Making a Move to Zoom
The university’s Webex contract expires at the end of June. It’s a good time to explore options for a web conferencing tool to increase student engagement in online and hybrid environments.
Options
Stay with Webex
Renew contract for
one to five years
Move to Zoom
Pilot Zoom (Spring 2023)
Campus launch (July 1, 2023)
Webex vs. Zoom Survey Results
The results from the Faculty Senate’s survey show which video platform is preferred by academic and administrative faculty.
949 respondents
Engagement Activities
| College of Education | Feb. 7 at 10 a.m. |
| Library Council | Feb. 8 at 9 a.m. |
| Faculty Senate | Feb. 14 at 12 p.m. |
Considerations
Webex
- Currently used by a majority of campus
- Training, documentation, etc. stay the same
- Easy to renew contract since we’re already using it
Zoom
- Broader functionality for teaching and learning (class.com)
- Multiple units on campus already use it
- Quick procurement since Zoom is part of Internet 2 contract
Cost: It’s costly to run multiple systems simultaneously. The price for Zoom is about the same as Webex.
Class for Zoom (class.com)
The Class application adds functionality to Zoom to enhance online and hybrid instruction. It has a robust toolset for better classroom management, real-time student engagement tracking, and other features that benefit students and faculty.
Anticipated Impacts
With a move to Zoom, students and faculty benefit from the robust tool for learning and teaching in online and hybrid environments.
Overall Better Platform
Increase Student Engagement
Reduce Faculty Workload
Address User Feedback