Welcome to Teams!
Chicago State University is excited to offer Microsoft Teams for real-time collaboration to all faculty and staff. Microsoft Teams is a powerful
tool that enhances communication and teamwork through various features
- Chat: Connect with your team via instant group messaging.
- Call: Make video or voice calls to team members through the app (internal calls only).
The app will inform you if the user is available, with no directory required.
- Collaborate: Share and co-author files in real-time using Microsoft Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint,
etc.).
- Meet: Conduct video chats and conference calls with other Teams users.
- Mobile: Access Teams remotely from any device.
- Live Recording and Transcription: Record and transcribe meetings, even when users are talking over each other. This
feature is excellent for taking notes during meetings.
Why Choose Microsoft Teams? |
Microsoft Teams is designed to enhance collaboration and productivity. With its robust
features and user-friendly interface, Teams is the perfect solution for modern meetings.
Whether you're working remotely or in the office, Teams ensures that you stay connected
and engaged with your team.
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Benefits of Using Microsoft Teams |
- Enhanced communication: Streamline communication with instant messaging, voice, and video calls, ensuring
everyone stays connected.
- Improved Collaboration: Work together seamlessly on documents and projects in real-time, boosting productivity
and teamwork.
- Accessibility: Access Teams from anywhere, whether you're on campus or working remotely, ensuring
flexibility and convenience.
- Efficiency: Save time with integrated tools and features that simplify workflows and reduce the
need for multiple applications.
- Organization: Keep all your conversations, files, and meetings in one place, making it easier to
stay organized and focused.
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Getting Started with Microsoft Teams |
- Claim Your Account: Before accessing Teams for the first time, please claim your account at iam.csu.edu.
- Access Teams: Open any browser and go to Sign In | Microsoft Teams. Log in using your network credentials.
You can use the browser version or install the app on your computer or mobile device.
- Training: For training on Teams, visit Microsoft Teams video training - Microsoft Support. There
are several training videos available, and ITD recommends viewing every video in the
"Get Started" section.
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For further assistance, please contact the Help Desk at (773) 995-3963 or extension
3963.
Chat
At Chicago State University, we understand the importance of seamless communication. That's why we're excited
to offer the Chat feature in Microsoft Teams to all faculty and staff. This powerful tool allows you
to stay connected with your team, no matter where you are.
Key Features of Teams Chat |
- Instant Messaging: Send quick messages to individuals or groups, making it easy to share updates and
information in real-time.
- Group Chats: Create group chats for specific projects or teams, ensuring everyone stays in the
loop and can collaborate effectively.
- Rich Text Formatting: Enhance your messages with rich text formatting, including bold, italics, and bullet
points, to make your communication clear and engaging.
- Emojis and GIFs: Add a personal touch to your messages with emojis and GIFs, making conversations more
fun and expressive.
- File Sharing: Share files directly in the chat, allowing team members to access and collaborate
on documents without leaving the conversation.
- Mentions: Use @mentions to get someone's attention in a busy chat, ensuring important messages
are seen and addressed promptly.
- Search Functionality: Easily find past messages and files with the powerful search feature, helping you
stay organized and efficient.
- File Attachment: You can share files by attaching them in the chat.
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Benefits of Using Teams Chat |
- Real-time Communication: Stay connected with your team instantly, reducing delays and improving response times.
- Enhanced Collaboration: Work together more effectively by sharing information and files directly in the chat.
- Flexibility: Access chat from any device, whether you're on campus or working remotely, ensuring
you can stay connected wherever you are.
- Organization: Keep all your conversations and files in one place, making it easier to manage and
reference important information.
- Engagement: Use rich text, emojis, and GIFs to make your communication more engaging and enjoyable.
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- Click on the Chat icon in the left panel
- Click the New Chat icon at the top of the left panel to begin a chat
- Enter the name of the person/people with whom you want to chat
- Type your message in the Type a message box and click the arrow to send

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Tips for Effective Chatting |
- Be Clear and Concise: Keep your messages short and to the point to avoid confusion and ensure your message
is understood.
- Use @Mentions: Tag specific people with @mentions to grab their attention and ensure they see important
messages.
- Stay Professional: While emojis and GIFs can make conversations fun, remember to maintain a professional
tone, especially in formal discussions.
- Organize Group Chats: Create separate group chats for different projects or teams to keep conversations
focused and relevant.
- Utilize Rich Text Formatting: Use bold, italics, and bullet points to highlight key information and make your messages
easier to read.
- Share Files Efficiently: Attach relevant files directly in the chat to streamline collaboration and ensure
everyone has access to necessary documents.
