Recommended Zoom Meeting Settings

Questions

  • What are the recommended Zoom settings for hosting a meeting?
  • What Zoom settings should I use for a synchronous class?
  • Should I use my Personal Meeting ID or generate a new one?
  • Should I require a passcode for my Zoom meetings?
  • Should I enable the waiting room in Zoom?
  • Should I turn participant video on or off by default in Zoom?
  • What audio setting should I choose when scheduling a Zoom meeting?
  • How do I mute all participants automatically when they join?

Environment

This article applies to Bowdoin faculty and staff who host Zoom meetings. These settings are recommended when scheduling meetings or synchronous classes through the Zoom desktop app or the Zoom web portal.

Resolution

When scheduling a Zoom meeting, use the settings in the table below as a starting point. Descriptions of each setting follow the table.

Setting Recommended Value
Meeting ID Generate Automatically
Passcode Enabled (require a meeting passcode)
Authentication Only authenticated users — Sign in to Zoom with a Bowdoin account
Host Video Off (host can turn on after joining)
Participant Video Off (participants can turn on after joining)
Audio Computer Audio only
Calendar Outlook
Mute participants upon entry Enabled

Setting Notes

  • Meeting ID — Generate Automatically: Avoids reusing your Personal Meeting ID (PMI), which is the same for every meeting and harder to secure. A generated ID is unique to each meeting.
  • Passcode: Adds a layer of security. Participants receive the passcode in the meeting invitation and must enter it to join.
  • Authentication — Sign in with a Bowdoin account: Restricts attendance to anyone with a valid Bowdoin Zoom account. Recommended for class sessions and internal meetings. If external guests need to attend, use the Waiting Room instead — see Secure a Zoom Meeting in the Related Articles section.
  • Video off by default: Starting with video off gives participants control over their own cameras and avoids disruption as people join.
  • Computer Audio only: Bowdoin does not subscribe to Zoom's dial-in phone service. Selecting Telephone and Computer Audio exposes participants to dial-in charges that are billed to your department. Always select Computer Audio only.
  • Mute upon entry: Prevents background noise from participants joining mid-meeting from disrupting the session.

Additional Help

If you need further assistance, you have several options:

  • Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
  • Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
  • In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
  • Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.
Print Article

Related Articles (9)

Create a Zoom Meeting
Instructions for scheduling and starting a Zoom meeting, including step-by-step setup through the desktop app and Zoom web portal, with guidance on key security and audio settings.
Host an Accessible Zoom Session
Best practices for Zoom hosts to make meetings and classes more accessible — covering audio quality, recording, chat, screen sharing, polling, and captions.
Respond to Zoommodifying in a Zoom Meeting
Steps a Zoom host or co-host can take during an active Zoombomb attack — including using the Security button, removing participants, muting controls, stopping screen shares, and locking the meeting.
Secure a Zoom meeting
Three methods for securing a Zoom meeting against unwanted participants — restricting access to Bowdoin accounts, enabling a waiting room for public meetings, and requiring a passcode.
Set Up Zoom for Office Hours
Instructions for configuring Zoom's waiting room settings to support virtual office hours or conversation hours, so individual student meetings stay private while others wait their turn.
Troubleshoot Zoom Audio and Video Issues
Troubleshooting steps for common Zoom audio and video problems — including no sound, microphone not working, echo or feedback, choppy audio, camera not showing, and selecting the wrong device.
Use Breakout Rooms, Polling, and Non-Verbal Feedback in Zoom
Instructions for enabling and using Zoom's interactive meeting features — breakout rooms, polling, and non-verbal feedback — including how to create rooms during a meeting, manage participants in breakout rooms, and pre-assign participants before the meeting starts.
Zoom is showing an incorrect time offset when selecting EST
Explains why Zoom displays a -4 GMT offset for Eastern Standard Time during summer months, and how to fix it by selecting the correct named time zone in Zoom settings.
Zoom Licensing at Bowdoin
Details about Bowdoin's Zoom site license — what's included, meeting capacity limits, how to request a webinar license, where cloud recordings are stored, and the dial-in audio policy.