Summary
Step-by-step instructions for NEO A&M College employees and students on how to create a new Microsoft Group and Team through the NEO portal. Covers group naming rules, membership requirements, expiration policies, and important notes for both employee and student accounts.
Body
👥 Create a New Microsoft Team
Learn how to create a new Microsoft Group and Team for collaboration at NEO A&M College using the O-Key portal.
✅ Before You Begin
- You need an active NEO A&M College account with SSO access
- An internet connection is required
- You must have a valid Office 365 license
- Have the email addresses of at least two group members ready
- 🕐 Estimated time: 5–10 minutes
💼 For Employees 🕐 ~5 minutes | Any browser | Office 365 license required
- Go to okey.okstate.edu and sign in with your NEO SSO credentials.
- If prompted, complete any required profile fields until you reach your profile page.
- From the left-hand navigation menu, click Microsoft Groups.
- Select "Create a new group as an Employee".
- Select the Campus the group will be associated with.
- You can only select a campus where you have active roles.
- A campus code prefix will automatically be added to your group name.
- Enter the Group Name (see Naming Rules below).
- Enter a Group Description so members know the purpose of the team.
- Enter email addresses into the Group Owners and Group Members fields.
- Enter one email address per line.
- Members must have a valid Office 365 license and an active role at the designated campus.
- Alumni for Life license holders cannot be added.
- An owner must also be listed as a member. The administrator account is always included as an owner.
- Enter an Expiration Date in
MM/DD/YYYY format (see Expiration & Renewal below).
- Click Submit to create the group.
💡 Tip: It may take a few hours before all team functionality (channels, apps, file sharing) is fully enabled after creation.
🎓 For Students 🕐 ~5 minutes | Any browser | Office 365 license required
⚠️ Note: Students may begin creating Microsoft Groups and Teams starting on the first day of the semester in which they are enrolled.
- Go to okey.okstate.edu and sign in with your NEO SSO credentials.
- If prompted, complete any required profile fields until you reach your profile page.
- From the left-hand navigation menu, click Microsoft Groups.
- Select "Create a new group as a Student".
- Select the Campus the group will be associated with.
- You can only select a campus where you have active roles.
- A campus code prefix will automatically be added to your group name.
- Student groups will always include
_SG_ after the campus designation.
- Enter the Group Name (see Naming Rules below).
- Enter email addresses into the Group Owners and Group Members fields.
- Enter one email address per line.
- Members must have a valid Office 365 license and an active role at the designated campus.
- Alumni for Life license holders cannot be added.
- An owner must also be listed as a member.
- The Expiration Date will be automatically set to a date shortly after the end of the current semester (including a grace period).
- Click Submit to create the group.
⚠️ Important: Student group expiration dates cannot be extended. If the current semester is ending soon, you may not be able to create a new group.
📝 Group Naming Rules
| No Spaces |
Separate each word with an underscore ( _ ) |
| Alphanumeric Only |
Letters and numbers only — no special characters |
| No Reuse |
Group names that have been used in the past cannot be reused, even if you previously owned the group |
| Cannot Be Changed |
Group names cannot be changed after creation — choose carefully |
| Auto-Prefix |
A campus code prefix is automatically added (e.g., NEO_). Student groups also include _SG_. |
💡 Example: An employee group for the IT Department might be named NEO_IT_Department_Collab. A student group might appear as NEO_SG_Biology_Study_Group.
⏰ Expiration & Renewal
| |
Employee Groups |
Student Groups |
| Expiration Range |
30 days to 1 year from creation |
Auto-set to end of semester + grace period |
| Can Be Extended? |
✔ Yes — renewed annually |
✘ No |
| Renewal Reminders |
Email at 30, 15, and 7 days before expiration |
N/A |
🚨 Warning: If a group expires, it will be permanently deleted along with all associated content, including conversations, emails, files, SharePoint site content, channels, and apps. This action cannot be undone. Renew your group before the expiration date.
📞 Still Need Help?
If you encounter any issues not covered in this guide, please contact the NEO A&M College IT Help Desk:
📞 Phone: (918) 540-6099
📧 Email: neosupport@neo.edu
📍 Walk-in: I.T. Services, Library/Administration Building, 2nd Floor, Room 216
🕐 Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM