Virtual Classes and Meetings

For Students, Faculty, Staff

Overview

Fordham University supports a few platforms for hosting virtual meetings, classes, and events. Each platform is available to all faculty, staff, and students and is integrated with Fordham’s core systems. Review the guidance below to understand which tool best fits your needs and how to use it effectively and securely.

Zoom

  • Best suited for structured meetings, classes, office hours, and large-scale events or webinars.
  • Offers robust host controls, including waiting rooms, passcodes, participant management, and breakout rooms.
  • Zoom Webinars support broadcast-style events where attendees are view-only, with the option to promote individuals to panelist status.
  • Recommended for external participants or events where security controls are a priority.

Google Meet

  • Best suited for lightweight, ad-hoc collaboration within the Fordham Google Workspace environment.
  • Accessible directly from Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Chat with no additional software required.
  • Supports screen sharing, live captions, and in-meeting chat. Ideal for quick check-ins, small team meetings, and informal collaboration.
  • Meeting links are generated automatically when events are created in Google Calendar and are accessible to invited participants using their Fordham credentials.

Microsoft Teams

  • Best suited for ongoing team collaboration, departmental communication, and project-based work within Microsoft 365.
  • Combines persistent chat channels, file sharing, video meetings, and integrations with tools such as SharePoint, OneNote, and Planner in a single workspace.
  • Teams meetings can be scheduled directly from Outlook or within the Teams app, and are accessible to both internal and external participants.
  • Recommended for departments or working groups that collaborate regularly and benefit from a shared, organized communication hub.

Virtual Meeting Security and Etiquette 

  • Prep Before the Meeting

    • Make sure your device has a camera, speakers, and microphone.
    • Check that your virtual meeting application can access audio and video on your device
    • Check your Internet speed.
      • To improve the quality of your connection, turn off the video.
    • Choose a neutral background: A blank wall, books, office space.
      • Ceiling fans and other moving objects behind you can distract participants.
      • Bright lights behind you will cause you to be backlit. Lights should be in front of you, not behind.
      • Some virtual meeting applications allow you to set a virtual background.
    • Check your appearance: Look directly into the camera, but don’t get too close.

  • Security Precautions for Meeting Hosts

    • Require participants to use a password before joining a meeting.
    • Prevent unauthorized activity: Place participants in a waiting room until the meeting begins.
    • Enable a co-host to help moderate a meeting.
    • Disable file transfers to prevent viruses from being transferred to others.
    • Remove unauthorized participants and prevent them from rejoining.
    • Prevent participants from recording a meeting.

    Our Information Security and Assurance blog offers security tips for safe virtual meetings. Look for the categories virtual meeting, Zoom, telework, and teleworking.

  • Meeting Etiquette for Hosts and Participants

    • Close the door and minimize background noise.
    • Use a headset with a microphone to optimize audio quality.
    • Mute yourself when others are talking.
    • Give others a chance to speak.
    • Thinking of multitasking?
      • Save it for after the meeting and focus on the speaker
      • People can see you doing something else
      • Silence your message notifications and devices such as Alexa and Google Home.
    • Notetakers: Type quietly or mute yourself
    • Eating? Wait until after the meeting, or if you really must eat, turn off the video and mute yourself.
    • Wear appropriate clothing.
    • Stay focused on the meeting; don’t talk to others in the (real) room with you, even if you’re muted.
    • Remember: The video camera is on. Behave as if all meeting participants are actually in the room with you.

  • Tips For Meeting Hosts

    • Familiarize yourself with the meeting controls ahead of the meeting.
    • To prevent unauthorized access to the meeting, keep participants out of the meeting room until the start time.
    • Mute participants during the meeting
      • When everyone is muted, participants can answer yes or no questions with a “thumbs-up” gesture. Some applications have a “raise hand” feature.
    • Leader should use video.
    • When referring to someone in the meeting, use their name
    • Ask if people have questions or comments
    • Keep an eye on the chat; questions for the meeting and comments about technical issues may appear there.

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