Creation of Microsoft Class Teams in Minerva

What is happening? 

From Tuesday 20 September 2022, staff will have the ability to create Microsoft Class Teams directly within Minerva Ultra Course View modules and organisations. This will replace the current method of requesting Class Teams for modules through the IT request catalogue.

Microsoft Class Teams are an online collaboration space to support learning and teaching. From 20 September, Instructors in Minerva will be able to create their own Class Teams on demand at the click of a button, and directly within Minerva. Enrolments will be automatically managed based on the enrolment status within the Minerva module/organisation and are updated immediately in the relevant Team.

Note: Staff and student module enrolments in Minerva are controlled by the data in Banner. Staff who are teaching, and students who are studying a module must always be added via Banner, with this information then being updated in Minerva the following day. Further information on module enrolments is available on the Digital Education Systems Help website.

Learning resources and assessments must continue to be held in Minerva. Where Microsoft Teams is used to enrich the student experience, this should primarily act as an additional learning space for communication, interaction, and collaboration, and not as a repository of learning resources.

Why is this happening? 

The current method of creating a Class Team is on request, has a lead time and doesn't allow for students that aren't officially taking the module in Banner having access to the Class Team.

The ability to create Class Teams via Ultra Course View will bring a better, more integrated experience, where staff and students can access Class Teams directly from their Minerva module (including merged modules) and introduce the ability to create Teams based on the programme of study, or year-based faculty/school.

How will this impact me? 

If you have previously requested Class Teams for modules via the IT request catalogue you will no longer need to do this. If you are an instructor on a 2022/23 module in Minerva, you will be able to create the Class Team yourself.

Where should I go for support? 

Guidance for staff on how to enable and activate Class Teams will be released in time for launch.  If you have any issues with the process or require further support with Class Teams, you should log a ticket with the IT Service Desk.

Any further updates will be provided on this website. Visit https://desystemshelp.leeds.ac.uk/microsoft-teams-staff/ for the latest information.

Additional notes 

• Class Teams can only be created in Ultra Course View. You won’t be able to create a Team from within Original modules or organisations (2021/22 or earlier, or non-year based organisations that haven’t been converted to Ultra Course View e.g. a school or faculty).
• Class Teams that have been created for previous years will no longer be updated with changes to student enrolments.
• Only staff enrolled as instructors will be able to create a Class Team. They will be assigned as an owner. Assistants and module builders are assigned as members of the team and cannot create Class Teams.
• Non-teaching staff enrolled on a module (eg SES staff) will be added to a Class Team as a member of that team. Where access is not necessary, staff can hide these from their list of teams by clicking the three dots to the right of the Class Team name and selecting Hide. Staff will also receive invites to Class Team Meetings if utilised. We advise staff to decline these invites.
• If you require a non-synched Class Team which doesn’t relate to a taught module, merged module, or programme of study you should continue to request these via the IT request catalogue.