Webinars in Zoom

The Webinar format in Zoom is intended for meetings where a Host and Panelists address a group of Attendees. For more information about Webinars in Zoom, visit the听. The Webinar feature is an add-on that needs to be activated by CSUN IT. Webinar licenses were rescinded from Zoom accounts as of May 31, 2020.

For more information about activating or reactivating Webinars in your Zoom account, please send an email to听ftc@csun.edu.

Webinar Roles

The roles in a Webinar are similar to the roles in a regular Zoom meeting and consist of the following:

Host

There can only be one Host in a Webinar. The Host can:

  • Begin and end the Webinar
  • Share their screen
  • Turn their webcam on and off
  • Mute and unmute their audio
  • Promote Attendees to Panelists
  • Promote Panelists to Co-Host
  • Mute and unmute Panelist and Attendee audio

Panelist

There can be up to 99 Panelists in a Webinar. Panelists can:

  • Share their screen
  • Turn their webcams on and off
  • Mute and unmute their audio

Attendees

CSUN鈥檚 Webinar license allows up to 3000 Attendees. Attendees can:

  • Connect to the Webinar through their computer or device
  • Chat (if activated by the Host)
  • Ask questions using the Q&A feature (if activated by the Host)

For more information about the roles in a Zoom Webinar, visit听.

Scheduling a Webinar

Once you have the Webinar add-on activated in your account by CSUN IT, you can schedule a Webinar by navigating to csun.zoom.us, selecting听Sign In听at the top right corner of the screen, and logging in using your CSUN user name and password. Navigate to听Webinars听in the menu on the left side of the screen and select听Schedule a Webinar.

Webinar Dashboard with arrow pointing at Schedule a Webinar button

Topic

In the听Topic听field, enter a title for your webinar. You may also add a description in the听Description听field, though this is optional.

Schedule a webinar page with a red box around Topic and Description fields

When and Duration

In the听When听section, choose a date and a start time. In the听Duration听drop-down menus, choose how long your webinar will last.

Schedule a webinar page with red box around When, Duration, and Time Zone fields

NOTE: The听When听and听Duration听options are primarily for scheduling. You can start your webinar any time and the webinar will not end after the length of time chosen in the听Duration听field.

Registration

By checking the听Registration听box, attendees will be prompted to provide a name and email address before they can join the webinar. This extra step provides an additional layer of security against anonymous attendees joining and disrupting the webinar.

Red arrow pointing checked box labeled Required

Webinar Password

When you check the听Webinar Password听box, Zoom generates a numeric password required to join the webinar. Zoom also adds the numeric password to the webinar link, which automatically enters the password when attendees select the link. This extra step also provides an additional layer of security by preventing unauthorized attendees from joining the webinar using random Meeting IDs.

Red arrow pointing at Webinar Password input box

Video

Setting听Video听to听On听for both the Host and the Panelists means their webcams will be automatically activated when they enter the webinar.

NOTE:听The video setting does not affect the video settings for attendees.

Red box around the video settings with Host and Panelists set to On

Audio

Set听Audio听to听Both听so that attendees can join using their Computer Audio or by dialing in using a Zoom-generated phone number.

Red arrow pointing to Both option for Audio setting

Q&A

Checking the box enables the Q&A function which allows Attendees to submit questions to the Host, Co-Host and Panelists. For more information on customizing the Q&A, visit the Q&A Tab section further down the page.

For more information on the Q&A feature in Zoom, visit the support article听.听

Red arrow pointing to checked box labeled Q&A

Only Authenticated Users Can Join

The听Only authenticated users can join听feature requires all participants (Host, Co-Host, Panelists and Attendees) to create or log into a Zoom account before they can join the webinar. We don鈥檛 recommend using this feature because it complicates the process of attendees joining the webinar.

Red arrow pointing at unchecked box next to Only Authenticated Users Can Join

Record the Webinar automatically on the local computer

Checking the box lets Zoom record the webinar as a video file to your computer鈥檚 hard drive.

NOTE:听Zoom recordings can range from 200MB to 300MB per hour per recording. Make sure that there is enough space on your computer鈥檚 hard drive for the resulting file.

Red arrow pointing at unchecked box next to Record the Webinar automatically on the local computer

Alternative Hosts

Enter the email addresses of any Alternative Hosts you would like to add to your webinar. If the Host has already started the meeting, Alternative Hosts will join as Co-Hosts.

Select the听Save听button to save your settings.

Red box around Alternative Hosts field

Q&A Tab

Once the webinar has been scheduled, scroll down to the bottom of the Webinar page and select the Q&A tab.

  • Select听Edit听at the right of the screen
  • Uncheck the听Allow anonymous questions听box, and select听Save

This will prevent attendees from anonymously asking disruptive or offensive questions during the webinar.

Q&A Tab with a red circle around Edit button, a red arrow pointing at unchecked box for Allow anonymous questions, and a red arrow pointing at checked box for Answered questions only

Chat

Navigate to听Settings听in the menu on the left of the screen, then scroll down to the听In Meeting (Basic)听settings and turn off the听Chat听and听Private Chat听feature. Turning off听Chat听protects the webinar from disruptive or offensive content being shared to the other attendees in the听Chat听window.

In Meeting Basic settings with a red box around Chat and Private Chat switches both turned to Off

For more information on Webinars and Meetings, visit the Zoom听.