Microsoft Teams FAQ

How do I create a new Team?
Are M-Community groups and/or departmental shared accounts eligible for Microsoft Teams?

No. Although Team creation and membership are based on M-Community groups, Teams accounts are only available to eligible U-M faculty, staff, students, and sponsored accounts. Learn more about eligibility.

Can I share sensitive data in Teams?

Microsoft Teams provided by ITS is currently rated for student data (FERPA). Microsoft Teams is not HIPAA compliant and should not be used to store or transmit any sensitive data such as Patient Health Information (PHI).

What rights does Microsoft have to the content shared in Teams Meetings?

U-M’s agreement with Microsoft stipulates that content shared in Teams and all other data associated with use of the U-M Microsoft service is owned by U-M and cannot be shared. For more information, refer to Privacy, Security, Compliance, and Videoconferencing.

What do I need to know about privacy when I’m recording? Can I record my class?

Yes, however, you will have to launch the meeting by generating a link in a calendar event through the Google Calendar Teams Add-On. Once you join that meeting, you can record yourself (e.g., recording an asynchronous lecture or tutorial).

Where do I find my recordings?

Depending on the type of meeting, there are multiple places to store and share a meeting recording. Learn more about how to play and share a meeting recording.

Are Breakout Rooms recorded if the main session is being recorded?

If someone is recording the main session, recordings will not occur for Breakout Rooms unless someone in the Breakout Room starts recording. Anyone with a “presenter” role in the breakout room may record. Breakout Room recordings will be created as separate recordings from the main session. 

If someone is recording a main session and then moves into a Breakout Room (leaving the main session empty), the main session recording will continue and result in “dead air” until someone returns to the main session.

Can I host concurrent Meetings?

Yes, but the only way to host/attend concurrent meetings is to have one meeting open in the desktop client and another open in the web client. Otherwise, attempting to be present in multiple meetings within the same client will put the other meeting “on hold.”

Can I add a phone call-in line to a Teams meeting?

Yes, but first you will need to request a Microsoft Teams Audio-Conferencing License.

Is it possible to livestream my Meeting on Facebook Live, YouTube, or another third-party service?

Microsoft Teams does not have a built-in feature for livestreaming Meetings. Streaming using OBS Studio is not permitted because U-M's agreement with Microsoft provides certain institutional protections and assurances related to how U-M data can be used and shared, and U-M does not have a contract or other institutional agreement with OBS Studio or other third-party services. Using OBS Studio or third-party services means that U-M data could be shared, sold, or used to track user behavior, serve ads, and more.

Microsoft Live Events have a feature for livestreaming, but Microsoft Live Events are not included in U-M’s contract with Microsoft.

Can I invite people who are not affiliated with U-M to join my Team or my Teams Meeting?

Yes. In order to invite individuals not affiliated with U-M to join your Team, add them directly in Microsoft Teams (not via M-Community group).

Individuals not affiliated with U-M can be invited to Teams meetings by adding their external email address as an invitee to the Google Calendar event (users must be invited to the Google Calendar event directly, not by inviting an M-Community group of which they are a member). They will receive a meeting invitation that allows them to either create a (non-U-M) Teams account or join the meeting as a guest.
 

Can I access Microsoft Teams from outside the U.S.?

Access to Teams may be blocked by certain countries.

What happens to my Microsoft Teams account when I leave the university?
How do I permanently change my name in Teams / how can I add my pronouns in Teams?

Microsoft Teams pulls your name from your U-M preferred name. To adjust your name in Teams, edit your U-M preferred name. Refer to How Do I Change my Preferred Name in University Systems? for instructions.