How do I designate another person to share hosting of my Zoom class meetings?

When teaching a class in Zoom it's always a good idea to assign another person to share hosting. This could be another instructor, a TA, or a responsible student.

This additional host can be available to handle things if, for some reason, your internet or Zoom connection is disrupted.  They can keep the meeting running, and step in to handle security or other issues until you get back online.

There are three roles that allow you to share hosting:

  1. Alternative Host — is assigned before the meeting starts
  2. Co-Host — can be assigned when the meeting is underway
  3. Host — can be assigned when the meeting is underway

Here's how —

Option 1 - Assigning an Alternative Host before a meeting

Alternative hosts of Zoom meetings share all the capabilities that a host would have if they were there. These include starting and ending the meeting, managing participants, making recordings, sharing polls, accessing security features, etc.

You can designate an alternative host as follows:

Access your meeting settings in Canvas-Zoom or in tufts.zoom.us and click on the title of the meeting

Click "Edit this meeting"

Click "Advanced Options"

Type in the email address(es) of the people you wish to be alternative hosts, and click "Save"

If you included more than one email address, separate them with a comma and space. At Tufts, an Alternative Host must have a tufts.edu email, and must have activated their tufts.zoom.us Pro account.

Option 2 - Assigning a Co-Host during a meeting

Co-hosts of Zoom meetings share most of the controls that hosts have, including managing participants, making recordings, sharing polls, etc.

You can assign a co-host during a Zoom meeting that has already begun as follows:

In the Zoom meeting toolbar click on the Participants button

In the Participants window, mouse over the name of the person you wish to make co-host, and from the "More" menu choose "Make Co-host"

The participant will be notified in their Zoom window that they have been made co-host.

NOTE: You can assign more than one participant to be co-host while a meeting is in progress.

Option 3 - Assigning a Host during a meeting

During a Zoom meeting you can transfer the Host role from yourself to another participant, if, for example, you have to leave the meeting early, but want it to continue running.

In the Zoom meeting toolbar click on the Participants button

In the Participants window, mouse over the name of the person you wish to make host, and from the "More" menu choose "Make Host"

The participant will be notified in their Zoom window that they have been made host.

NOTE: Once you have transferred the role of host to another participant you will continue in the meeting as co-host.