Minnesota State Zoom Overview

Getting started with Zoom

Follow these steps to schedule a meeting, invite participants, present content, record your meeting, and share the recording.

Common Zoom tasks

Sign in with Minnesota State SSO

  1. Go to Minnesota State Zoom.
  2. Select Sign In.
  3. Enter the full Microsoft 365 user principal name (UPN) for the account you want to use:
    • Students generally use StarID@go.minnstate.edu.
    • Employees generally use StarID@minnstate.edu.
  4. Enter the password for that account.
  5. Complete multifactor authentication when prompted.

If you are already signed in to Microsoft 365 or another Minnesota State service in the same browser, you may be signed in automatically.

Important: Zoom provides several sign-in methods. Minnesota State users should always select SSO (Single Sign-On) when signing in through the Zoom website, Zoom Workplace desktop application, mobile application, Outlook add-ins, Zoom Rooms devices, or other Zoom services.

Selecting Microsoft, Google, Apple, Facebook, email/password, or another authentication method will prevent access to Minnesota State Zoom resources.

Schedule a meeting

  1. Select Schedule from the Zoom home page.
  2. Enter a title, date, time, and other meeting details.
  3. If you will use the same meeting link multiple times, select Recurring Meeting and configure an appropriate recurrence.
  4. Review the meeting's security, audio, video, and recording settings.
  5. Select Save.

Tip: If you know the session should be recorded, consider enabling automatic cloud recording before saving the meeting.

After saving the meeting, Zoom displays its details and invitation information. You can copy the invitation or meeting link and share it with participants.

Important: Treat meeting links as access information. Share them only with the intended audience and use appropriate security options such as passcodes, waiting rooms, or authentication requirements.

For more information, explore Zoom's Scheduling meetings in Zoom knowledge base article.

Invite participants

Participants can be invited while scheduling a meeting or after the meeting has been created.

  • Add participants directly through Zoom's scheduling options, if you know their email addresses.
  • Copy the meeting invitation and send it through Zoom, Outlook, Teams, or another communication method.
  • Copy and share the meeting link directly with the desired participants.

To retrieve a meeting invitation after scheduling:

  1. Open the meeting from the Zoom Home, Meetings, or Calendar area.
  2. Select the meeting.
  3. Copy the invitation details or meeting link.
  4. Share the information with participants.

For more information, explore Zoom's  Inviting others to join a meeting knowledge base article.

Start a meeting

When you are ready to begin, use one of the following methods:

  • Open the meeting link.
  • Find the meeting on the Home, Meetings, or Calendar tab in Zoom Workplace.
  • Open the event from your calendar and select its Zoom meeting link.

Start the meeting several minutes early when possible so that you can verify your audio, video, captions, screen sharing, and recording settings before participants arrive.

Test audio and video

Before beginning a presentation or recording:

  • Test your Audio configurations
  • Confirm that Zoom is using the correct speaker or headphones.
  • Confirm that Zoom is using the correct microphone.
  • Unmute yourself and verify that the microphone detects your voice.
  • Turn on your camera if video is needed.
  • Confirm that the camera image is clear and positioned appropriately. (Marketing has created branded virtual backgrounds that can be used) 
  • Verify that captions and recording are available if needed.

If Zoom is using the wrong device, select the arrow next to the microphone or camera control and choose the appropriate device.

Share content

  1. Open the content you plan to present.
  2. Select Share from the Zoom meeting toolbar.
  3. Choose the screen, application, browser tab, document, or other content you want participants to see.
  4. Enable computer audio if participants need to hear audio being played.
  5. Select Share to begin presenting.
  6. Select Stop Share when finished.

You can share your entire screen, a single application, a browser tab, a document, or other content. Sharing your entire screen is often the easiest option when moving among multiple applications during a presentation.

When sharing your entire screen, remember that participants and recordings may capture notifications or unrelated information displayed on your device. Zoom prevents its application controls from being shared by default, however these settings can be adjusted to share Zoom windows during screen share, if desired.

