Getting Started With Zoom

About Zoom

You can automatically activate your account by logging into hamilton.zoom.us with your Hamilton credentials. Only current students will have Licensed Zoom accounts by default. All other users will begin with a Basic Zoom account. The basic account will accommodate a meeting that lasts up to 40 minutes for 3-300 participants.  For one-on-one meetings there are no time restrictions for Basic users. 

If you need to request a Licensed account or if you have specific questions about Zoom, please email the Help Desk at helpdesk@hamilton.edu.

In addition, if you require AV support for an upcoming video conference or virtual event, please email your request directly to Abbi Brancy abrancy@hamilton.edu. Please remember that we require at least one week’s notice to be able to provide support for any type of event. 

Zoom Desktop Client

We recommend using the Zoom desktop client whenever you are hosting or participating in a meeting. This will allow you to easily start meetings that you host, and will give you access to all the features that Zoom has to offer for both hosts and participants.

To install the Zoom desktop client, please visit this page and download the Zoom Client for Meetings.

If you already have the Zoom client installed on your computer, you should regularly check for updates. To do this, first click the Sign in with SSO button, then log in with your Hamilton username and password. After logging in, click on your profile icon in the top right corner of the client window, then select Check for Updates (as shown below). 

Logging In to Zoom

We recommend always logging into the Zoom desktop client before starting or joining a meeting. This is becoming increasingly important as more meetings and virtual events on campus are restricted to Hamilton users only. You also cannot launch a meeting that you are hosting without first being logged into your Zoom account. Lastly, you may not have access to some of Zoom's in-meeting features if you are logged out.

If you need to schedule a meeting or adjust your Zoom account settings, you should log in through hamilton.zoom.us using your Hamilton College username and password instead of using the Zoom desktop client.  

Audio Settings

Before starting or joining a meeting, we suggest that you check your audio settings. To access these settings, open the installed Zoom desktop client on your computer, and click Login with SSO if you are currently signed out. After logging in, click the settings button near the top right corner of the client window, then select “Audio” from the list on the left side of the settings window.

You will want to make sure that you are connected to the correct speaker and microphone, and that your volume levels are set correctly. We recommend unchecking the box to Automatically adjust microphone volume and maximizing the microphone volume level in most cases, especially if you are using Zoom in a classroom setting. You may also want to adjust your Suppress background noise setting depending on what might be happening in the room that you are in.

These audio settings can also be accessed during a live Zoom meeting. First click the small arrow next to your Microphone in the bottom right corner of your Zoom window, then select Audio Settings from the menu that appears, as shown below.

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Joining a Meeting

As mentioned above, we recommend logging in through the Zoom desktop client on your computer so that you have access to all of Zoom's features.

View Video Tutorial

Joining From the Website:

1. Visit hamilton.zoom.us and log in with your username and password.
2. At the top of your screen click the Join a Meeting link
3. Enter the Meeting ID that was given to you (the numbers will be in the invitation and also at the end of the meeting link).
   • Example: https://hamilton.zoom.us/j/3151234567
4. Click Open Zoom Meetings when the small window that pops up, then make sure to Join With Computer Audio once you enter the meeting.

Joining From the Desktop Client:

1. Launch the Zoom desktop client on your computer. 
2. Click Sign in With SSO on the right, then enter hamilton as your domain.
3. Enter your Hamilton credentials, then click Open Zoom Meetings if you see a small pop-up window.
4. Once you see the Zoom client screen, click the Join button and enter the Zoom meeting ID. Otherwise, you can join by clicking the meeting link that you received from an email or calendar invitation. Hint: the meeting ID is the same as the numbers listed in the meeting link.

• Example: https://hamilton.zoom.us/j/3151234567

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Scheduling a Meeting

Video Tutorial

1. In your web browser, visit hamilton.zoom.us
2. Click the Sign In button and log in with your Hamilton credentials.
3. Near the top right corner of the screen, click the Schedule a Meeting link.
4. Enter a title for the meeting, as well as the date and time that your meeting will begin. Note: As long as you have a licensed account, don't worry about your meeting running over the scheduled time. The meeting will not end until you hit the End Meeting button.
5. Check the box for Recurring Meeting if this meeting will happen on a regular basis. Set the recurrence to Weekly to select multiple days of the week for it to occur, or choose No Fixed Time if the meeting does not have a set schedule.
6. Check the box for Mute Participants Upon Entry to avoid hearing participants' background noise as they enter the meeting.
7. If your meeting needs to be recorded, check the box to Record the Meeting Automatically to avoid forgetting this step during a live meeting or class. 
8. Check that your details are entered correctly then hit the Save button.
9. To invite your participants you first can click the Google Calendar button, the add your guests to the calendar event that will be created automatically. Otherwise, you can simply click the Copy the Invitation link on the right-hand side of the page, then paste the meeting details into an email to your participants.

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Hosting a Meeting

A meeting can be started from the Zoom desktop client or the Zoom website itself. If possible, the meeting should be scheduled in advance so that your participants have the meeting link ahead of time. You also have the option to start an impromptu meeting at any time and invite your participants by clicking the Invite button from the Zoom meeting controls at the bottom of the screen.

