This summer, you have a pretty good reason to fine-tune your remote work setup. Starting in July, PennDOT’s closure of I-376 Parkway East will route interstate traffic through Forbes and Fifth avenues. Whether the detour has you rethinking your commute or you’re ready to lean into a summer WFH routine, now is a great time to make sure your virtual office is set up for the way you work.
💬 Microsoft Teams Is Your Virtual Headquarters
If you’re working off-site, Teams is where your workday lives. Here’s what to keep in mind if you’ve gotten used to in-person office hours.
- Set your status intentionally. Teams shows whether you’re available, busy, or away — automatically or based on your manual selection. Try Do Not Disturb when you need focused time or Be Right Back if you’re just stepping away. Just note that status reflects availability, not productivity. This feature is meant to be a courtesy to colleagues, not a management tool.
- Know when to chat, when to post, when to email, and when to schedule. Quick questions a colleague can answer off the top of their head belong in chat. Ongoing team-wide discussions belong as channel posts. If your message requires someone to research, review, or take action — or runs longer than a few sentences — send an email. Many people use their inbox as a to-do list, and important asks have a way of disappearing into the stream of daily chats. Real-time back-and-forth belongs in a meeting.
- Share files in Teams or via a OneDrive link — not as attachments. Files shared in Teams are stored in OneDrive, so everyone accesses the same live version. If you’re emailing something for review, send a OneDrive link for the same reason — especially when collecting feedback from multiple reviewers simultaneously. This can save you the headache of going back and forth in email with the “final_FINAL_v3.docx.”
🖥️ Your Workspace Is Your Meeting Room
When you’re remote, every video call is a window into your working environment. A little setup goes a long way toward making a professional impression. Plus, some intentional decorating can keep you focused and comfortable throughout the day.
- Lighting matters more than your camera. The single easiest upgrade you can make is better lighting. Arrange your camera set-up so that light hits your face rather than your back. Natural light is best, but a simple desk lamp pointed at your face can do the trick.
- Get your camera to eye level. If your laptop is flat on your desk, prop it up with a stack of books or a monitor stand. Looking directly at your colleagues makes a surprisingly big difference in how present you appear on screen — and it’s better for your posture.
- Use a virtual background or blur when your space isn’t camera-ready. In Teams, click the three dots during a meeting, select Background effects, then choose a blur or background. Pitt even has a collection of high-quality images you can download before your next meeting. Just remember that background settings apply to all meetings, so choose something you’re comfortable having behind you the next time you jump on a call.
🛠️ Your Full Remote Toolkit
Teams and OneDrive cover most remote workdays, but Pitt Digital has a full suite of tools designed to keep you productive from anywhere. If you’re a student who needs specialized software — think MATLAB, AutoCAD, or Adobe Creative Cloud — the Virtual Student Computing Lab gives you remote access to the same apps available in campus computing labs, no campus visit required. Faculty and staff can take it a step further with Virtual Desktop, which gives you full access to your work computer from home, exactly as if you were sitting at your campus desk.
🌐 Stay Connected, Wherever You Are
Whether you're sidestepping a few weeks of Oakland traffic or settling into a longer WFH rhythm this summer, your Pitt tools are ready to support you. A few intentional adjustments can make your setup feel just as productive as your desk on campus.
— Pitt Digital