When presenting visual information, describe important images, charts, demonstrations, and actions aloud for participants who cannot see the shared content.

For more information, explore Zoom's Sharing your screen or desktop on Zoom knowledge base article.

Record a meeting

If you know that the meeting should be recorded, you can enable automatic cloud recording while scheduling it. You can also start a recording during the meeting.

  1. Select Record.
  2. Select cloud or local recording when more than one option is available.
  3. Confirm that the recording indicator appears.
  4. Use the controls to pause, resume, or stop the recording.
  5. Stop the recording or end the meeting when finished.

Before recording: Inform participants that the meeting will be recorded and explain how the recording will be used and shared.

Tip: Before beginning a formal presentation, verify that recording has started successfully and that audio is being captured correctly.

Find a recording

Zoom processes recordings after the meeting ends. Processing time varies depending on the recording length.

  1. Sign in to Minnesota State Zoom.
  2. Open the Recordings area.
  3. Locate the meeting by title or date.
  4. Open the recording to view its files and sharing options.

Local recordings are stored on the device used to record the meeting.

Share a recording

A Zoom cloud recording can be shared using its recording link and available access settings.

Before sharing, review who can open the recording and whether a passcode or authentication requirement is appropriate.

Zoom cloud recordings are automatically copied to Kaltura MediaSpace. The MediaSpace copy appears in My Media and can be shared or embedded in D2L Brightspace.

Use Kaltura MediaSpace rather than the temporary Zoom cloud copy when the recording needs to remain available beyond Zoom's 1-year retention period.

Account types and features

Employee accounts

Eligible employee accounts include:

  • Meetings with up to 500 participants
  • Webinars with up to 500 participants
  • Meetings and webinars lasting up to 30 hours
  • Cloud and local recording
  • Automated captions
  • Real-time translated captions
  • Zoom AI Companion features
  • The ability to host up to two meetings at the same time

Webinar access is assigned automatically after successful SSO authentication.

For more information explore Zoom's Getting started with Webinars knowledge base article.

Student accounts

Eligible student accounts include:

  • Meetings with up to 300 participants
  • Meetings lasting up to 30 hours
  • Cloud and local recording
  • Automated captions in the language spoken during the meeting
  • Zoom AI Companion features
  • The ability to host up to two meetings at the same time

Student accounts do not include webinar hosting or real-time translated captions, but students can participate in sessions hosted by employees with these features enabled.

Signing in and reauthentication

Minnesota State Zoom users must sign in through SSO using the full UPN for the student or employee account that they intend to use.

Employees who are also students may have separate employee and student accounts. Sign in with the UPN that corresponds to the role and Zoom features you need.

For security, users must reauthenticate in their Zoom client at least once every 30 days. Being signed in to the Zoom website does not necessarily mean that the desktop or mobile client has been reauthenticated.

Access and account provisioning

Access to Zoom depends on successful authentication with an active Minnesota State account that has been assigned the required Zoom application authorization through institutional provisioning processes.

A Zoom account is created automatically during the first successful SSO sign-in. Users who have never signed in to Zoom cannot be selected as alternative hosts, scheduling delegates, or webinar hosts until their Zoom account has been created. A person may have an active account but still be unable to use Zoom if the account has not been assigned the required application authorization through the Azure portal.

Employee and student access is based on Minnesota State and institutional account provisioning rules. Institutions may provide grace periods before or after a person's documented enrollment or employment dates. The length and availability of a grace period can vary according to institutional provisioning practices.

Important: A person must successfully sign in to Zoom at least once before other users can find and assign that person entitlements such as an alternative host or scheduling delegate.

Meeting roles and scheduling

Zoom provides several ways to share responsibility for a meeting. Co-hosts, alternative hosts, and scheduling delegates have different purposes.

Co-hosts

A host can assign one or more co-hosts during a meeting. A co-host can help manage participants, captions, breakout rooms, recording, and other available meeting controls.

