Questions
- What is Microsoft Teams and what can I do with it?
- Who at Bowdoin can use Microsoft Teams?
- What are the main features of Microsoft Teams?
- Where can I find training videos and tutorials for Microsoft Teams?
- How do I get started with Microsoft Teams?
- How do I learn to chat, share files, and hold meetings in Teams?
- Where is the Microsoft Teams Quick Start Guide?
Environment
This article applies to all Bowdoin students, faculty, and staff with a Bowdoin Microsoft 365 account. Microsoft Teams can be used on the desktop app, in a web browser, and on the mobile app. External participants can also be invited to a team to support broader collaboration.
Resolution
What Microsoft Teams is
Microsoft Teams is a collaboration app that helps you and your teams chat, share files, hold meetings, and more. Whether you are working with Bowdoin colleagues or external partners, Teams provides a central place for collaboration.
Who can use Microsoft Teams
All faculty, staff, and students at Bowdoin can use Microsoft Teams. You can also invite external participants to your team to support broader collaboration.
Key features
- Meetings and chat: Host meetings with up to 250 people, plus chat one-on-one or in groups whenever you want.
- Calendar sync: Works hand-in-hand with Outlook so your meetings and appointments stay in one place.
- Microsoft 365 apps: Open and edit Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other files right inside Teams.
- Real-time collaboration: Work on documents together live, with changes saving automatically.
- File sharing with security: Share files safely; everything is protected by Microsoft 365's strong security.
- Organized teamwork: Keep chats and files tidy with channels and tabs made just for your projects.
- Accessibility features: Turn on live captions during meetings and captions on recordings to follow along easily.
- Version history: Track changes and go back to previous versions of files anytime you need.
- Built-in security: Your data is safe with encryption, multi-factor authentication, and compliance protections.
Quick Start Guide
View the Microsoft Teams Quick Start Guide attached to this article. Select the link under the Files section on the right side of the page.
Microsoft also offers a wide range of step-by-step tutorials and videos to help you get started and explore advanced features. See the Additional Resources section below.
Additional Help
If you need further assistance, you have several options:
- Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
- Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
- In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
- Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.
Additional Resources
The following Microsoft training articles and videos walk through common Microsoft Teams tasks.