SharePoint

SharePoint enables departments, schools, and project members to share and collaborate with other faculty/staff, students, and researchers. With SharePoint, you can create collaborative websites that can be used to share files, assign tasks, start blogs, calendars, manage workflows, etc., from anywhere — at the office, at home, or from a mobile device.  

SharePoint is completely integrated with Microsoft products and provides real-time collaboration.  Furthermore, content within SharePoint is securely stored using a Microsoft-managed cloud environment. Security and permissions can be set at a site, folder, document, and item level. Office 365 provides the best security manageability with data centers, encryptions, certifications, and security monitoring best in class in the industry. SharePoint Online meets standards and compliance including HIPAA, FISMA, ISO 27001, FERPA, SSAE 16, EU Model Clauses, and US-EU Safe Harbor Framework.

SharePoint Guidelines

How do I access?

All Microsoft 365 applications can be accessed through the Microsoft 365 Portal at https://portal.office.com.

 

Adding Files to SharePoint ▾

There are two options when adding content to SharePoint, depending on whether you want to keep metadata (file properties such as date created/updated, last updated by, etc.) Before moving large quantities of files, such as a share drive, it is recommended you analyze the content to determine if it is still needed, elmininate duplicates/outdated content, etc.  Uploaded files will be stored in document libraries - the document library will automatically inherit the same permissions defined for the site; however, you can customize permissions for each document library if you would like to adjust who can edit and/or view it.

Security Information  ▾

Adjusting who can view or edit content in your site using security, these SharePoint Permissions Instructions provide an overview of how permissions between SharePoint and Teams work.  For more information:

HIPAA/File Security compliance:

  • 0365 files are only HIPAA compliant as long as they remain on the O365 cloud servers (once a user downloads a file locally, it it outside of Microsoft's compliance coverage). Newer version of O365 do not automatically download O365 files locally when using 'open in [desktop client application]' so opening in the desktop client is also acceptable.
  • While you can limit download functionality for restricted view permissions or disable download when sharing as "read only", there is no way to restrict download for any users with edit capabilities.
  • To ensure HIPAA compliance is maintained, it is recommended that sensitive files should be opened/updated using the browser version (Word/Excel, etc) or opened using the desktop client, but do not download the files locally to a PC. Since you can't guarantee users won't download a file, we can only offer guidance that users should not download them.  If guidance alone is not secure enough for your needs, then it is recommended to password protect individual files, which removes the ability to co-author.

Sharing Content with External Users:

Document Library ▾

Note: When creating a new document library, the document library name should not have any spaces. You can adjust the name and add a space after it is created.  For more information, see File Naming Standards

Syncing a Document Library

Stay Informed ▾

  • You can get notifications via email alerts when there are changes to a site.
  • How to follow changes to documents
  • Using Teams in conjunction with SharePoint will enable you to discuss content with others more easily and get notifications.

 

Communication Sites – to share beyond a Team ▾

Share content with others beyond your Team using Communication Sites

Additional Features ▾

Improve Collaboration using additional features

Web parts help improve collaboration, read the following for an Overview of SharePoint Web parts

Calendar

Lists

News (web part)

If your SharePoint site is connected to other communication (hub) sites, then using the News web part can be used to share news and events:

Newsfeeds

Pages

Pages can be used as internal web sites in SharePoint to add information and link to other content such as documents, calendars, lists, etc. using a large selection of web parts.

Wiki