A co-host cannot start the meeting on behalf of the original host. If someone needs to start the meeting before the original host arrives, designate that person as an alternative host.

Alternative hosts

An alternative host can start a scheduled meeting or webinar on behalf of the original host.

The alternative host must:

  • Have a licensed Zoom account
  • Be eligible for assignment within Minnesota State's Zoom account structure
  • Sign in using the correct Minnesota State account before starting the event

Alternative hosts are designated while the event is being scheduled or before it begins. An alternative host does not automatically receive permission to schedule new events for the original host. For more information explore Zoom's documentation on designating an alternative host.

Scheduling privilege

Scheduling privilege allows one or more licensed users to schedule and manage meetings on another user's behalf.

Depending on the permissions granted, a scheduling delegate may be able to:

  • Schedule and manage meetings for another user
  • Schedule webinars when both users have the required webinar entitlement
  • Act as an alternative host for meetings scheduled on the other user's behalf
  • Access eligible cloud recordings, reports, or meeting summaries when the account configuration permits that access

Both the delegating user and the delegate must have licensed Zoom accounts. For more information explore Zoom's documentation on using scheduling privileges.

Webinars

Eligible employees receive the ability to host webinars with up to 500 participants after successfully signing in through SSO. No separate service request is required.

Student accounts do not include webinar hosting.

A webinar differs from a standard meeting. Webinars are designed primarily for events in which hosts and panelists present to an audience with more limited participant interaction. For more information, explore Zoom's documentation on getting started with Zoom Webinars. 

Captions and AI Companion

Automated captions

Employee and student accounts can provide automated captions for speech during a meeting or webinar. Automated captions should be reviewed carefully when they are used to support access because accuracy can vary based on audio quality, speakers, terminology, and other conditions.

Automated captions may not meet every participant's communication access needs. Follow institutional accommodation processes when human captioning or another communication service is required.

Real-time translated captions

Employee-hosted meetings and webinars can provide real-time translated captions. Participants may select from the languages made available for the event.

Student-hosted meetings provide automated captions in the directly captioned language but do not include real-time translated captions.

AI Companion

Zoom AI Companion features are available to eligible employee and student accounts. Many of the features are off by default and require the individual user to opt into these services.

Users remain responsible for reviewing AI-generated summaries, captions, and other output for accuracy before relying on or sharing that content. Review the Generative Artificial Intelligence guidance document for addition information on policy intersections, considerations and recommendations for use.

Recordings and retention

Educational Zoom accounts can record meetings locally or to the Zoom cloud.

Zoom cloud recordings and their associated files are automatically deleted from Zoom after one year. Zoom cloud recordings are also copied automatically to Kaltura MediaSpace for extended access and retention. Individuals who need to retain recordings long-term should rely on the copy stored in Kaltura MediaSpace rather than Zoom cloud storage.

Content in Kaltura that was created more than five years ago and has not received recent plays may be identified for removal. Content that must be retained longer should be moved to an appropriate archival storage solution.

Before leaving Minnesota State or changing roles:

  • Transfer recordings that another person or department must retain.
  • Reassign responsibility for future meetings and webinars.
  • Designate appropriate alternative hosts or scheduling delegates.
  • Preserve related files, reports, and supporting materials in an approved location.

HIPAA Zoom environment

Minnesota State maintains a restricted Zoom environment for designated operations that are subject to HIPAA requirements. Most Minnesota State employees and student health centers do not require this specialized Zoom environment.

Whether a unit or activity is subject to HIPAA is a legal and institutional determination. Contact your institution's Data Practices Compliance Official or the Minnesota State Office of General Counsel if you are unsure whether the restricted environment is required. The Office of General Counsel's data privacy guidance states that the office advices the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities on their institutional HIPAA compliance, and lists the currently identified hybrid entity designations that are required to comply with HIPAA regulations. 

Assignment to the HIPAA environment

Assignment is managed by each institution through designated Administrative Units and Tier 2 group membership. 

