Launching and using Zoom

By signing in at the Michigan Tech Zoom portal, you’ll have access to the Michigan Tech Zoom license that gives you features beyond the free basic account. Currently active faculty, staff, and students have access to paid features with their Michigan Tech Zoom account. All Michigan Tech faculty, staff, and students are set up with a Zoom account. If you find that you do not have a Zoom account already created, email it-help@mtu.edu to have one created for you. Upon leaving the university, your account will switch to a basic plan.  

Launching Zoom

1. Visit the Michigan Tech Zoom web site.
2. Sign in using your Michigan Tech account name (without the @mtu.edu) and password to claim your Michigan Tech license. 
3. Select Host a Meeting from the top right or Start on of your scheduled meetings from the My Meetings tab.
4. When you select the Host a Meeting button or select the Start button next to a meeting you have previously scheduled, it may prompt you for a download.  If this comes up, download and save the Zoom launcher and run the program.

Hosting a meeting

When you start Zoom, you will see several options on the bottom of the screen.  The two buttons to the left serve as toggles for your web camera and microphone, and allow you to turn them on or off.  If the button is crossed out, you are sharing that feature. A microphone with a green bouncing bar when you speak means the participants can hear you. A green web camera means participants can see you.

The arrows next to the microphone and web camera will allow you to select a microphone or speaker if you have multiple connected or a different web camera if you have multiple connected.

The buttons in the middle of the window each have their own function.

• Security allows you to quickly lock a meeting, enable a waiting room for participants that are entering into the meeting to allow or deny them entry, and remove the ability for participants to share screens, rename themselves or use the chat feature.
• Manage Participants allows you to see who is connected to a session and what their role is. This is also where you can make any attendee a presenter by right-clicking on their name and choosing Make presenter.
• Share Screen allows you to select a program or monitor that you would like to show the participants.
• Chat allows you to chat with the group or with individuals in the session.
• Record gives you the ability to record the session for later viewing. You have the option to record locally or to the cloud. We recommend local recording as the storage space for recording to the cloud is very limited.
• Breakout Rooms allows you to divide the participants into "sub rooms" that allow them to communicate only with each other with the ability for the host to join into any of these sub rooms to check in on them. This function is ideal for group work on an assignment or group activity in a seminar.

Alternate hosts

In order to be added as an alternate host, the person will need to have claimed their Michigan Tech license. Those external to Michigan Tech are not able to be added as an alternate host.

Meeting participant limit

You can find your participant limit for your individual account by signing in to your Michigan Tech Zoom profile, then the participant limit will display under Account > Meeting. If you are an active student, staff, or faculty and have signed in to Michigan Tech Zoom using your Michigan Tech account name and password, the limit is 300 participants (as of May 2023). 

If you have any questions about running a Zoom session or would like help with running a session please email IT at it-help@mtu.edu or call (906) 487-1111.