Set Up Zoom for Office Hours

Questions

  • How do I set up Zoom for virtual office hours?
  • How do I keep individual student meetings private in Zoom?
  • How do I make students wait their turn for office hours in Zoom?
  • How do I configure the waiting room for Zoom office hours?
  • How do I make sure everyone goes into the waiting room in Zoom?
  • What is the difference between Zoom waiting room options?

Environment

This article applies to Bowdoin faculty and staff who hold virtual office hours or one-on-one conversation hours using Zoom. These settings are configured in the Zoom web portal and apply to all meetings on your account.

Resolution

Why this matters: Without a properly configured waiting room, students joining your office hours Zoom meeting may enter while you are still meeting with another student, removing any expectation of privacy. Setting the waiting room to hold everyone ensures each student enters only when you admit them.

Configure the Waiting Room in Your Zoom Settings

  1. Go to bowdoin.zoom.us in a browser and sign in with your Bowdoin credentials.
  2. Click Settings in the left navigation.
  3. Click the Meeting tab.
  4. Scroll to the Security section and confirm that Waiting Room is turned on (the toggle should be blue).
  5. Scroll to the Waiting Room Options section. Confirm it reads Everyone will go in waiting room.
    • If it already says this, your waiting room is correctly configured.
    • If it shows a different option, click Edit Options. In the window that opens, under Who Should Go in the Waiting Room?, select Everyone, then click Continue.

Waiting Room Options Explained

Option Who Goes Into the Waiting Room
Everyone All participants, regardless of whether they have a Bowdoin account. Recommended for office hours.
Users not in your account Only participants without a Bowdoin.edu email address. Bowdoin account holders bypass the waiting room automatically.
Users not in your account and not part of allowed domains Only external users without a prior Zoom correspondence history and not on a specified allowed domain list. This option is rarely needed.
Note on "Users not in your account": Zoom considers someone a "user in your account" if you have previously corresponded with them via Zoom — even if they do not have a Bowdoin email address. Choosing this option may inadvertently allow some external participants to bypass the waiting room. For reliable privacy during office hours, always select Everyone.

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.
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