Using Zoom for Student/Parent Meetings

Owned by Jessica Wilson
Jul 24, 2020

Zoom is a secure web conferencing platform that features include polling, breakout rooms, and office hours with waiting rooms. Users can join Zoom meetings via desktops, mobile devices, and by phone which allows for flexible meetings with both on-campus and off-campus individuals.


CREATING A ZOOM ACCOUNT

Need a Zoom account? Get one for free by following the directions at the link above. Have questions or issues? Email zoom@valpo.edu for additional support.


ADDING ZOOM SCHEDULING FROM GOOGLE CALENDAR

With the Zoom for Google Calendar add-on, you can seamlessly schedule, join, and manage meetings right from Google Calendar. Visit the link provided to install this extension and make adding a Zoom link to your calendar meeting a breeze! Once installed, you can chose to "add video conferencing using either Google Meet or Zoom. Be sure to select Zoom to ensure that attendees without a gmail account can log into the meeting. (Please note: You will need to log out of your calendar and reopen before you will be able to use this extension.  In addition, the first time your select "zoom" as the conferencing option, you will be asked to sign into a Zoom account. You can sign in through your Google account for easy sign in.)

To learn more about the features available in Zoom and how to use them please check out Zoom 101 on YouTube.


HOW TO SCHEDULE A ZOOM MEETING FROM GOOGLE CALENDAR

No matter how your office communicates with students and their families, scheduling meetings to discuss important university items can be made easy by using your Google Calendar and Zoom.

  1. From your Google Calendar, create an event for the time and date you have agreed upon with the student or family member. 
  2. Name the event something simple that describes the nature of the meeting in a meaningful way for both yourself and the other attendees, as they will see the title.
  3. Add attendees. Be sure to add the email address for any person(s) you wish to receive the email invitation to the meeting. The email they receive from this invitation will be how they access the link to the Zoom call.
  4. Select "Add Video Conferencing" and choose Zoom as the platform. (See additional instructions on how to add Zoom to Google Calendar above.)
  5. Add notes to the "Description" box. This area can be used to leave notes as to what the meeting will be over, what information will be necessary for the call and what has already been discussed or determined. Again, note that everyone on this invite will see all notes in this box so be sure to tailor them to be helpful and appropriate for all invitees.
  6. Once all your information is added, save the meeting on your calendar. This will prompt Google to ask you if you would like to send the listed attendees the invitation, which you should then select.
  7. Optional- Send reminders about the meeting by emailing all guests from the calendar invite! This can be very useful if you need to have the attendees bring specific information to the meeting.

For more information, please see the official Zoom documentation on Google Calendar.


Would your office like to allow others to book a time on your calendar more directly? Consider using Youcanbookme.com for free and easy access to booking meetings that sync with your Google Calendar. You can then share your calendar in an email signature or on your website.