Important changes to Zoom

Zoom was introduced University-wide in March 2020 as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic, with teaching and meetings having to suddenly pivot online. This was only a temporary solution whilst we completed the much more complex task of rolling out Teams to the University. Now this has been completed, we intend to move away from Zoom. 

To help those affected prepare for this change, Zoom will continue to be available until 23 July 2021. From then, Teams will be the University’s supported solution for video calls and online teaching sessions. Please ensure you complete your transition to Teams for these purposes before 23 July. All staff who have been identified as active users of Zoom have received a copy of this information via email. 

Teams is part of Office 365, the University’s strategic platform for digital collaboration. It acts as the central hub, tying together apps such as Word, Planner, and OneDrive, whilst keeping you connected with others via Chat and video calling. With Teams, it is easy to collaborate across the University and externally. 

Need help getting the most out of Teams? Read on to discover key benefits of Team meetings and the support available to you.

 

Benefits of meetings in Teams 

• Integrates with Office 365 tools
  

  Quickly access your shared apps, such as Chat, Calendar, Planner, Approvals and more, as well as your OneDrive and SharePoint files. 

• Links to your Outlook calendar 

  Your status is auto-set to busy during meetings and calendar appointments, and auto-set to ‘do not disturb’ when you are presenting.  

• Chat 
  

  Send instant messages across the University and externally and refer to them later. 

• Recording 
  

  Host and record academic events.  

• Built-in meeting tools 
  

  Show up to 49 participants’ videos simultaneously with ‘large gallery mode’, see participants in a virtual environment with ‘together mode’, and capture and share ideas with the digital whiteboard or note taking tool.

 

Support 

To help you make the most of Teams, the Digital Skills and Training team offer a variety of support. 

• Read guidance on Teams meetings 
• Watch latest top tips for Teams 
• Book an appointment with a Digital Skills trainer 

If you need support using Teams for teaching purposes, please read the University’s guidance via iPark. 

For technical assistance, please contact IT Support. 

If you would like to talk to someone about these changes, please email Zoom Support.