Microsoft 365 for Teaching and Learning - How to Use Bookings With Me for Office Hours

The article provides a step-by-step guide on how to set up Microsoft's "Bookings With Me" tool for scheduling appointments so instructors can offer office hours where the Canvas calendar is not viable. The article covers accessing the tool, customizing meeting types and sharing the booking link with students through Canvas, as well as adding it to email signatures.

Before You Begin

Step 1: Access Bookings With Me

Visit https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/ to access Bookings With Me. Attempting to access Bookings through the Microsoft 365 website or mobile app will not work.

Step 2: Set-Up Your Page and Meetings

Click "Get Started" to follow steps to set-up meeting types, and customize your Bookings page. You will have the option to set-up meeting types that are Public (where anyone can visit your page and schedule a time) or Private (where scheduling is only allowed via a private link).

  • Most instructors may wish to use a Private appointment type. 
  • When setting-up meeting hours, click 'Advanced Options' to set buffers, custom schedules and reminders.
  • When an appointment is scheduled, it will appear on both the instructor's and student's Outlook calendar.

For more information: Bookings with me: setup and sharing - Microsoft Support 

Step 3: Share Your Bookings Link With Your Students

Click the three-dot 'kebab' menu icon to show options for your Office Hours meeting. Then, click the Share link. A window will appear. Click the Copy icon to grab the link.

With the link, you can add it to your Canvas course in two primary ways: 

  • Add the link to your Syllabus or other page using the Rich Content Editor.
  • Add the link to your courses navigation.

Some people may wish to add their Office Hours link to their signature for clear exposure to your students.

For more information on adding the link to a Canvas page using the Rich Content Editor, see: How do I create hyperlinks to external URLs in the... - Instructure Community (canvaslms.com) 

For more information on adding the link to a Canvas courses navigation, see: Canvas - Using the Redirect Tool and External URL Modules (wisc.edu) 

For information on how to edit your Outlook signature on the web, see: Create and add an email signature in Outlook Web App - Microsoft Support 

For information on how to edit your Outlook signature using the desktop app, see: Create and add a signature to messages - Microsoft Support 

For Further Assistance

For assistance with Microsoft 365 features, including Bookings With me, contact the UWM Help Desk. For assistance with Canvas and the Redirect Tool, Contact the CETL Support Commons.



Keywords:
Microsoft Bookings, Bookings With Me, UWM faculty and staff, appointment scheduling, special link, meeting types, Public appointments, Private appointments, Canvas, Rich Content Editor, course navigation, Outlook calendar, Outlook signature, Office Hours, step-by-step guide, Advanced Options, Syllabus, kebab menu, share link, setup 
Doc ID:
130847
Owned by:
David D. in CETL
Created:
2023-09-05
Updated:
2024-09-16
Sites:
UW-Milwaukee Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning