Zoom Hybrid Learning

Image of Zoom Video conferencing Icon

Columbia University offers faculty members an interactive web conferencing platform called Zoom that can be used for a variety of teaching and research purposes, including hosting virtual class sessions. This platform is free to faculty and is accessed using your UNI.

Zoom combines HD video conferencing, online business meetings, webinars, and mobile capabilities into one collaborative solution. One of the key advantages is that only one person has to download Zoom. Everyone else can simply click on the meeting link and jump right in from their phone, tablet or desktop.

Please follow the steps below to create your Zoom account:

  • If you are a first time user, visit http://columbiauniversity.zoom.us and click SIGN UP, IT’S FREE in the upper right corner. All Law School faculty members are entitled to a free upgrade to Zoom Pro, which allows unlimited meeting times and full video conferencing functionality for large rooms (up to 300 attendees) and breakout rooms. Without the Zoom Pro account, you will be limited to a maximum length of 40 minutes for group meetings, including class sessions. You can request your Zoom Pro account by sending an email to [email protected].

Columbia Law School IT strongly recommends you:

  • Use your University email address when registering for Zoom
  •  Request a Zoom Pro account 

For questions and support you may submit a ticket to the CUIT Service Desk or you can call the Service Desk at 212-854-1919. Clients can expect a response within one business day.

Scheduling Zoom Class Sessions for Remote Instruction

  1. Log in to CourseWorks using your UNI.
    1. If you have any issues with your UNI, please contact the Helpdesk ([email protected] | 212.854.1370 | Jerome Greene 131)
  2. Navigate to your course.
  3. Click on Zoom Class Sessions at the bottom of the left-hand navigation menu.
  4. Click on the blue Schedule a New Meeting button at the top-right.
  5. Fill out the resulting form to schedule the class date, time and duration.
  6. We recommend that you select the following options to ensure that your class session is secure and available to your students for review after class:
    1. Ensure the Passcode option is selected.
    2. Select Mute Participants Upon Entry for “crowd control” at the beginning of class.
    3. Select Record the meeting automatically in the cloud so that students can go back and review, if needed.
  7. If you are scheduling a class on behalf of an instructor, please be sure to add your instructor as an Alternative Host so that they can start the meeting when ready. You can add them by typing their name and selecting them from the drop-down list, or by entering their full UNI email (ie. [email protected]).
  1. Navigate to the Zoom Class Sessions page, per the above instructions.
  2. Locate the class you wish to start from the list under Upcoming Meetings.
  3. When ready, click the Start button to the right of the scheduled class. Zoom will automatically launch and start the class session.
    1. Note: you may be prompted to re-enter your UNI credentials by the Zoom app.
  4. Students may join your class by performing the above steps and clicking the Join button that appears to the right of the class meeting.

Zoom Class Sessions Error Message

If you receive an error when clicking the Zoom Class Sessions menu item, you will need to update your primary email in Courseworks. Your primary Courseworks email must be set to the [email protected] email address in order for the Zoom Class Sessions feature to work. 

  1. In Courseworks, click the Account icon on the upper left of the navigation bar.
  2. Click Settings in the secondary navigation bar, on the left.
  3. Ensure that your UNI email address appears under Ways to Contact, on the right side of the page. If not, click on + Email Address to add it.
  4. Click the star to the right of the UNI email address to set it as the primary email address.
  5. Navigate back to your course and click the Zoom Class Sessions menu item.
  6. If you are still receiving an error message, please contact Helpdesk.

Zoom Security

Zoom turned on the setting "Require password to access shared cloud recordings" without alerting clients.  The setting puts a password on any new cloud recordings made while it is enabled. Only cloud recordings made during this time are affected.

Instructors can use the following steps to double-check the setting is off for them.

If recordings were made and have the password enabled, the host can use the following steps to view or disable the password.

  • Log into https://columbiauniversity.zoom.us/
  • Click Recordings on the left
  • Click the title of the meeting
  • Click Share in the top right
  • Either copy/paste the password or disable "Password Protect"

Columbia University Information Technology (CUIT) has implemented a set of default enterprise controls to improve the security of Zoom sessions. Information on these measures can be found on their website. A quick summary follows below.

Law IT has established minimum requirements and recommended security enhancements for common meeting types hosted virtually at the Law School.

Courses

Minimum requirements:

Recommended security enhancements: 

Office Hours

Minimum requirements:

Recommended security enhancements: 

Workshops/Secure Meetings 

Minimum requirements:

Recommended security enhancements: 

Public Events and Conferences

Minimum requirements (fewer than 25 attendees):

Minimum requirements (25 or more attendees):

Please contact the Law IT HelpDesk to coordinate a Zoom Webinar event. 

Zoom provides additional security information and white papers on their website. While not required for all meetings, some hosts may opt for additional security measures to further protect Zoom sessions.  The following security capabilities are available to the meeting host:

For questions regarding use of these enhanced security features, please contact the Law IT HelpDesk.