The University provides access to many different videoconferencing and remote meeting tools that can be used by instructors and students for holding office hours online. A few popular examples include:
- U-M Remote Office Hours Queue – A U-M custom “digital waiting room” that allows students to sign up, and be placed in a faculty member’s queue
- Zoom – Videoconferencing and online meeting software used to collaborate in large groups
- Google Meet – Remote meeting and screen-sharing service available to all U-M faculty and students
Secure Your Meetings!
Universities across the country have reported instances of Zoombombing, where malicious people enter an unsecured online meeting, and use the screen-sharing feature to display inappropriate and disruptive content. Make sure to keep your office hours and remote meeting sessions secure with the instructions from U-M Safe Computing, and tips from our knowledge base.
U-M Remote Office Hours Queue
ITS provides a custom Remote Office Hours Queue application for U-M instructors to host office hours via videoconferencing. Students log in to the application, see the number of people waiting in the instructor’s queue, and request to join the line. Remote Office Hours Queue automatically creates a unique and private meeting for the student’s own personal session.
ITS continues to make improvements, so refer to the instructions below for the most current information on using the system:
- U-M Remote Office Hours Queue website
- Using Remote Office Hours Queue as a Host (Instructor/Advisor)
- Using Remote Office Hours Queue as an Attendee (Student)
Zoom
Zoom is an easy-to-use, videoconferencing service supported at the University that can be used for simple online meetings. It provides chat messaging, screen sharing, and the option for recording. It works on multiple platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome OS, Android, iOS), and is open to all U-M students, faculty, and staff. For large courses (up to 500 individuals), Zoom’s Webinar feature is available to all U-M faculty.
Refer to the ITS website for more tips on getting started, and performing other common tasks in Zoom:
Google Meet
Google Meet is another cloud-based videoconferencing service at the University that offers audio, video, and content sharing. As part of the G Suite for Education core services, it is open to all U-M students, faculty, and staff, and provides a good option when there is a need for faculty and students to meet remotely in real-time, such as during course planning or office hours sessions.
Other Remote Meeting Tools
Some other videoconferencing and remote meeting options supported at U-M include: