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Conferencing Tools
To help you stay in touch with your classmates and instructors, Laurier has dedicated programs and software that you can use.
Two of the most common communications software used at Laurier are Microsoft Teams and Zoom.
Here for You 24/7
All active undergraduate and graduate students have access to Microsoft Teams and Zoom. This subscription is not available to continuing education students or alumni.
There are no service charges or cost for you to use these conferencing tools.
Custom Backgrounds
Looking to add a Laurier touch to your video conferences? We've put together a guide to help you add images to Zoom and Teams.
- Log in to the Zoom desktop client.
- Select your profile picture, then select Settings.
- Select Virtual Background. Note: If you do not have the Virtual Background tab and you have enabled it on the web portal, sign out of the Zoom Desktop Client and sign in again.
- Check "I have a green screen" if you have a physical green screen set up. You can then click on your video to select the correct colour for the green screen.
- Select the desired virtual background or add your own image by selecting + and choose Add Image or Add Video.
- If prompted, select Download to download the package for virtual background without a green screen.
- Ensure that you are using a solid background color.
- After you select an option, that virtual background will display during your meetings.
- To disable Virtual Background, choose the option None.
- To easily access the ‘Uploads’ folder in Teams for adding your own images, start by right-clicking on the Start button and select ‘Run’ from the available options to open the ‘Run’ command window.
- Copy and paste the following folder address in the ‘Run’ window: %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Teams\Backgrounds\Uploads
This action will open the Backgrounds folder inside the Microsoft Teams AppData folder on your PC. - Place any image you want to set as a background image in your Microsoft Teams meetings to this folder. You can add as many custom images as you wish.
- After you have manually added custom background images, they will be available when you start a video chat or meeting and select the Background Effects button. You should see all your custom background images available to select in the Background Settings screen.
- Your custom background image will be added to the bottom of the list of images on the Background settings screen.
Choose your favourite Laurier backdrop to spice up your virtual experience. We have a selection of scenes from the Waterloo and Brantford campuses, available for both mobile and desktop.
Athletic Complex
Available for desktop.
Fred Nichols Campus Centre
Available for mobile.
Laurier Sign
Available for desktop.
Carnegie Building
Available for desktop.
Lazaridis Hall
Available for mobile and desktop.
Research and Academic Centre
Available for mobile and desktop.
University Stadium
Available for mobile.
Welcome Centre
Available for mobile and desktop.
Zoom for Healthcare
Zoom for Healthcare is a separate Zoom account that protects your privacy as you attend your medical or wellness appointments.
Zoom for Healthcare should only be used for situations where sensitive information is discussed or shared, and Microsoft Teams is not a suitable option.