SharePoint Online help centre
SharePoint Online is a Microsoft 365 cloud-based service for online collaboration and information sharing. It's integrated with many other M365 services like Lists, Planner, OneDrive, and Teams. If you're familiar with the Files tab in Microsoft Team's channels, then you've already used SharePoint Online!
With SharePoint Online you can:
- Organize information in document libraries and lists.
- Collaborate on projects with your team.
- Bring all of your department's important information into one place with Microsoft Teams integration.
Using SharePoint Online at UVic
The Microsoft 365 SharePoint Online service is a replacement for Connect (SharePoint 2013). Just like with Connect, you can have a site setup to share documents and information with other people in your department, across UVic, and guest users.
You may have already been using some of SharePoint Online's features through Microsoft Teams. Now you can integrate more features into your Team and customize the attached SharePoint Online site to suit your department's needs.
Your use of SharePoint Online is subject to our Microsoft 365 terms of service and several UVic policies. Learn more on our privacy and security page.
Moving data off Connect MySites
If you are a Connect MySite owner and have documents stored on https://my.connect.uvic.ca/my/personal/[yournetlinkid] that you would like to keep, you will need to copy these documents to another location by January 12, 2024.
After this date all MySites and their content will be deleted.
If you only have a few documents, you can manually download them to your computer and then save them in OneDrive, your personal home folder or a network or research share.
If you have many files to download or need step-by-step instructions, follow these directions to copy your files to OneDrive or a shared drive.
Migrating data off Connect
Connect (SharePoint 2013) has reached end of life and no new Connect sites will be created. Connect data will not be migrated automatically to SharePoint Online. Instead we're providing migration support and a variety of tools for Connect site owners.
If you're a Connect site owner, University Systems will contact you with your migration options.
How to prepare for migration
There are some helpful things you can do to prepare your department or group for moving off Connect.
- Meet with your DSS or departmental IT support to discuss technical details and a migration plan.
- Take note of who has access to your site or specific content in your site. You'll need to assign user permissions again on your new site.
- Do a content review to figure out what data you have. Ask yourself:
- What data do we still need?
- Can this data be moved to an existing Microsoft Team?
- Can this data be archived onto a departmental shared drive?
- Can this data be deleted?
- Take the SharePoint site owner training course. This is a pre-requisite for new site requests.
If you have questions about data retention or archiving, you can find records management resources on UVic's Records Management site.
Contact us if you're ready to migrate off Connect
How to request a SharePoint Online site
UVic staff and faculty can request a SharePoint Online site for collaboration, communication, and information sharing.
There are different types of sites you can request.
Site Owner training
University Systems recommends that all site owners complete Site Owner training before requesting a site to ensure that site owners understand important privacy and technical settings.
Sign up for Site Owner training in Brightspace
Ready to request a site?
Site template options
We have several different types of site templates available in our UVic Microsoft 365 environment. They're organized into two main categories, then by intended use.
Team and connected SharePoint Online site templates
These SharePoint site templates are connected to a Microsoft Team. These template options are ideal if you want to easily communicate and collaborate with members of your Team. If your department or group already has a Team, then you're already familiar with how these types of sites work. Now you can seamlessly integrate your favourite SharePoint features into your Team.
Some existing Teams types have been updated to include more SharePoint Online integration:
- The standard team template is used for departmental teams.
- The class template is used for academic courses.
- The Professional Learning Community (PLC) template is used for academic group work outside of a CRN course.
We've also added some task-orientated templates. These are ideal for short-term projects, cross-campus working groups, or events:
- The crisis communication and incident response templates have ready-made features for quick deployment and rapid communication.
- The manage a project and event planning templates are designed to be collaboration spaces and leverage task tracking and news post tools.
- The onboard employee template helps you guide new employees through your team's onboarding process.
SharePoint site only templates
If you require a SharePoint site without a Microsoft Team attached to it, you can choose a SharePoint site only template.
- The Communication SharePoint template is used for broadcasting information to others.
- The Teams-style SharePoint template is the most similar to a classic Connect (SharePoint 2013) site. These are best suited for sites that include people external to UVic, like contractors.
You can see a comprehensive explanation of all the different templates on our Teams and SharePoint training site.
Support for SharePoint Online
For general support about SharePoint Online, check out our new training site hosted in SharePoint Online. We've curated a list of Microsoft Support information into different learning pathways organized by common tasks.
Microsoft Learning Pathways at UVic
If you're interested in learning more about how others at UVic are using SharePoint Online, join our Teams and SharePoint community of practice! This link will open in Microsoft Teams.
You can ask questions, find links to internal training resources, and collaborate with your colleagues across campus.
If you need assistance with SharePoint Online or with finding training resources, contact the Computer Help Desk.