Microsoft Teams Recommendations for Departments

Microsoft Teams should be structured with multiple owners, organized channels, and clear permissions to support collaboration and security.
Using features like private channels, tabs, tagging, and Shifts ensures efficient communication and long-term maintainability.

Introduction

These are ITS recommendations for creating and managing Microsoft Teams for departments to ensure proper organization, security, and long-term maintainability.

Microsoft Teams are designed to bring people together around a shared goal, whether within a department or across the organization.

Important:
Every Microsoft Team is backed by a SharePoint Team Site, which stores all files shared within channels. A Team cannot exist without its connected SharePoint site.

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Best Practices and Recommendations

1. Assign Multiple Team Owners

• Always have at least two owners per Team
• Helps ensure continuity if staff leave or change roles
• Owners can:
  • Manage membership
  • Adjust settings
  • Maintain content and structure

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2. Channel Structure

Organizing channels properly helps control access and keeps information easy to find.

General Channel

• Default channel for all team members
• Use for:
  • Broad communication
  • Announcements
  • Shared resources

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Private (Locked) Channels

Use private channels to restrict access to sensitive information.

Examples:

• Office Channel

  • Office staff only
  • May include roles such as:
    • Student workers
    • Administrative staff (OAS)
    • Department leadership

• Dean Channel

  • Restricted to Dean’s Office personnel only
  • Example members:
    • Dean
    • Office Manager
    • Administrative staff
    • Associate/Assistant Deans

• Department Leadership Channel

  • Example members:
    • Department Chair
    • Office Manager

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3. Hidden Channels

• Channels can be hidden by users to reduce clutter
• Hidden channels:
  • Are not visible in the main list
  • Can be accessed by selecting “Hidden channels”
• Users can choose which channels to show or hide

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4. Tabs Within Channels

• Each channel can have customized tabs at the top
• Tabs provide quick access to tools and content, such as:
  • Files
  • Planner (Tasks)
  • OneNote
  • External apps

Tip: Customize tabs per channel based on its purpose

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5. Tagging in Teams

• Tags allow you to mention specific groups of users within a Team
• Useful for:
  • Departments
  • Roles (e.g., “Student Workers”, “Advisors”)
• Improves communication without messaging the entire Team

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6. Shifts (Scheduling Tool)

• Teams includes Shifts for scheduling
• Recommended for:
  • Student worker scheduling
  • Shift-based roles

Note:
Contact the designated admin (e.g., Sarah Beers) for setup and guidance on using Shifts.

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Additional Tips

• Plan your Team structure before creating channels
• Avoid creating too many channels—keep things manageable
• Use clear naming conventions for Teams and channels
• Regularly review membership and permissions