SUNY Cortland is ending our Webex License on December 31, 2026. Faculty who use Webex to teach or for virtual office hours will need to transition to Teams for all video conferencing before that date.
Below are answers to some of the common questions we hear from faculty who are making this transition. You can also reach out to the Center for Teaching and Learning at any time for support with using Teams to teach. Request an appointment here or email us directly at designhelp@cortland.edu.
Where do I find Teams?
- Sign in to myRedDragon
- Select the Microsoft 365 app launcher (the nine-dot grid) in the upper-right corner
- Choose Teams. You can use Teams in your browser or download the Teams app.
Do students need to download Teams to join class?
- On a computer, students can open the class link in Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome and select “Continue on this browser.”
- On a phone or tablet, they’ll need the Teams mobile app.
- Ask students to sign in with their Cortland account, including when they join from a browser. View Microsoft’s joining instructions here.
Can I schedule a recurring class meeting like I did in Webex?
- Yes. Use the Teams or Outlook calendar to schedule a Teams meeting and set it to repeat weekly. (see Schedule a Teams meeting )
- Post the meeting link in Brightspace so students know where to join each week.
- You can use the same process for virtual office hours
How can I prevent uninvited people from disrupting class?
- In your scheduled meeting, open Meeting options, select Meeting access, and set Who can bypass the lobby? to "People in my org". Students signed in with their Cortland account can join directly. Other participants who are allowed to join under campus policy will wait in the lobby for approval.
- Share the link in Brightspace and remind students to sign in to Teams with their Cortland account before joining.
- If you send calendar invitations, you can turn off Allow Forwarding in the invitation options.
- If you’re expecting an outside guest, join a few minutes early so you can admit them from the lobby.
- Under Roles, you can also limit who can present to yourself and any designated presenters: Teams lobby settings and Teams meeting roles
What should I do if Teams freezes or closes during class?
- Before class, install any pending Teams update and restart the app.
- During class, if the desktop app freezes or closes, open the same meeting link in Edge or Chrome and select Continue on this browser to rejoin.
- If the problem keeps happening, contact the Help Desk for technical support. For help adapting a class activity to Teams, contact the Center for Teaching and Learning.
Can I record and share a class session?
- Yes. You can record a Teams meeting and share the recording with students. Learn how to Record and share a Teams meeting here.
- Before posting the link in Brightspace, check that students have permission to view it and check when it expires.
- If meeting chat is enabled and available to you after class, you can also review questions students posted there.
Will my Teams class recording expire?
Will I lose all my old Webex Recordings?
- You will no longer be able to log in to Webex after December 31, 2026. However, you can still download and save your old recordings.
- Once you have the recordings, you can upload them into Yuja or save them on your computer until you need to use them again.
How can I keep students engaged during a virtual class?
Can I track attendance in Teams?
Yes. If attendance reports are enabled, open the report after class to see who joined and when they entered and left. As the meeting organizer, you can also see which breakout rooms students joined and when. Reports omit deleted breakout rooms and people who waited in the lobby without being admitted.