Zoom

Zoom is a cloud-based video communications app that allows TU students, faculty and staff to set up virtual video and audio conferencing, webinars, live chats, screen-sharing and other collaborative capabilities.

This service and vendor documentation are cloud-hosted and not controlled by Towson University. TU-specific documentation is reviewed and updated quarterly.

Why use TU’s account?

Towson University holds an enterprise account for Zoom. Using TU’s account allows us to provide the features of the Zoom video service while helping to protect you, and our data when teaching and conducting business. 

The TU Zoom enterprise account offers additional account privileges that a basic/unlicensed account does not. This includes a 24 hour meeting window, which means meetings can be held for longer than 40 minutes.

Chosen/Preferred Name (Lived Name) on Zoom

As part of TU’s ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion, you can now choose your pronouns in your Zoom profile. First, submit a Chosen/Preferred Name, Pronoun and Gender Identity Request Form to update your Towson University record with your preferred name, pronouns, and gender identity. Next, add and share your pronouns in your TU Zoom profile.

Activate your account to get started

If you do not have a Zoom account

Go to zoom.towson.edu, click Sign In.
Login using your NetID through TU’s secure Single Sign-On.

If you already have a Zoom account using your TU email address

If your existing Zoom account is tied to your TU email, follow these steps to join TU’s account for the first time:

Go to zoom.towson.edu, click Sign In.
Login using your NetID through TU’s secure Single Sign-On.
When prompted, confirm email address.
Select join TU’s account to launch the activation email to your TU email account.

If you currently pay for a personal or departmental Zoom account, when prompted to join (merge) the TU account, you will be given an option to be refunded payment balance. Be sure to transfer personal account refunds to a personal email address.

Open the email and join TU’s account a final time to confirm. Future logins can be done directly through zoom.towson.edu.

Personal or paid accounts might receive additional emails and may experience a short delay in joining TU’s environment. Customized settings and special additional features, like Zoom Video conferencing for telehealth, could be lost when joining TU's account, so contact the OTS Technology Support Desk for guidance.

Access Zoom

See how to download, log in and get started with Zoom.

Desktop: download through the software center, then launch desktop app
Browser: zoom.towson.edu.
Mobile device: download the Zoom app from your device's app store.
Blackboard: configure your Zoom course through Blackboard. Once connected, use the "Schedule a New meeting" button.

If you’re in the Waiting Room of a TU Zoom session, you most likely aren’t logged in with your TU account. Logout and log back in securely following these directions.

Host secure meetings

Protect confidential data during a meeting

Read and follow TU's  security guidelines for Zoom meeting configuration (login to TechHelp with NetID to view).

Prevent uninvited attendees

Use TU’s Zoom Account and login correctly. Both students and faculty should use TU’s Zoom account for Zoom class sessions, not personal accounts. Confirm with these steps.
Follow TU's security recommendations  see the guidelines for Zoom meeting configuration.
Schedule securely. Keep the default setting “TU NetID Authenticated Users Only” whenever possible. Read more about meeting settings that went into effect on Jan. 11, 2021.
Use Waiting Room (default). Anyone with TU NetID Zoom account will bypass the Waiting Room. Anyone else with a Zoom (non-TU) authenticated account, should be held in the Waiting Room, and will need to be admitted by the host.
Promote your meeting securely, especially on social media. Turn off “Embed passcode in invite link for one-click join” and use pre-registration so you can send an email with a link and passcode to those who register. Require a passcode and set Personal Meeting ID (PMI) to “All meeting.”
Get help if you’re not sure. Contact the OTS Technology Support Desk.

Resources

Some of the links below take you directly to Zoom support resources. If prompted to sign into zoom.us, choose Sign in with SSO and type towson-edu as the company domain. You might also need to login to view TU's TechHelp Knowledge Base articles with your valid NetID.