- Respect Privacy: Be mindful of sharing sensitive information in group chats and use private messages
when appropriate.
- Follow Up: If you don't receive a response, follow up politely to ensure your message was seen
and addressed.
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Teams
If you're looking to chat, share files, or collaborate with a group of people on a
project, creating a team is the perfect solution. Teams provide a centralized platform
where members can communicate, share resources, and work together efficiently. Whether
you're managing a business project, organizing a community event, or working on a
personal hobby, a team can help streamline your efforts and enhance productivity.
- Instant Messaging: Communicate in real-time with team members through chat.
- File Sharing: Easily share documents, images, and other files with your team.
- Task Management: Assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress.
- Video Conferencing: Hold virtual meetings and discussions with team members.
- Integration: Connect with other tools and platforms for a seamless workflow.
- Collaboration: Collaborate on files during meetings.
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Creating a team is simple and can significantly improve your collaboration experience.
Calendar
Stay Organized and Connected
The Calendar in Microsoft Teams is a powerful tool designed to help you manage your
schedule, coordinate meetings, and stay connected with your team. Whether you're planning
a quick check-in or a large conference, the Teams Calendar has you covered.
- Seamless Integration with Outlook: The Teams Calendar syncs automatically with your Outlook calendar, ensuring all your
events and meetings are in one place. Any changes made in Outlook are reflected in
Teams and vice versa.
- Easy Scheduling: Schedule meetings with just a few clicks. You can invite participants, set the date
and time, and add a location or online meeting link. Teams will automatically check
participants' availability to help you find the best time.
- Meeting Options: Customize your meeting settings, including meeting roles, lobby settings, and permissions.
You can also add an agenda to keep everyone on track.
- Join Meetings with Ease: Joining a meeting is simple. Just click the "Join" button from your calendar or meeting
reminder. You can join from your desktop, mobile device, or web browser.
- Recurring Meetings: Set up recurring meetings for regular check-ins, team updates, or project reviews.
You can customize the recurrence pattern to fit your needs.
- Notifications and Reminders: Stay on top of your schedule with customizable notifications and reminders. Teams
will alert you before your meetings start, so you're always prepared.
- Integration with Teams Channels: Link your meetings to specific Teams channels for easy access to related files, conversations,
and notes. This ensures that all relevant information is in one place.
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How to Use the Teams Calendar |
- Accessing the Calendar: Navigate to the Calendar tab on the left side of the Teams interface. Here, you'll
see a weekly view of your schedule.
- Scheduling a Meeting: Click the "New Meeting" button at the top right of the calendar. Fill in the meeting
details, invite participants, and click "Save."
- Managing Meetings: Click on any meeting in your calendar to view details, make changes, or join the meeting.
You can also cancel meetings if needed.
- Syncing with Outlook: Ensure your Teams and Outlook accounts are connected. Any changes made in one calendar
will automatically sync with the other.
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Tips for Effective Calendar Mangement |
- Plan Ahead: Schedule your meetings in advance to ensure availability and avoid last-minute conflicts.
- Set Agendas: Always include a clear agenda to keep meetings focused and productive.
- Use Recurring Meetings: For regular updates, set up recurring meetings to save time and ensure consistency.
- Leverage Notifications: Customize your notifications to get timely reminders and stay on track.
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Meetings
Effortless Collaboration
Microsoft Teams makes it easy to connect and collaborate with your team, no matter
where you are. With seamless integration of chat, video calls, and file sharing, Teams
ensures that your meetings are productive and engaging.
- Video Conferencing: Host high-quality video meetings with up to 300 participants. Enjoy features like
background blur, custom backgrounds, and live captions to enhance your meeting experience.
- Screen Sharing: Share your screen with participants to present documents, slides, or applications.
This feature is perfect for remote presentations and collaborative work.
- Meeting Recordings: Record your meetings to capture important discussions and decisions. Recordings are
automatically saved in Teams, making it easy to review and share later.
- Integrated Chat: Keep the conversation going before, during, and after the meeting with integrated
chat. Share links, files, and notes without leaving the meeting window.
- Scheduling and Calendar Integration: Schedule meetings directly from Teams or Outlook. Sync your calendar to ensure you
never miss an important meeting.
- Breakout Rooms: Divide your meeting into smaller groups for focused discussions. Breakout rooms are
ideal for workshops, training sessions, and brainstorming activities.
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- Create a Meeting: Click on the "Calendar" tab in Teams and select "New Meeting." Fill in the details
and invite participants.
- Join a Meeting: Click on the meeting link in your calendar or email invitation. You can join from
your desktop, mobile device, or web browser.
