Zoom Etiquette

BEFORE CLASS

• Keep track of your Zoom meeting links and passwords. It’s very helpful to store links in a calendar app with each class or meeting entered into the correct day/time. Be organized!
• Be prepared for class, with any necessary materials, projects that are due, a computer charger, headphones (if necessary), etc.
• Please be prepared to sit upright. While it is best if you can prepare a separate work space (desk, table, etc.) that is dedicated to school work, it is understood that is not possible for everyone. However, at the very least, everyone must sit upright during meetings. You will feel and look more professional.
• Get dressed. You don’t need to “dress up” but wearing clothes will help you feel better and be more prepared to work.
• Reduce your distractions as best as you can. Put your phone in a separate location, close the door (if possible), and alert anyone that you share a space with that you will be in class. It is understood that accidental disruptions may occur.
• Close/quit any unnecessary apps/programs. This will help ensure your computer is operating at its highest speed.

DURING CLASS

• Generally speaking, treat a Zoom classroom as you would any other classroom.
• Remember that your classes are within a professional program. All members of the community are expected to act accordingly.
• Please arrive on time. Arriving late can be disruptive, especially if professors have to let you into the room.
• Treat others with respect, but feel free to disagree or provide constructive criticism.
• Please respect and use the correct and proper pronouns with all members of our community.

PARTICIPATION

• Art school is very much about community and participations. Please participate in your education, even if it is online.
• Community members can participate by speaking during critiques, asking questions, and providing feedback.

AUDIO

• Become familiar with the MUTE button.
• We must all do our part to reduce distracting background noise.
• Generally speaking, follow your professor’s requests regarding audio. Some may ask you to keep yourself muted unless you are actively speaking, while others (particularly in smaller classes) may ask you to remain unmuted in order to facilitate more natural conversation.
• If there is excessive noise in your space (pets, family, etc.), keep yourself muted unless actively speaking.
• Follow your professor’s request regarding questions and how they wish you to ask them (waiting until the end, using the “participants panel” to raise your hand, or physically raise your hand on video).

VIDEO

• Generally speaking, please have your video turned on during class.
  • • • Active videos help faculty members know who is present or may appear confused or in need of help.
      • Active videos help create a sense of community. It can be challenging for fellow students and professors to speak to visual emptiness.
      • There may be times when faculty ask students to turn videos off, especially in larger classes where bandwidth is an issue.
      • If you have security or privacy concerns with leaving your video on for long periods, please be in contact with your professor via email.
• If you need to leave to use the restroom, turn your video off and then back on when you return.
• While it may be helpful to use a special background in Zoom, please refrain from any distracting backgrounds or those that involve motion. Please be mindful that members of our community may have focus or attention issues that can be exacerbated by such distractions.

SCREEN SHARING

• Familiarize yourself with screen sharing options (including sharing computer sound).
• You may need to share your screen in order for faculty to provide support or to present your work. It is useful to clear anything private/embarassing from your desktop and to close any unnecessary apps.

As many of us will be working from home or dorm rooms while managing simultaneous health, financial, justice, and political crises, this is a time when the personal will necessarily seep into the professional. Research shows that inequities based on race, gender, among others, are being widened during the pandemic. Throughout this, we will all work towards professional classrooms and interactions while juggling work and home; we can do it together.