student.
👉 Watch an MS Teams for Education Webinar
In this Article
You can use Teams via:
- Web Browser
- MS Teams Desktop Version (preferred)
- Within a Canvas Course
- Via Outlook Calendar
- Via the Teams App
- Meet Now
- Dial-In via Phone (requires Conference Call ability to be applied to your account)
Canvas integration is best for class sessions. Use Outlook or Teams app for meetings outside of class.
Meeting Options and Roles
👉 MS Support page on how to set Meeting Options
Access Meeting Options from the invite or meeting window to:
Change participant roles during a meeting:
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Click Show Participants
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Hover over a name > More options (...) > Select Make a presenter or Make an attendee
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Enable and manage breakout rooms for group activities
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Pre-assign participants before the meeting
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Assign during meeting manually
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External browser-based users = "Unknown User"
Support Resources:
👉 MS Support page on how to manage and share recordings.
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Edit Meeting Options to enable auto-record
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Recordings are available to all invitees (attendance not required).
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Recordings stored on the OneDrive of the user who starts the recording. The Meeting Organizer has download access to the recording.
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Stored recordings expire after 120 days. Adjust OneDrive options, to extend expiration date.
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Download the recording, then use ClipChamp to edit videos
To extend or remove expiration:
Adjust settings in OneDrive
FACULTY: USE ECHOVIDEO
- Long-term storage
- Video editing (trim, split, combine, add an image thumbnail)
- Interactive media and view student analytics
To auto-copy Teams recordings to your Library see
"EchoVideo: Sync Your Videos on OneDrive."
Accessing Recordings
Launch from Canvas
See article: Microsoft Teams Meetings Integration in Canvas
Launch a Recording from Teams
- Open the Teams app > Navigate to meeting chat
- Click Recap tab
View more about Meeting Recap in Teams at this Microsoft Support Page.

Launch from Outlook Calendar
- Open Outlook Calendar > Select the meeting
- View the Meeting Recording, listed in the Recap tile of the Meeting window
View more about Meeting Recap in Outlook at this Microsoft Support Page.

FACULTY: ECHOVIDEO IS ACCESSIBLE
Automatic Speech Recognition is available for all media in stored in your Library. Features include searchable transcripts, closed caption capabilities, alt text for polls, and more.
The transcript editor in EchoVideo allows you edit the transcript for accuracy, you may give others permissions to help edit the transcript when you share media via Collections. Learn more about using the transcript editor.
COMING SOON:
Live Captions will be available when you Live Stream your Classes in Fall 2025.
Live Captions:
Transcriptions:
Use the Polls app (Microsoft Forms integration) to ask questions during meetings.
- Create a Teams meeting using Teams or your Outlook Calendar.
- Add the external users as attendees to the meeting.
Browser-based unverified users (no login):
- Can join meetings via link
- Show as "Unknown User"

- Can: Chat, use audio/video, share screen, join Breakout Rooms, use Whiteboard, participate in PPT Live
- Cannot: Start recordings


Logged-in users with free Microsoft accounts:
- Appear as "External"
- Cannot be assigned to Breakout Rooms
- Can: Chat, share screen, use Whiteboard
- Cannot: Participate in PPT Live, start recordings

Best practice: Encourage external users to join via browser without logging in for full compatibility.
Before a meeting:
Microsoft Teams Support
Getting Started in Teams