Terms of Use for Zoom

The University of Mannheim uses the video conference software “Zoom” for digital teaching. If you use Zoom, please observe the information and instructions specified here. (As of 10 September 2020)

Please use only the centrally managed Zoom licenses. This is the only way to ensure that the Zoom settings comply with relevant law.

The centrally managed licenses can be recognized as follows: The links (URL) to the Zoom meetings begin with “https://uni-mannheim.zoom.us/...“ (keyword “vanity URL“).

The licenses can be requested via the classroom management in Portal². Please refer to the information in the section “How do I book a Zoom room?” .

Since the university is obliged to ensure that all Zoom licenses used for fulfilling the university’s duties comply with data protection law, only the centrally provided licenses or licenses with have been configured to meet the central requirements may be used. It is not permitted to use other licenses.

You will find more information on the centrally managed licenses on the website of UNIT.

The host and the participants have to comply with the Terms of Service of Zoom. These are available at https://zoom.us/de-de/terms.html.

Zoom rooms for digital teaching can only be requested via the classroom management in Portal².

Please refer to the information available on “How do I book a Zoom room?”.

External participants are able to join Zoom meetings and may also present during the meeting.

Only members of the University of Mannheim may use the centrally managed Zoom licenses to host meetings. Please make sure that staff members of the University of Mannheim host the meeting.

The link to the Zoom meeting must not be published on the Internet.

You are welcome to provide the participants and external persons joining the meeting with the link. You may use the mailing feature in ILIAS or set up a meeting in the Outlook calendar to distribute the link. However, you must not publish the link on websites or in social networks.

When distributing the link, please make sure that the invited persons have access to the terms of use for Zoom. Joining the meeting constitutes acceptance of the terms of use. Please use this link to distribute the terms of use: https://www.uni-mannheim.de/en/it/terms-of-use/zoom-requirements/.

Members of the University of Mannheim may join Zoom events hosted by external parties.

However, please note that the external host is solely responsible for protecting your data.

Generally, the users may decide themselves how to access Zoom. The University IT recommends using the desktop application.

There are pros and cons to the different ways of access:

The IT Support is happy to help you installing the Zoom desktop application on devices provided by the university.

Hosting is only possible with a host key.

For more information on how to login with a host key, please see the instructions on the website: “How do I log in as a host?”

Only the persons responsible for managing the settings may use the authentication via the accounts for Zoom.

The software used for the Zoom meeting has to be regularly updated.

This applies to the browser and the Zoom application itself, as well as the operating system and corresponding applications such as the virus scanner.

Participants must not record meetings or parts of a meeting.

Please note that recording and distributing recordings may be punishable by law. This also includes recordings by external devices including videos taken by a mobile device, screen shots or audio tapes.

The host may record Zoom meetings. This is subject to certain requirements.

Generally, it is possible for the host to record Zoom meetings. However, the host must comply with the requirements for recording and saving the recordings.

• Tutorials, exercise courses or seminars must not be recorded.
• All other courses, including lectures, may be recorded, if the participants have been informed about the recording.
• A red dot for “Recording” indicates that the current meeting is being recorded.
• Participants who do not want to be recorded may disable their microphone and camera or leave the meeting.

In addition, the information on recordings, in particular on saving recordings, has to be observed. This information can be found in the “Information for hosting a meeting on Zoom”.

Generally, the participants may decide if they enable video and sound transmission. In seminars, video and sound transmission are indispensable for the students’ performance and evaluation.

In exercise courses, tutorials and lectures as well as other meetings, the participants may decide if they want to enable video and sound transmission.

Seminars, however, are exempt from this provision since the active participation of students is required for their performance and evaluation.

As a host, you are responsible for properly conducting the meeting.

For more information on this, please see the “Information for hosting a meeting on Zoom”.

Zoom must not be used for the following purposes:

1. Zoom must not be used for private purposes.
2. Zoom must not be used if the participant is younger than 16 years of age.
3. With regard to meetings involving personal data, in particular job interviews, professorial appointments or  meetings of university bodies, the President's Office has decided that such meetings should preferably be held in person. If there are appropriate reasons justifying that such a meeting cannot be held in person and the candidate’s approval has been obtained, Zoom may be used.

When you use Zoom, personal data are processed. Please observe the data protection policy.

Comprehensive information about the nature and scope of data processing and further information, including your rights, can be found in the data protection policy for using Zoom.

Please report a security incident or a personal data breach as soon as possible to the IT Support.

It is considered a data breach if information from a meeting is disclosed to external parties. However, other forms of data breaches may be possible. This may happen if unauthorized persons join a meeting, information on a meeting are published on unauthorized channels or if a meeting has been recorded without having obtained the affected persons’ approval.

Please contact the IT Support if you suspect a data breach.