Microsoft Bookings

Using Microsoft Bookings for Office Hours

Microsoft Bookings can be employed to schedule and manage open office hours:

1. Sign into Microsoft Bookings using your university Office 365 account.

2. Create a new booking page for your office hours.  Fill in your business details, such as your name, title, and department.

   1. You will be prompted to select your business type. Choose the "Other" option.

3. Set up your services by adding an "Office Hours" service. You can customize this service by adding a description and duration (e.g., 30 minutes).  

4. Choose who can schedule appointments, select "People in my Organization" to limit appointments to students who are affiliated with Syracuse University. 

5. Set up your availability by selecting the days and times you are available for office hours. Recurring appointments can also be set for the entire semester.

6. Publish and share the Bookings calendar link with your students via the course syllabus, class website, or email.

   1. Once published, Bookings pages can be customized by adding a logo image and any other relevant information, such as your office location and contact information.

When a student wants to schedule an appointment, they can simply click on the link to your booking page and select an available time slot. They will be asked to provide their name, email address, and a brief description of their questions or concerns. You will receive a notification when a new appointment is booked, and you can manage your appointments through the Bookings app or via email notifications.

Microsoft Bookings streamlines the process of scheduling office hours, reducing manual appointment management and provides a convenient scheduling method for students.

Scheduling IT Support with Microsoft Bookings

Microsoft Bookings can also be utilized for scheduling IT support reservations:

1. Sign into Microsoft Bookings using your university Office 365 account.

2. Create a new booking page for your IT Help Desk, including contact information, hours of operation, and other relevant details.

3. Set the availability of IT support staff by selecting the appropriate days and times.

4. Create a service called "IT Support," detailing the appointment duration, Help Desk location, and any prerequisites for the appointment.

5. Choose who can schedule appointments, select "People in my Organization" to limit appointments to users who are affiliated with Syracuse University.

6. Publish and share the Bookings calendar link with the university community through your website, email, or other communication channels.

   1. Once published, Bookings pages can be customized by adding a logo image and any other relevant information, such as your office location and contact information.

7. IT support staff will receive email notifications for scheduled appointments and can manage them through the Microsoft Bookings dashboard.

When a user needs assistance, they can simply click on the link to your booking page and select the service they need. Users will be asked to provide their name, email address, and a description of their needs. They can then choose an available time slot that works for them, and Bookings will automatically schedule the appointment and notify both the user and the IT help desk staff. 

Employing Microsoft Bookings for IT support scheduling can enhance the efficiency of support services by organizing the appointment scheduling process.

Deleting Bookings Calendars

Bookings calendars are unable to be deleted without IT Admin intervention. Users who would like their calendar to be deleted should set their calendar permissions as "No-Self Service" to prevent appointments from being scheduled. After one year of inactivity, the calendar will be deleted. 

To set your Bookings calendar to "No-Self Service", follow these steps:

1. Sign-in to Microsoft Bookings using your university Office 365 account.

2. Navigate to the Booking page you wish to delete.

3. Click on the "Booking page" tab.

4. Select the "Configure Booking Page" dropdown.

5. Set the permission level to "No-Self Service."

If there is a situation that requires a calendar to be deleted immediately, please contact your IT Admin for further assistance.

Please note that deleting a booking calendar may impact existing appointments and bookings. Inform affected parties in advance and consider archiving appointment and customer data before deleting the booking page if the information may be needed later. Deleting a booking page will permanently erase all associated appointments and customer data.

Getting Help

Faculty and staff are encouraged to seek initial support by contacting their respective academic or administrative support personnel. These dedicated professionals are equipped to provide assistance and guidance for the information discussed above.