Gillings Zoom Conferencing

If you're brand new to Zoom at UNC, take a look at Zoom Getting Started for instructions on how to set up your account.

Before you use Zoom, you must install the Zoom software for your device. Start by going to the Zoom Download Center or go to unc.zoom.us and select "Download" in the footer.

It’s a good idea to install that software ahead of time so it doesn’t delay your first meeting. However, if you haven’t yet done that, Zoom will automatically start downloading the application to your device when you click on a meeting link. You’ll need to install it before you can start your meeting.

We also recommend reading through our Remote Conferencing Best Practices page for some helpful tips to ensure the best possible conferencing experience.

UNC faculty and staff Zoom accounts can host virtual meetings for up to 500 participants to talk, be seen and share screens with each other.

NOTE: UNC student Zoom accounts ONLY allow up to 300 participants per meeting.

Access to a larger meeting capacity of 1000 participants is available by submitting a Campus Web Conferencing Request to campus ITS.

Zoom Webinars differ from Zoom Meetings in how attendees interact with the presenter. Webinar attendees can see and hear presentations but can only communicate using the text-based Chat or Q&A option.

UNC faculty and staff Zoom accounts now feature the ability to schedule and host webinars for up to 500 participants.

NOTE: UNC student accounts DO NOT include webinars. Students will need to submit a Campus Web Conferencing Request to gain webinar access for their Zoom account.

To schedule your webinar:

• Visit unc.zoom.us and sign in using your Onyen.
• Select the “Webinars” tab on the left side of the page.
• Click the blue “+ Schedule a Webinar” button on the right side of the page to schedule your webinar.
• We recommend selecting “Enable Practice Session” when scheduling. This will allow you to “Start” the webinar for practice before going live to the webinar audience. The practice session is accessible by the host, alternative host, and any panelist.

If you need to host a Webinar with more than 500 participants, please submit a Campus Web Conferencing Request.

All Gillings classrooms and conference rooms managed by the school’s Instructional Media Services group are equipped with a camera and microphones to originate Zoom sessions. Browse to Remote Conferencing Technology to view Gillings School classrooms and conference rooms that include an advanced camera system or webcam to use for remote conferencing.

For more information about using Zoom in Gillings classrooms and conference room spaces, feel free to contact the school’s Instructional Media Services office at (919) 966-6536 or email at [email protected].

Users have the following options to record Zoom sessions:

• Local Device Recording
• Cloud Recording

Due to space limitations, sessions recorded to the cloud are stored in the meeting host’s Zoom account for 30 days.

Zoom cloud recordings are automatically saved to the campus video hosting platform, Panopto. Cloud recordings will be accessible in the meeting host’s UNC Panopto account for at least two years. For this reason, we recommend selecting “Record to the cloud” when recording in Zoom.  We also recommend sharing recorded files from your Panopto account since they will be archived there for a longer duration of time.

Note:  If you work with sensitive data and have a HIPPA-compliant Zoom account, you will not have the option to record to the cloud.  You must record locally to your computer.  

For Panopto, Canvas and strategy help from Gillings Educational Technology, please contact [email protected]
For more info on Gillings Zoom recording, visit the Recording in Zoom page

Whether you are using Zoom or another web conferencing platform, there are a few things you can do to help ensure good quality communication. Visit the Remote Conferencing Best Practices page.

Zoombombing is a form of trolling in which a participant uses Zoom’s screensharing and chat features to interrupt and disrupt meetings and classes.

Please refer to the Gillings Zoom Security Recommendations page for tips on how to make your meetings more secure by using security features such as Waiting Room, Meeting Passcodes and User Authentication.

For more information on how to manage the security and privacy settings in your Zoom account, please visit the UNC help article Securing Zoom.

Per the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) guidelines, publicly shared recordings (those available without a password to anyone who has a link, or any recording that can be forwarded to others) should NOT show any student identifying data (including images, names and voices) without express written consent from the students. Faculty who record classes should ONLY distribute recordings using Canvas - this limits to participants in the course section that is being recorded. By limiting distribution to students who have been recorded, student images, names, and voices can be recorded and shared without violating FERPA. Student meetings should NOT be shared with anyone other than the student and appropriate administrative and technology support.

Visit Rice University’s FERPA and Lecture Capture FAQsfor more details.

Return to the School's main Zoom page. Feel free to use a Gillings media release form (PDF) and have participants sign if you need to obtain consent for public use, which includes reuse of recordings for future terms. Maintain consent records in your own files. We strongly encourage ALL faculty and organizers, who wish to record classes and events whether private or public recordings to ALWAYS inform participants (students, guest lecturers, etc) prior to the recorded session and by joining they consent to being recorded.

Zoom has signed a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill to allow users to connect with Zoom in accordance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) guidelines. The agreement permits a user’s Zoom account to be placed into a HIPAA compliant space that is configured to protect the security and privacy of Protected Health Information (PHI). To request a consultation and account transfer, please email [email protected]

Changing a user account's status into a HIPAA compliant account will restrict a number of features within Zoom. Below details the restrictions required by Zoom and additional restrictions placed by the university to further protect users and data:

Restrictions Required by Zoom

• HIPAA accounts have the ability to create Zoom Cloud recordings; however, these will be available from Zoom for only 30 days and will not be transferred to the Panopto Service. Once deleted, these recordings will be moved to your Cloud Recordings trash bin for 30 days. Note that shared links to deleted recordings will no longer work while they are in your trash bin or when they are permanently deleted. You may temporarily recover a recording for one day, after which it will automatically move back to your trash bin.
• Device / User information is restricted from user access. Although users are able to see screen names during meetings, device or user names are unable to be stored or retrieved and are anonymous in reports.
• Users are unable to copy and paste text or images through the chat screen.
• Require encryption for 3rd party videoconference system endpoints (H.323/SIP) for all members of the account. Note, some H323 or SIP devices may not be able to support this level of encryption and therefore will not be able to connect to Zoom meetings.

Restrictions Required by UNC-Chapel Hill Campus

• Requires a password when scheduling new meetings
• No File Transfer through in-meeting chat
• No auto-saving of chat conversations
• No live stream meetings to Facebook, YouTube, etc
• No access Remote Control Feature
• No access to Far-End Camera Controls
• No Meeting Host 1:1 Remote Support

For more tips and information about Zoom, please refer to the UNC knowledge article about frequently asked questions found here.