Zoom Meetings for Business Continuation

Zoom, Auburn University's tool of choice to connect synchronously online, gives administrators and their support staff various options to set up and run meetings efficiently. This article discusses the following:

1. Getting Started with Zoom: Installation and Logging On
2. Key Settings
3. Installation of Outlook Plugin For Zoom: Scheduling Zoom Meetings From Your Outlook Calendar
4. Zoom Options
5. Setting Up Zoom Meetings For Someone Else: Set Up Schedule Privilege
6. Zoom Polling
7. Deleting Zoom Meetings From Calendars

Getting Started with Zoom: Installation and Logging On

1. The first time you use Zoom, sign in from either the webpage https://auburn.zoom.us or from the Client or App on your computer or device. A Sign In screen will appear if you use the app, and you should select the Single Sign On (SSO) option.
   
2. When prompted, enter "auburn" in the domain field.
   
3. Whether you log in via the app or the web version, you will have to authenticate via the AU AUthenticate login page, where you will use your AU credentials to sign into Zoom.
   
   *Note: You must fully sign in before starting or joining a meeting to have full host permissions for your events.
4. Once logged in, you can download the application for your Mac or Windows computer or choose the app for your iOS or Android devices. You will need the application on your device if you want to schedule and host meetings. If you are receiving zoom invitations and participating in meetings, you do not need to download the application, but it will make the viewing experience on all devices more comfortable.
5. For more information on getting started, click here.

Key Settings

Before you schedule your first meeting, review your Zoom Settings. You will find the Settings on the left once you've logged into the Zoom website. The default settings will serve most of your purposes, but here are some that may make sense for you to change:

1. Enable "Join Before Host" so your meeting members don't have to wait on you to arrive in the virtual meeting.
2. Depending on the sensitivity of the meeting, you may want to safeguard the session by requiring a password.
3. Enable notifications for upcoming meeting reminders. 
4. Enable Polling if you want a quick way to gather feedback from your meeting.
5. Disable the "When attendees join meeting before host" email notifications.

Default settings can be changed as needed when scheduling individual meetings.

Installation of Outlook Plugin For Zoom: Scheduling Zoom Meetings From Your Outlook Calendar

The Outlook Plugin allows you to schedule Zoom meetings from your Outlook calendar.

1. To install the Zoom plugin for Microsoft Outlook, go to Meetings (left-hand navigation on the Zoom website) and click on the Add Zoom or Download link under the Outlook icon.
2. This link sends you to a Microsoft page that asks you to Get It Now, sending you over to your Microsoft Office365 account, where you can choose to install Zoom for your Outlook application or your Outlook web version. If installing this for the software application, please restart your Outlook application and open it again. For the web version, you do not need to do this.
3. Open the calendar and a new meeting in your Outlook application or web application. You will see the Zoom icon. If you want to schedule a Zoom meeting, click on the Zoom icon. The new meeting will populate information about connecting to Zoom via computer, mobile device, or phone call. 
4. Add the folks you want to invite, choose the time and date, and send.
5. Find more information on the plugin here.

Zoom Options

When you are using Zoom, please note the bottom navigation bar. You can choose and troubleshoot microphone and camera inputs, Invite meeting attendees, Manage Participants, conduct text Chat, Record meetings, assign Closed Captions, use Breakout Rooms, gauge Reactions, and Leave the Meeting.

1. Invite: you will see names pop up when you choose this option - consider copying the URL or the Invitation and sending them via email to folks you want to invite spontaneously.
2. Manage Participants: you can see who is in the room, mute and unmute, and add co-hosts to make managing a larger group of people easier.
3. Chat: you can participate in a text chat with the entire group or privately with an individual.
4. Record: you can record your meeting locally or into the cloud. Locally, you can share the saved file later; the cloud allows you access to the recording from other devices.
5. Closed Captions: you can assign someone in the meeting to type close captions of the meeting discussion.
6. Leave meeting: you can exit the meeting while it's still going, and as the host, you can end the meeting for everyone.

Setting Up Zoom Meetings For Someone Else: Set Up Schedule Privilege

These steps will outline how to grant someone else access to set up meetings on your behalf. If you need to schedule meetings for someone else, have that person follow these instructions. 

1. Ensure all parties have activated their Zoom account via https://auburn.zoom.us and logged on with their AU credentials.
2. While logged into your Zoom account, choose Settings on the left-hand side of the page.
3. If it's not already selected, choose the Meeting menu section along the top.
   
   1. Scroll down to the "Schedule Privilege" section near the bottom of the menu.
   2. Click the plus icon beside the "Assign scheduling privilege to" option.
   3. Enter the email address of the person to whom you're granting access. Your settings will save automatically.

If you need to schedule a meeting on someone's behalf and you have been assigned to the schedule privilege, use the following steps:

1. Open up the Zoom application, web interface, or Outlook Plugin and select the Schedule option.
2. A new dropdown option will appear called "Schedule For."
3. Select the person for whom you are scheduling the meeting. The meeting will go out on that person's behalf. 

If you want to share hosting or have someone else assist, you can assign alternative hosts by using the following steps:

1. Start scheduling a meeting as you normally would, and make sure the Advanced Options are visible near the bottom of the screen.
2. Locate the section for Alternative Hosts and enter the email address of someone else with whom you want hosting privileges (starting and ending meetings, etc.).

Once you have all your meeting settings in place, you can proceed to copy and distribute the invitation as usual. 

Zoom Polling

If you want to ask for feedback during a meeting, please consider enabling Zoom Polling.

Deleting Zoom Meetings From Calendars

If you manage your Zoom meetings via the Outlook Plugin, be advised that if you DELETE a meeting created with the plugin from your calendar, it DELETES and removes the meeting from Zoom. Deleting these meetings may be the desired action, but if you have a recurring meeting or scheduled meeting with a meeting ID you've already sent, that meeting will also be deleted. You will have to reschedule them and resend invitations with new meeting numbers.

If you delete a regular calendar entry you've added from a Zoom invite, it does NOT delete and remove the meeting from Zoom.