Accessing Zoom

Start by signing in to https://umsystem.zoom.us. 

Most of your questions about Zoom are addressed at https://teachingtools.umsystem.edu/support/solutions/folders/11000014261

Zoom Best Practices

Zoom has options to keep you in control of your own meeting. At the click of a button you can mute all participants, prevent other distractions, and stop uninvited participants from joining. Many articles have been written about “Zoombombing” and other issues new users are experiencing with Zoom. Below is a list of Zoom best practices and tips.

• Zoom recently released a guide to Securing Your Classroom. There, you can learn how to lock your virtual classroom, control screen sharing, enable a waiting room, lock down chat sessions, remove participants, and explore security options when scheduling a class. You can also visit Zoom’s post on preventing session crashers.
• All UM System students, faculty, and staff should immediately create an authenticated Zoom account to use Zoom if you have not already done so. Visit UMKC Instructional Design and Technology Zoom Support. Once you have authenticated your account, you should log in before joining meetings.
• Meeting tips
  • Want to cut back on interruptions, echoes and feedback. Learn how to mute and unmute attendees.
  • Interesting in changing your Zoom background?
  • Why do I hear echoes or audio feedback?
  • How do I use the whiteboard in Zoom?
• Security tips
  • Use a password to secure meetings. Click here for detailed information.
  • Don’t use your personal meeting room for recurring meetings. Use the schedule function and generate a new ID for meetings instead of using your personal meeting ID.
  • If you want to only allow users from UMKC and the UMSystem, used authenticated domains as an additional tool for restricting access.
  • Screen share default settings in Zoom allow only meeting hosts to share their screen until they click in account settings to allow participants to share if necessary. Learn more about enabling screen share.
  • The use of waiting rooms will keep external users from automatically joining. External participants can’t join until the host clicks to allow them access. The default waiting room settings will allow anyone with a UMsystem Zoom account to bypass the waiting room since they are not external users. Meeting hosts can adjust waiting room settings at the time of meeting set up. Read more about managing waiting rooms.
• Security Toolbar for meeting hosts.
  • The meeting host will now have a Security option in their meeting controls, which provides all of Zoom’s existing in-meeting security controls in one place. This includes locking the meeting, enabling Waiting Room, and more. Users can also now enable Waiting Room in a meeting, even if the feature was not turned on before the start of the meeting. For more information, please visit this recently published Blog.
• Customized Backgrounds
  • Using the Zoom web portal, you can change or customize your Zoom Room background image.
  • Show UMKC spirit with UMKC-themed backgrounds for your next Zoom meeting. Choose from five different images from the Volker and Health Sciences Campuses.

Additional Support

For additional Zoom help, contact Missouri Online via email zoom@umsystem.edu, or phone (855) 675-0755.