Teams

Microsoft Teams Icon

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration and communication platform that is part of the Microsoft 365 suite licensed to students, faculty, and staff at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UWM). It provides a centralized space for chat, video meetings, file sharing, and team collaboration, allowing users to communicate and work together in real time. Teams integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and OneDrive, enabling users to co-author documents, manage projects, and organize conversations within a single interface. As part of UWM’s Microsoft 365 environment, Teams can be accessed through a web browser or desktop and mobile apps, offering a secure, university-supported platform for meetings, classes, and group work from any location.

Features

  • Chat and Team Communication – Connect with colleagues through one-on-one chats, group conversations, and channel discussions, enabling efficient communication across UWM departments.
  • Integrated Virtual Meetings and Calls – Host video meetings, webinars, and calls with screen sharing and recording, supporting remote collaboration, training sessions, and campus-wide events.
  • Team and Channel Organization – Create teams and channels for departments, committees, or projects, helping staff organize conversations, files, and updates in a structured way.
  • Seamless Integration with Microsoft 365 – Access and collaborate on files from Word, Excel, SharePoint, and OneDrive directly within Teams, streamlining workflows for UWM staff.
  • File Sharing and Collaboration – Upload, share, and co-edit documents in real time within chats or channels, ensuring everyone has access to the most up-to-date information.
  • Apps and Workflow Integration – Add apps like Planner, Forms, or Power Automate to Teams to manage tasks, collect feedback, and automate processes without leaving the platform.

Hosting Teams Events

Options for events in Microsoft Teams include meetings, webinars and town halls. See below to determine which option is best for your event.

  • Meeting– Best for situations where participants need to interact with each other via voice, video, or chat and where multiple people may be presenting.
  • Webinar– Structured events where presenters and participants have clear roles. A key difference between webinars and Teams meetings is that webinars support robust registration management, a customizable event and registration site, and event-oriented default meeting options.
  • Town hall– Best for situations where a limited number of presenters are presenting to a large group of attendees and direct interaction via chat or voice conversation isn’t needed. For these event formats, attendees don’t use their cameras and mics, but instead use Q&A to engage with presenters and organizers.