- Host a Meeting: Use the meeting controls to manage participants, share your screen, and record the
session. Utilize features like mute/unmute, raise hand, and reactions to keep the
meeting interactive.
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Best Practices for Effective Meetings |
- Prepare an Agenda: Outline the topics to be discussed and share it with participants beforehand.
- Engage Participants: Encourage active participation by asking questions and inviting feedback.
- Stay on Time: Respect everyone's time by starting and ending the meeting as scheduled.
- Follow Up: Send a summary of the meeting and any action items to participants after the meeting.
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Telephone Calls
Making Telephone Calls in Microsoft Teams
Why Choose Microsoft Teams for Calling?
Microsoft Teams integrates calling with chat, meetings, and collaboration tools, providing
a unified communication experience. With its advanced calling features and user-friendly
interface, Teams is the ideal solution for modern business communication. Stay connected
and productive with Teams, no matter where you are.
Stay Connected Anywhere
Microsoft Teams offers robust calling features that allow you to make and receive
telephone calls directly from the app. Whether you're in the office or on the go,
Teams ensures you stay connected with colleagues, clients, and partners.
- Direct Calling: All employees can call any staff or student on Teams.
- Voicemail: Access your voicemail directly within Teams. Listen to messages, manage your voicemail
settings, and return calls with ease.
- Call Forwarding & Delegation: Forward calls to another number or delegate calls to a colleague. This feature ensures
you never miss important calls, even when you're unavailable.
- Call History: View your call history to keep track of incoming, outgoing, and missed calls. Easily
return calls or follow up on previous conversations.
- Call Transfer: Transfer calls to another person or device seamlessly. This is useful for redirecting
calls to the appropriate team member or department.
- Caller ID: Display your caller ID when making calls, so recipients know who's calling. Customize
your caller ID settings to suit your preferences.
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- Make a Call: Click on the "Calls" tab in Teams and select "Make a Call." Enter the phone number
or search for a contact to start the call.
- Receive a Call: Answer incoming calls directly from the Teams app. Use the call controls to mute/unmute,
hold, or transfer the call.
- Manage Voicemail: Access your voicemail from the "Calls" tab. Listen to messages, delete unwanted voicemails,
and return calls as needed.
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Best Practices for Effective Calling |
- Use a Headset: For clear audio quality, use a headset with a built-in microphone.
- Check Your Connection: Ensure you have a stable internet connection to avoid call drops or poor audio quality.
- Be Professional: Answer calls promptly and introduce yourself clearly. Maintain a professional tone
throughout the conversation.
- Follow Up: After the call, send a follow-up email or message to summarize the discussion and
any action items.
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OneDrive
Your Cloud Storage Solution
OneDrive is your personal cloud storage that allows you to access your files from
anywhere, on any device. Whether you're at home, at work, or on the go, OneDrive ensures
your documents, photos, and videos are always within reach.
- Anywhere Access: Store your files in the cloud and access them from your PC, Mac, tablet, or smartphone.
- File Sharing: Share files and folders with friends, family, or colleagues easily and securely.
- Collaboration: Work together on documents with real-time co-authoring in Office apps.
- Security: Your files are protected with advanced encryption and security features.
- Automatic Backup: Keep your files safe with automatic backup and sync across devices.
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- Seamless Integration: OneDrive integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Office and other productivity tools.
- Generous Storage: Enjoy ample storage space to keep all your important files.
- User-Friendly: Easy to use interface that makes managing your files a breeze.
- Reliable: Trusted by millions of users worldwide for its reliability and performance.
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Whether you're looking to store personal files or collaborate with your team, OneDrive
has you covered. |
CoPilot
CoPilot is Microsoft’s cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) designed to assist you with
a variety of tasks. Whether you need help with writing, research, or just have a question,
CoPilot is here to provide you with accurate and helpful answers.
- Click the CoPilot Icon: Find the CoPilot icon in the left panel of Outlook.
- Ask a Question: You can ask CoPilot any question, and it will provide you with a detailed answer.
- Improve Your Writing: If you need to sharpen your writing skills, submit a memo, and CoPilot will rewrite
it for you, enhancing clarity and style.

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- Versatile Assistance: From answering questions to rewriting text, CoPilot is equipped to handle a wide
range of tasks.
- User-Friendly Interface: Easily accessible through the icon in the left panel, making it simple to get the
help you need.
- Enhanced Productivity: By providing quick and accurate responses, CoPilot helps you save time and improve
your work efficiency.
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Experience the power of AI with Microsoft CoPilot. Click the icon, ask your questions,
and let CoPilot assist you in achieving your goals. |