SharePoint at WPI: Is it for me?

SharePoint is available to members of the WPI community, including campus committees, student project teams, e.g. Independent Study, IQP and MQP groups.

Windows SharePoint is a collaboration tool that allows teams to share documents, contacts, calendars, and other relevant group information on one website. A highly customizable tool, SharePoint sites are available to all students at WPI.

Important Information

Training

If you have not used SharePoint before, or are interested in expanding your knowledge base, IT is happy to schedule an informal session with your group to review the basics, answer questions, or assist in customizing your site. To schedule an appointment, email helpdesk@wpi.edu or call 508-831-6723.

Customization

Your SharePoint site can accommodate different levels of access for different members of your team. For example, an executive board of an organization can have access to a document library that only they are able to see. IT will meet with you to create these customized sites – contact helpdesk@wpi.edu for a meeting.

To learn more, check out the SharePoint portal, which contains a demo site.

What is the right resource for my group?

myWPI and SharePoint are two tools available for project groups on campus. Both tools can aid your groups with collaboration and communication. This chart is designed to help you make the best decision for your project group.

My project group would like to. . .	Features comparison:
	SharePoint	myWPI
...share files and documents amongst our group members.	Check-in and Checkout Versioning Document Library: Can upload the zip, but it won’t unpackage it. However, you can upload multiple files on IE in Windows.	Upload/Download Add Item to specific areas (no dropbox) Can zip them together for a fast download
...allow access to outside users such as off-site project advisors.	Unfortunately at this time SharePoint is available to WPI users only.	Guest Accounts can be created for off-campus project advisors/sponsors. Email myhelp@wpi.edu to learn more about the process for requesting official guest account access.
...be able to transfer the project to a new project group after we are done.	Content easily transferred from year to year.	Content does not pass from year to year.
...use a Wiki to develop materials.	CSS Style sheet – Grab and copy content.	Export the Wiki to a chart.
...maintain a group calendar.	Somewhat functional – can connect to Exchange.	Rudimentary – no connection to Exchange.
...establish and assign project tasks.	Can be assigned and prioritized Can create a GANTT Chart Can set Start as well as Finish Dates Assign % Complete Can Attach files Can Edit other people’s tasks	Within the confines of myWPI, no Exchange connection. Can be prioritized, but not assigned. Can edit tasks, but it doesn't’t record a revision history.
...maintain a shared list of contacts pertinent to the project.	Can create and share, attach, export.	Add personal, or create a whole new section and add them as “items”.
...share Multimedia Content amongst our group members.	Photo Gallery, Slide Library	Embeds wmv with asx in IE (no problem). Podcasting tool supported, and podcasts can be made available to the public with RSS feeds.
...have the ability to send announcements to the group members.	Push to whole group if user chooses.	User chooses to alert participants.
...use a discussion board to exchange ideas and information.	Intuitive set up Can filter by thread, or almost anything New forums are flagged Can export to spreadsheet, but it doesn't’t look very good. Can connect to Outlook and export as emails.	Multiple Layers, requires many Clicks to post. Have to create forum and thread before you can start posting. Can collect by thread or forum and export/print Many features that may not be needed for project work New forums are not flagged. Can search by name, etc., but not much granular control
...know that in case of catastrophe our materials are backed up.	Backed up at same level of restore, but:
Stores deleted items in the recycling bin. (also, don’t forget about versioning!)	When you hit delete, it’s gone.
...use a Blog to track team progress and discuss ideas.	Similar to Blogspot. Not used frequently (disabled by default)	Not as robust.

My project group would like to. . .

Features comparison:

SharePoint

myWPI

...share files and documents amongst our group members.

Check-in and Checkout

Versioning

Document Library:
Can upload the zip, but it won’t unpackage it. However, you can upload multiple files on IE in Windows.

Upload/Download

Add Item to specific areas (no dropbox)
Can zip them together for a fast download

...allow access to outside users such as off-site project advisors.

Unfortunately at this time SharePoint is available to WPI users only.

Guest Accounts can be created for off-campus project advisors/sponsors. Email myhelp@wpi.edu to learn more about the process for requesting official guest account access.

...be able to transfer the project to a new project group after we are done.

Content easily transferred from year to year.

Content does not pass from year to year.

...use a Wiki to develop materials.

CSS Style sheet – Grab and copy content.

Export the Wiki to a chart.

...maintain a group calendar.

Somewhat functional – can connect to Exchange.

Rudimentary – no connection to Exchange.

...establish and assign project tasks.

Can be assigned and prioritized
Can create a GANTT Chart
Can set Start as well as Finish Dates
Assign % Complete
Can Attach files
Can Edit other people’s tasks

Within the confines of myWPI, no Exchange connection.
Can be prioritized, but not assigned.
Can edit tasks, but it doesn't’t record a revision history.

...maintain a shared list of contacts pertinent to the project.

Can create and share, attach, export.

Add personal, or create a whole new section and add them as “items”.

...share Multimedia Content amongst our group members.

Photo Gallery, Slide Library

Embeds wmv with asx in IE (no problem). Podcasting tool supported, and podcasts can be made available to the public with RSS feeds.

...have the ability to send announcements to the group members.

Push to whole group if user chooses.

User chooses to alert participants.

...use a discussion board to exchange ideas and information.

Intuitive set up
Can filter by thread, or almost anything
New forums are flagged
Can export to spreadsheet, but it doesn't’t look very good. Can connect to Outlook and export as emails.

Multiple Layers, requires many Clicks to post. Have to create forum and thread before you can start posting.
Can collect by thread or forum and export/print
Many features that may not be needed for project work
New forums are not flagged.
Can search by name, etc., but not much granular control

...know that in case of catastrophe our materials are backed up.

Backed up at same level of restore, but:

Stores deleted items in the recycling bin. (also, don’t forget about versioning!)

When you hit delete, it’s gone.

...use a Blog to track team progress and discuss ideas.

Similar to Blogspot. Not used frequently (disabled by default)

Not as robust.

To request a SharePoint Site, please fill out this form.

Alternatively, you can email helpdesk@wpi.edu with the following information:

Name of Your Project or Organization
Short Name (suitable for URL): 6-8 characters
Description of Project/Group
Usernames of all group members, separated by semicolons
Anticipated End Date for site

Maintained by itweb@wpi.edu
Last modified: Jun 11, 2012, 15:13 EDT