Zoom AI Companion

This is a suite of AI-powered features within Zoom to help students, faculty and staff stay focused, save time and increase collaboration by automating tasks. AI features are optional and must be enabled by the meeting host, and attendees will be notified when AI is in use. Features currently available:

Meeting Summary: Automatically generates a summary of your Zoom meeting, with action items and highlights.
Smart Recording: Enhances cloud recordings with automatic chapters, highlights and smart summaries.
Chat Compose: Suggests context-aware responses in Zoom Team Chat.

See more info and be familiar with security and privacy guidelines for Zoom AI companion at TU and the generative AI guidance for faculty, staff and students.

Support

Having trouble working with Zoom? Contact Zoom Support, use the Zoom chat feature, or see general Zoom support info like response time.
For login or password help contact the OTS Technology Support Desk

Frequently Asked Questions

I can't get setup or log into Zoom with my TU NetID. What should I do?

Contact the OTS Technology Support Desk at 410-704-5151 or submit a TechHelp ticket for assistance.

Do Towson University Zoom accounts have a limit on length of meetings or number of attendees?

No, unlike free Zoom accounts which end after 40 minutes, TU accounts don't have a time limit. The limit is 300 attendees per meeting.

Are my recordings stored in Zoom?

All Zoom cloud recordings are automatically copied over to Panopto for storage. They are temporarily available on Zoom for 30 days after being created.

Can I share screenshots or recordings of my online meetings?

No, not without prior consent. Such activity is a violation of student privacy and FERPA guidelines. Because electronic platforms are able to show photos and list students' names, we are not permitted to take photos of the screen and post that photo on social media or anywhere else without participant permission. See the “Instructional Lecture Capture Guidelines and Release Form” section on this page if you’re thinking about recording or taking a screenshot during your session.

How can I avoid Zoom bombing?

Zoom bombing or raiding is an unwanted, disruptive intrusion, generally by Internet trolls and hackers, into a video conference call that jeopardizes privacy concerns. Follow the “Security Tips” on this page to help prevent that.

Can I send students to my Zoom Waiting Room when holding office hours, and admit them individually when I'm ready?

Yes. Here's how to force a Zoom Waiting Room:

Go to Zoom.towson.edu>Click Sign In>Click Settings>Under Waiting Room Options, click Edit Options>Select Everyone>Click Continue.

If I access Zoom through Blackboard do I still have to download the app to my desktop?

Yes. It's recommended that you download the Zoom desktop app to make sure it's engaged with Blackboard. Confirm you're logged in, and that "Licensed" shows next to your name in the Zoom app. If not, follow these steps.

How do I know which meeting security option to select when inviting TU and non-TU guests?

Here’s the breakdown of meeting security options you can choose, based on types of invitees:

TU students, faculty, and staff only signed in through TU Zoom accounts. “TU NetID Authenticated Users Only” is automatically applied by default, and if the invitee doesn’t have a TU Zoom account, they won’t be able to attend.
Anyone with a Zoom account. If inviting TU account holders, plus non-TU invitees (guest lecturer, transcriber, outside vendor etc.) with personal Zoom accounts: select “TU NetID or Other Zoom Authenticated Users.” Non-TU attendees enter Waiting Room, to be admitted by host. No Zoom account means no access to the meeting.
Anyone. If inviting TU account holders, plus non-TU invites (guest lecturer, transcriber, outside vendor etc.) with and without personal Zoom accounts: uncheck the box “Require Authentication to join.” Non-TU attendees enter Waiting Room, to be admitted by host.

INSTRUCTIONAL LECTURE CAPTURE GUIDELINES AND RELEASE FORM

Guidelines

Faculty and staff who intend to use instructional lecture capture resources supported by Towson University are to adhere to the Instructional Lecture Capture Guidelines to ensure the FERPA regulations are not violated.

Release Form

If a faculty/staff member intends to reuse recordings where the image, voice or materials of students are captured, the Instructional Lecture Capture Release Form must be used. *Be sure to read the guidelines (above) first.