SharePoint Online Noticeboard
Updates and helpful information from the SharePoint Solutions Service team
SharePoint Online Noticeboard
'How-To' Session 2021 Update
For the second year running, the SharePoint Solutions Service took part in the 'How-to' information sessions developed in collaboration with the New Students team to prepare new students joining the University of Edinburgh with practical information shared from a variety of professional support services.
Within the category of 'How-to sessions to help you develop skills and be study ready', the SharePoint Solutions Service provided a presentation on 'How-to manage Personal Documents and Online Collaboration at the University', featuring an introduction to OneDrive, SharePoint and other Office 365 tools for students. You can view the video here.
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File Sharing Resources for Staff and Students
The SharePoint Solutions Service have developed a collection of resources to support both staff and students with personal document management and online collaboration at the University.
Resources for Staff
A series of guides have been developed covering both basics as well as managing file sharing and permissions for the following Microsoft 365 applications available to staff at the University:
- SharePoint
- OneDrive
- Microsoft Lists
Each guide features guidance and examples of suggested usage, with topics covered including:
- Adding members to your SharePoint site
- Sharing files and folders in SharePoint and OneDrive (as well as how to stop sharing content, or change permissions)
- Reporting on file and folder sharing in SharePoint and OneDrive
- Creating rules in Microsoft Lists
Guidance for other Microsoft 365 applications will continue to be added to the Staff Resources page in due course.
Resources for Students
A series of guides have also been developed for students. Each guide covers a different theme and set of Microsoft 365 applications, featuring guidance and examples of suggested usage.
With so many teams partaking in hybrid and home working at present, SharePoint can help you and your colleagues continue to work together remotely, helping to maintain business continuity. Your files and data can be accessed from any device anywhere in the world, either through the web browser on your computer or mobile app on your phone or tablet. Please consider whether SharePoint is the appropriate application to use for your needs; your local IT may be able to advise you on the right solution for your requirements.
How much will it cost to use SharePoint?
All staff and students already have a license for SharePoint Online, so the service is free of charge.
- Each site can store up to 25TB of data.
How do we get started?
- See our How to Access SharePoint Online page for details on how to log in.
- Read the Navigating and using a SharePoint Online site user guide. This is a University guide produced by Digital Skills and Training
- Take a look at our User Guides and Training Videos to learn more.
- Check with your local IT Support if there is an existing SharePoint site already set up for your team, or if you have recently created a Microsoft Team, be aware that you already have a SharePoint site. You can search the SharePoint Landing page for existing sites here.
- If there is no existing site for your team, then please use the Create a Team site or Communication site tutorial to create your own space, or send a request to IS Helpline.
Digital Skills and Training: Navigating and using a SharePoint Online Site
Can we continue to use SharePoint when the time comes to return to the office?
Yes! In fact, we encourage teams to use SharePoint Online because of the many benefits it offers. See how SharePoint is used at the University for more details.
- More information on the service, including how to get the most out of SharePoint can also be found here.
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OneDrive for Business is an online file storage platform used by individuals who need a central location to store and access files. It is a private document library that only you have access to, unless you choose to share your files or folders with others within the University. OneDrive is attached to your personal Office 365 account, and if you leave the University, your files will be automatically deleted in line with policy.
- More information on OneDrive at the University can be found here. (Our OneDrive data limit is 1TB per account.)
- In terms of document management, SharePoint is a collaboration tool which allows multiple individuals and teams to work on multiple documents at the same time.
- The OneDrive for Business desktop app can be used to sync files and folders from your SharePoint site’s Document Library offline to your computer. (Please note that caution must be taken in this instance, as deleting synced files from your computer also deletes the files from your SharePoint site. More information can be found under the Share and Sync section here.)
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If you are setting up a SharePoint site quickly because of sudden remote working, then we suggest initially uploading only your most current and key documentation.
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It is best to use the drag and drop functionality to do this.
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- As time goes by and we settle into a new way of working from home, you can begin to move over all other documentation to your SharePoint site. (This is a great opportunity to review your documentation and clear out outdated or unwanted files.
- If you need assistance in migrating your document repository, please make a request to the SharePoint Solutions Service via IS Helpline and we will do this on your behalf.
- Please consider Information Governance when adding files or data into SharePoint
- University of Edinburgh policies on Information Security and Data Protection apply.
- Make sure you have completed the compulsory University of Edinburgh e-learning modules assigned to you in Learn on Information Security Essentials and Data Protection Training.
- Another useful course in Learn is Data Protection Training for Research. Further advice for research data can be found here.
- If you have concerns about sharing data or permissions, please raise a ticket with us via IS Helpline.
Please view our Help and Support section for frequently asked questions, user guides, training videos and accessibility support.
- All requests or issues should be raised via IS Helpline, ensuring 'SharePoint' is included in the subject line.
Need further support?
Please contact IS Helpline, ensuring 'SharePoint' is included in the subject line.