Campus technology administrators should add or remove the appropriate accounts from the institution's designated Zoom healthcare group. Group membership is evaluated during SSO authentication and determines whether the account is directed to the educational Zoom environment or the HIPAA subaccount.

Changing this membership can affect:

  • Which Zoom environment the person enters
  • Access to existing meetings and recordings
  • Eligibility to serve as an alternative host or scheduling delegate
  • Access to account-restricted meetings
  • Zoom directory visibility
  • Access to educational Zoom features

Employees who are also students may have more than one UPN. The institution must assign the account appropriate for the person's healthcare-related work. Users must then sign in with that same UPN.

HIPAA environment restrictions

The HIPAA Zoom environment has additional restrictions, including:

  • No Zoom cloud recording
  • No integrated automated captioning
  • No integrated cloud transcription
  • No real-time translated captions
  • No Zoom Phone service
  • More limited reporting
  • Restrictions on adding users as alternative hosts for events in the educational Zoom environment
  • Possible access issues when an educational meeting is restricted to users in the educational Zoom account

Human captioners can be assigned when captions are needed. Institutions should coordinate other captioning arrangements according to their accessibility and accommodation processes.

Important: Placing an account in the HIPAA environment does not by itself ensure that every use of Zoom complies with HIPAA or other privacy requirements. Users must continue to follow applicable privacy, security, records-management, and institutional procedures.

Account inactivity and deletion

Zoom accounts that have not been used for more than one year may be deleted.

When an account is deleted:

  • Zoom cloud recordings remaining in that account may be lost.
  • Personal settings and customizations are removed.
  • Scheduled meetings may no longer function as expected.
  • Delegated permissions may be lost.
  • The user's Personal Meeting ID may change if the account is later recreated.

If an eligible user returns, a new Zoom account is created after the next successful SSO sign-in. The new account may not contain the settings, meetings, recordings, or Personal Meeting ID associated with the deleted account.

Departments should transfer meetings, recordings, and related resources before an employee leaves Minnesota State or loses access.

Troubleshooting sign-in and access

I cannot sign in

Confirm that:

  • You are signing in from Minnesota State Zoom.
  • You selected SSO rather than Microsoft, Google, Apple, Facebook, email/password, or another sign-in option.
  • You entered your full UPN rather than only your StarID.
  • You used the correct student or employee account.
  • Your account is active.
  • Your account has authorization to use the Zoom application.
  • You successfully completed the required multi-factor authentication.
  • You accepted any Zoom email notice asking to move or consolidate your account.

If you recently became eligible for access, changed employment or enrollment status, or switched between student and employee roles, institutional provisioning may not yet be complete.

Zoom keeps opening the wrong account

The browser or Zoom client may be reusing saved credentials.

  1. Sign out of the Zoom website and Zoom client.
  2. Close the Zoom client.
  3. Open a private or incognito browser window.
  4. Go to Minnesota State Zoom.
  5. Sign in with the complete UPN for the account you need.
  6. Accept any prompt to switch the account into the appropriate Minnesota State Zoom environment.
  7. Open the Zoom client and authenticate with the same account.

I cannot add someone as an alternative host or delegate

Confirm that the person:

  • Has successfully signed in to Zoom at least once.
  • Is using the correct Minnesota State UPN.
  • Has a licensed rather than basic Zoom account.
  • Is in an same account or subaccount that permits the assignment.
  • Meets the requirements for the requested role.

HIPAA and educational accounts have limitations with cross-account restrictions.

I received a WEB_ error

Zoom sign-in errors may include a code beginning with WEB_.

Copy the complete error code and include it when requesting assistance. Also provide:

  • The full UPN used to sign in.
  • The approximate date and time of the attempt.
  • The browser or Zoom client used.
  • Whether the person is trying to enter the educational or HIPAA environment.

Contact your institution's technology support service if the issue involves local account authorization, Administrative Unit membership, or campus provisioning.

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