UBC has a campus-wide license for Zoom as a platform for delivering courses online and larger meetings. Zoom is an easy-to-use video conferencing platform that offers a wide range of features.
Features and Benefits
Zoom allows for video, audio, and screen sharing between participants. It can be used from any computer, laptop, tablet, or phone, and is compatible on PC, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
- Accessible on multiple devices - Attendees can participate in meetings using smartphone, computer, or audio only.
- Interactive and engaging - Collaborative whiteboard and annotation, and remote control of screen. Live polls can be prepared and used during the meeting, with live chat used to ask questions or provide visual feedback.
- Security compliant - Zoom meets FERPA /HIPAA compliance and and complies with UBC's Information Security Standards.
- Accessibility for all learners - Ensures that everyone can participate equitably with closed captioning and keyboard shortcuts.
Requirements and Eligibility
The Zoom hosting service is available to all UBC faculty and staff members, for meeting and collaboration purposes, as well as for distributing online classes with 250 or more attendees.
Privacy
Under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), it is acceptable to use Zoom provided that you use the following guidance.
Instructors may use Zoom to deliver real-time lectures as follows:
- Instructors should inform students that they can maintain their privacy by logging in using only their first name or a nickname, turning off their camera, and muting their microphone.
- Instructors may record lectures using Zoom but must keep these recordings secure and confidential.
Instructors may use Zoom for exam invigilation purposes as follows:
- Instructors should inform students that they can maintain their privacy by logging in using only their first name or a nickname, but if they do so they should register this name with their instructor in advance.
- Instructors should also tell students that they will be required to keep their camera on, but the session will not be recorded by the instructor.
- Students should be invited to a breakout room where they will be asked to hold up their Student ID cards, covering the first four digits of their student number, so that the instructor can check off the name on the class list. Alternatively, the instructor can set up extra "empty" breakout rooms and move students one at a time to that room for ID check before moving them back into their breakout room.
- Instructors may record invigilated sessions.
- As faculty may not be able to be in all Zoom sessions for invigilated exams on Zoom, some exams may be invigilated by Teaching Assistants. Faculty may record these sessions for academic integrity reasons. Such recordings may be made to the cloud with access to the recording only enabled for Teaching Assistants and Instructors. These recordings must be kept in accordance with UBC’s retention policy for at least one year. They should be securely kept either in Zoom Cloud storage or should be transferred into UBC’s enterprise video platform, Kaltura.
- Please note: Exam invigilation should be hosted in the main Zoom session if recording is required. Exam invigilation in breakout rooms may experience recording constraints.
Staff and faculty members who are using Zoom for meetings and collaboration are free to do so, provided that they do not use the Record feature if they are discussing sensitive information. If they are meeting with a student or other individual who is not an employee of UBC, they should advise the individual that they can maintain their privacy by logging in using only their first name or a nickname.
- Faculty who are using the tool should inform students that they can maintain their privacy by logging in using only their first name or a nickname, turning off their camera, and muting their microphone.
Staff who are using Zoom for sensitive discussions should not use the Record feature.
- View default privacy settings for Zoom
- Prevent Zoom Bombings
- Best security practices for video collaboration
- Best Zoom practices for teaching
- NEWZoom Security button- Learn more about the new security button feature Zoom has added.
Learn More
Getting Started
- For faculty who want to use Zoom for delivering real-time lectures, please reference these step-by-step instructions.
- For faculty who want to use Zoom for exam invigilation, please reference these step-by-step instructions.
- To request a Zoom account:
- For Faculty of Medicine (FoM) faculty and staff, please complete the following form:
https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eLLYLgIgXph7MQl - For faculty and staff based at UBC Okanagan:
- Complete the Submit a General Service Request form
- Choose Campus: UBC Okanagan
- Enter Detailed Description: Zoom Account Request
- Provide UBC email address and Faculty / School / Department
- For instructions on TA accounts for zoom click here
- For non-FoM staff and faculty based at UBC-Vancouver, email av.helpdesk@ubc.ca with your:
- UBC email address
- Faculty / School / Department
- For Faculty of Medicine (FoM) faculty and staff, please complete the following form:
- Enable A Zoom Passcode
- Refer to the Zoom: Getting Started Guide
Get Help
- For large online classes or virtual sessions with 300+ attendees on Zoom, please contact AV Help Desk at 604.822.7956 or email av.helpdesk@ubc.ca.
- For UBC Faculty of Medicine staff and faculty:
- Call: 1-877-266-0666
- Email: medit.servicedesk@ubc.ca
- For all staff and faculty based at UBC Okanagan:
- For urgent assistance, please contact the Helpdesk at 250-807-9000
- Complete the Submit a General Service Request form
- Choose Campus: UBC Okanagan
- Enter Detailed Description: Zoom Support
- For all staff and faculty based at UBC Vancouver:
- Call: 604-822-7956
- Email: av.helpdesk@ubc.ca