IT News

Zoom Video Conferencing is Here!

March 2020

We are happy to announce that the University of Miami has signed an academic enterprise agreement with Zoom for video and audio conferencing. Zoom was selected to augment the University's current video conferencing tools for its consistency across devices, integrations, simplicity, and flexibility.

As part of COVID-19 preparations, we are asking that all UM community members* activate their Zoom accounts and download the application to all the devices you use for teaching, learning, and working. It is important to familiarize yourself with remote access tools in the event of a disruption to normal activities.

Note: The University of Miami's enterprise license for Zoom must not be used for telemedicine/direct patient care. A special license and implementation of Zoom is used for UHealth telemedicine visits and must be initiated through UChart. This adds an extra layer of security to standard Zoom processes and ensures privacy and regulatory compliance. For assistance using Zoom for telemedicine via UChart, please contact UHealth IT at (305) 243-5999 or help@med.miami.edu.

Get Started with Zoom

• Activate Your Account: To activate your University of Miami Zoom account, visit zoom.miami.edu and sign in using your CaneID credentials. Once you sign in, that's it—you have activated your account! If you experience any issues activating your account, please contact the UMIT Service Desk at help@miami.edu or (305) 284-6565.
• Download the Zoom Desktop Client: Click here to download the desktop client. Review the Quick Start Guide for more information.
• Experiencing Wi-Fi Issues? Please review the Home Wi-Fi FAQs and Tips.

Learn More About Zoom

• For more information, including a list of features and benefits, visit the Zoom service page. For answers to commonly asked questions, review Zoom FAQs for students or check out all of the Zoom FAQs.

For more information about remote access technologies available at the U, visit it.miami.edu/continuity.

If you have any questions or need technical support, contact the IT Service Desk at help@miami.edu or 305-284-6565.

Zoom FAQs

• How do I activate my account?

  To activate your University of Miami account and download Zoom, visit zoom.miami.edu and sign in using your CaneID credentials (logging in using SSO). Once you sign in, that's it—you have activated your account! If you experience any issues activating your account, contact the IT Service Desk at help@miami.edu or 305-284-6565.

• How do I download Zoom?

  You can download the latest version of Zoom at: miami.zoom.us/support/download. To learn how to download the Zoom desktop client and learn more about feature available for the University community, review the Zoom at the U Quick Start Guide.

• Who can use Zoom?

  The University of Miami's enterprise license for Zoom is only compliant with academic security requirements. Zoom is available for the University of Miami’s academic campus-based faculty, staff, and students, as well as faculty, students, and staff at the Miller School of Medicine (MSOM). Use of Zoom for telehealth purposes by UHealth and affiliates must be licensed separately in a HIPAA-compliant version of Zoom. Please contact UHealth IT for telehealth support.

• How do I schedule a meeting?

  You can schedule a one-time or recurring meeting on the web (zoom.miami.edu), through the Zoom Desktop client or mobile app, or through one of Zoom many integrations. Learn more about scheduling a Zoom meeting.

• How can I schedule a meeting with my personal meeting room?

  A Personal Meeting Room is a virtual meeting room that is accessible via a Personal Meeting ID (PMI) or personal link. This is ideally for instant meetings or for people you regularly meet. You can start instant meetings with a PMI, or you can schedule a meeting that uses your PMI. Customize your personal meeting room with a personal link and your update room settings.

• How do I invite others to join my meeting?

  You can invite others to join your meeting by copying the join URL or meeting invitation and sending it out via email. There are many other ways to invite others to join your meeting; learn more.

• Do my attendees need to have a Zoom license to join my meeting?

  No. Zoom meetings can be attended by anyone, inside or outside the University.

• How can I test all of the features before my Zoom meeting?

  Join a Zoom Test Meeting (zoom.us/test) to confirm your computer or device's capabilities. In your test meeting, practice using all of the Zoom features you plan to use during your session. If your test meeting fails, try using different audio or video settings or review the Troubleshooting section below.

• Can I host a Zoom meeting from a public location?

  Public spaces with free-Wi-Fi may have unreliable connectivity and inherently less secure than your personal Wi-Fi. Be mindful of personal data, or information you share within a public space.

• How can I make sure my webcam doesn't show my whole background?

  If you want to keep anything in the background hidden/private that may distract attendees in your meeting, find a solid wall you can sit in front of, or turn on the virtual background through your application via Settings.

• How can I re-check my settings for a meeting?

  Zoom meeting settings allows you to enable or disable features for your meetings, to review and change your meeting settings access the settings via the Zoom web portal.

• How should I start a Zoom meeting I'm hosting?

  Before starting a meeting, test the location, and, if possible, find a space that is well-lit to make it easy for others to see you, and somewhere you may not be interrupted.

• How do I join a Zoom meeting?

  You can join a meeting by clicking the meeting link, or by going to miami.zoom.us/join and entering in the meeting ID. Learn more about joining a meeting.

• How do I join computer/device audio?

  On most devices, you can join computer/device audio by clicking Join Audio, Join with Computer Audio, or Audio to access the audio settings. Learn more about connecting your audio.

• Can I use a Bluetooth headset?

  Yes, as long as the Bluetooth device is compatible with the computer or mobile device that you are using. Please note that there have been reports of audio issues with Bluetooth headsets. The recommendation is that you use your computer's built-in microphone or a wired headset, as opposed to Bluetooth devices.

• Do I have to have a webcam to join on Zoom?

  While you are not required to have a webcam to join a Zoom meeting or webinar, you will not be able to transmit video of yourself. You will continue to be able to listen and speak during the meeting, share your screen, and view the webcam video of other participants.

• If Internet speed is unstable, how can I still participate?

  You may need to keep your camera off to improve Internet quality or call in using a phone to the number shared within the meeting invitation.

• How do I mute all participants?

  As the host, you can mute all participants that are already in the meeting as well as new participants joining the meeting. Learn more about muting participants.

• How do I share my screen?

  Click Share in your meeting and choose the screen that you would like to share. Learn more about sharing your screen. Consider that participants can see your open tabs.

• How do I view all participants?

  Find out who else is in the meeting by clicking Participants. Participants can react through various meeting reactions. Use Gallery view feature to view thumbnails of all participants.

• How do I chat with others during a meeting?

  Click the Chat bubble to ask questions via text, share links to websites, and keep up with the meeting’s discussion. You can chat to everyone in the meeting, or a specific person.

• How can I share my smart phone screen and annotate during a meeting?

  If you have an iOS or Android device, you can launch the meeting from the mobile app, and share your phone screen. You can also share your screen through the Zoom desktop application often used for annotating using a touch screen device.

• Can I record my meeting?

  All Zoom hosts can record locally to their computer or to the Zoom cloud. In a Zoom meeting, press Record to start the recording. Learn more about local recording and cloud recording. 

• Where do I find my recording?

  By default, local recordings are saved to your documents folder. Cloud recordings can be found on the Recording page of your Zoom web portal. Learn more about locating your recording.

• My video/camera isn't working.

  Read tips on troubleshooting a camera that won't start or show video.

• There is echo in my meeting.

  Echo can be caused by many things, such as a participant connected to audio on multiple devices or two participants joined in from the same location. Learn about common causes of audio echo.

• Audio isn't working on my mobile device.

  Read tips on troubleshooting audio that isn't working on your iOS or Android device.

• Who do I contact for technical support?

  The IT Service Desk is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – Coral Gables/Marine: 305-284-6565 or help@miami.edu; UHealth/MSOM: 305-243-5999 or help@med.miami.edu.

Click here to download a PDF version of these FAQs.