Tutoring Center Zoom Settings?

[ElijahD]

Hello,

I'm trying to find the correct settings to utilize Zoom as our virtual Writing Center. We have one tutor designated as a "greeter" each day log into the Zoom account, create the breakout rooms for all tutors on shift for the day, and make all incoming tutors co-hosts. 

The issue we are running into is when a tutor tries logging into the account from a new device or location, they are required to verify themselves by checking the email address associated to the account. The central email account for the Writing Center is a gmail, which unfortunately has it's own 2-factor authentication that kicks a verification code to my own personal email. What this means is that any time a tutor is required to verify themselves to open the center, they need to contact me so I can check my email and give them a verification code to gain access to the gmail, so they can get another code to gain access to the Zoom account. This is a problem because I'm also a part-time instructor and am not always available to do this. Plus it's just several unnecessary steps that slow down the process of opening the center. 

My question is: what sort of settings do other college tutoring centers or similar organizations use to allow multiple users the ability to open an account's personal meeting?

I have scoured the settings and am coming up empty handed and confused, and apparently my account type does not allow me the option to call support. I see that there is an "alternative hosts" option, but when attempting to add my tutors by their college-provided emails I get a pop up saying "only paid users can be added as alternative hosts," and I'm unsure why since their college accounts should be paid for. 

Any tips or insight would be greatly appreciated!

[Ray_Harwood]

Hey there, @ElijahD,

Hopefully you'll get some insight from some other educators, but in the meantime, I'll try to help you out.

First of all, the Alt Host not only has to be a paid account, but it must be on the same organizational account.  If they are on a university account, and let's say for example you're on an account with a tutoring service... they can't be Alt Hosts for you.  If on the other hand you are ALL on the same university's Zoom account, you should be able to, and I'd contact your Zoom Admin for assistance.

Next, it sounds to me like you are setting up the meeting, and it's technically "your meeting", but frequently someone else needs to be the meeting host -- as an example, you can't be there every day, but you want the same meeting ID to be there so all the students can easily join.  Your best bet in this case is to use the Host Key feature, where you share the special "host key" the other potential hosts, and they can "claim host" once they enter the meeting.

There are several other things to know about Host Key:

• You must have "Join Before Host" enabled, and it's highly recommended to use the "15 minutes before the meeting" setting, or less.  The person who is going to be host joins the meeting, and there will be an option on the Panelist window to "Claim Host"; they click that, enter your Host Key, and viola! they are Host.
• You cannot have Waiting Rooms enabled for the meeting.  This will defeat the purpose of Join Before Host, and your substitute host will not be able to enter the room nor claim the Host role.
• You Host Key is located on your web login to zoom.us on your Personal -> Profile tab:
  
• Click the "eyelash" icon to view it.  Click the Edit link on the far right to change it.  I do recommend changing the Host Key "regularly", at least every 3 months.  Anyone with that code could claim host in any of your meetings where you were not present.
• If you are the first in the meeting, you should designate someone else as host before you leave; this saves them from having to "Claim Host" after you go.
• See all the details on Host Key in this Zoom Support article:
  https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/205172555-Using-your-host-key 
  

Lastly, sharing Zoom account credentials (username and password) is against Zoom's Terms and Conditions.  I know... "lot's of people do it", which is why the additional account confirmation processes are being put into place by Zoom.