Your Zoom Account

Login with your Hamilton credentials here: hamilton.zoom.us

Beginning in Fall 2020, all Hamilton students will have a licensed Zoom account by default. This means that you will not have any time restrictions on any meetings that you host. You will not have access to Zoom's Cloud Recording platform, however. If you need to record a meeting it will have to record to your local computer.

To confirm that your device meets Zoom's system requirements please visit their website.

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What You Need to Get Started

• An internet connected computer, laptop, or device
• The URL of the Zoom meeting or the meeting ID number
• A headset with a microphone or earbuds (recommended)
• A quiet place to participate in the meeting, paying attention to what is visible behind you

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Joining Your Class

To download and use the Zoom desktop client please visit this page: zoom.us/download After logging into the desktop client with your Hamilton credentials, you will be able to quickly join a meeting or class by clicking Join and entering the meeting ID.

Otherwise, you can join your class by following these steps:

1. Click the link or URL to the Zoom room posted by your professor.
2. You will be prompted to download the Zoom application.
3. Download the Zoom application.
4. Click the URL of the zoom room again.
5. Launch Zoom application from your browser.

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How to Communicate During Class

Your microphone will most likely be muted when you enter your class. You should remain muted unless you need to speak. This will cut down on background noise and other unnecessary audio in the meeting. You can use the Raise Hand button to let your professor know when you have a question or need to speak, or you could use the Chat feature to send them a message. Please see the Zoom Menu Bar instructions below to learn how to access these features.

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The Zoom Menu Bar

The Zoom menu bar appears at the bottom of the Zoom window once the meeting begins. If you don’t see the menu bar, move your mouse slightly and the bar will appear. (The bar disappears after a few seconds when in full-screen mode.)

With the Zoom Menu Bar you are able to do the following:

1. Mute/unmute your audio (not the audio of the participants). You can also select your audio input here by clicking the up arrow next to the microphone icon.
2. Start/stop your video. You can also select your video input here by clicking the up arrow next to the video camera icon. If you have a slower internet connection you may want to keep your video turned off to reduce your bandwidth.
3. View the list of participants and access the Raise Hand button.
4. Share your screen with everyone.
5. Send a chat message or question to the whole class.
6. Record the meeting locally on your computer if your device meets requirements. (Your professor must give you recording permission to do this.)
7. Exit the class.

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Sharing Your Screen

You may be asked to share your screen with the class. First you will need to make sure the windows that you need to share are open on your computer, then you will click the green Share Screen Button. A window similar will appear with an option to share your full screen, a whiteboard, or any of the individual programs that are open on your computer.

If you will be sharing any audio or video clips, make sure to check the appropriate boxes at the bottom of the window before you launch your shared screen.

To change the screen you are sharing, hover your mouse to the top of your window and click the green New Share button. To end your share click the red Stop Share button.

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Inclusivity in Meetings

You are able to add your pronouns at the end of your name, either across your entire profile or within each individual meeting. To edit your name for your Zoom profile you will first log in through hamilton.zoom.us, click Profile on the left side of the screen, then click the Edit link to the right of your name. To do this in an individual meeting just find your name in the participants list, click More, then click Rename. You can add your pronouns to the end of your name in the box that appears.

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A note on recorded Zoom sessions

As Hamilton College moves to online instruction for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester, software may be used to record class discussions. As a student in these classes, your participation in live class discussions may be recorded. These recordings will be made available only to students enrolled in the class, to assist those who cannot attend the live session or to serve as a resource for those who would like to review content that was presented. All recordings will become unavailable to students in the class when the current semester ends. Students who prefer to participate via audio only will be allowed to disable their video camera so only audio will be captured. Please discuss this option with your instructor.

The use of all video recordings will be in keeping with the following Hamilton College Privacy Statement:

Assuring privacy among faculty and students engaged in online and face-to-face instructional activities helps promote open and robust conversations and mitigates concerns that comments made within the context of the class will be shared beyond the classroom. As such, recordings of instructional activities occurring in online or face-to-face classes may be used solely for internal class purposes by the faculty member and students registered for the course, and only during the period in which the course is offered. Instructors who wish to make subsequent use of recordings that include student activity may do so only with informed written consent of the students involved or if all student activity is removed from the recording. Recordings including student activity that have been initiated by the instructor may be retained by the instructor only for individual use.

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