Launching a Scheduled Meeting

• In the Zoom desktop client, click the Meetings tab at the top of the window, then find the name of the meeting and click the Start button.
• From the Zoom website click Meetings on the left side of the screen, then find your meeting title and click the Start button.

Launching an Impromptu Meeting

• In the Zoom desktop client click the orange New Meeting button on the main screen.
• From the Zoom website click the Host a Meeting link near the top right corner of the screen.

Once you launch your meeting make sure to click the Open Zoom Meetings button in the small window that pops up. Always click the button that says Join With Computer Audio if you see this option when entering your meeting. Check the box at the bottom of that window if you want to stop seeing this message every time you launch or join a meeting.

View Tutorial

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Recording and sharing a Meeting

Meetings can either be scheduled to record automatically, or the host can start recording at  any time while in a meeting by clicking the Record button at the bottom of the screen. Participants can only record the meeting themselves if the host gives permission.

All participants will be prompted for Recording Consent at the beginning of a meeting that is scheduled to be recorded, or as soon as a recording is started during a live meeting. They will need to click a button choosing either to consent to the recording or leave the meeting.

Types of Recordings

Local Recordings

• The only option for Basic account holders
• Available more quickly than cloud recordings
• Accessible only from your local computer

Cloud Recordings

• An option for licensed account holders
• Comes with an automatic audio transcription
• Accessible from anywhere through the Zoom website

Sharing Your Recording

Upload Local recordings to Google Drive

1. Open the Zoom desktop client and click Meetings.
2. Click the Recorded tab and select the meeting or class that you need.
3. Upload this file to the correct class folder in your Google Drive account. Once the upload is complete it may take an hour for the recording to process. Processing must be complete before the recording can be viewed within Google Drive. 
4. Right click on the name of the file once it appears in your Google Drive, then click Share.
5. If you need to adjust permission settings for the recording, such as preventing viewers and commenters from being able to download the file, click Advanced in the bottom right corner.
6. There are two boxes that you can check, depending on your preferences:
   prevent editors from changing access and adding new people
   Disable options to download, print, and copy for commenters and viewers
7. To share the recording:                                                                                                                                 By Shareable Link: At the top of the window click Get Shareable Link. Before sending the link to anyone, make sure to adjust the permission settings by clicking the dropdown options next to the Copy Link box. By Email Notification: Enter your students’ information into the box that reads Enter names and email addresses… Make sure to click the pencil icon to select if your students can edit, comment on, or only view the file. Make sure the Notify People box is checked so your students receive an email notification.
8. Once your settings are correct, click the blue Send button.

Cloud Recordings

1. You will receive an email notification from Zoom once your cloud recording has been processed. Keep in mind this may take several hours.
2. Log into your Zoom account via hamilton.zoom.us
3. Click Recordings on the left side of your screen, then click the name of the file that you need.
4. To allow only authenticated Hamilton users to view the recording, click the Share button, then select the option Only authenticated users can view, then click Save.
5. Click the Copy Shareable Link button to copy it to your clipboard, then post the link on the Blackboard page for your course, or send it in an email to your students.

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Sharing Your Screen

1. Open all of the windows (Power Points, websites, etc.) that you will need to share before you begin your meeting.
2. Once in the meeting, hover your mouse towards the bottom of your screen and click the green Share button.
3. Select either your entire screen or the specific window that you need, then click Share at the bottom of the screen.
4. Your screen share is now visible to everyone in the meeting. Annotation features can be accessed by hovering your mouse near the top of the screen and clicking Annotate.
5. To switch to a different screen, hover your mouse to the top of the screen and click the green New Share button. To end your screen share hit the red Stop Share button.

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Inclusivity in meetings

You are able to add your pronouns to your Zoom profile and also display them next to your name in meetings and webinars. To add your pronouns, you will first log in through hamilton.zoom.us, click Profile on the left side of the screen. You should see your name displayed at the top of the Profile page, and you will click the Edit button that you see to the right of your name. You will be able to add your pronouns in the window that appears, and you can also decide whether or not you'd like to share them in meetings. You can also ask to be prompted before each meeting to decide whether or not to share them right before you join.

Sharing your own pronouns, even if they are usually assumed, normalizes sharing pronouns and creates space for people who may otherwise get misgendered.

Zoom Support & Training

Technical Support

For technical or classroom support questions, please contact the Help Desk by email helpdesk@hamilton.edu or by phone (315) 859-4181.

In-Person Training Sessions 

LITS offers multiple Zoom training sessions at the beginning of each semester that are open to all employees. If you are unable to attend these sessions, you can request a one-on-one or small group training session at any point in the year by contacting Abbi Brancy abrancy@hamilton.edu.

Documentation & Video Tutorials

Please feel free to explore our additional Zoom resource pages:

Zoom For Faculty

Zoom For Students

Zoom For GSuite

Zoom Chat & Channels

For additional help and information about Zoom's features, you can view Zoom's Support website at any time.