You may have heard reports recently about security and privacy issues on the Zoom platform that include encryption, Mac security, and intruder access to Zoom meetings – also called “Zoombombing.”

I want to assure you that we take these issues very seriously and are closely monitoring Zoom’s efforts to address security concerns within their platform. On April 1, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan published “A Message to our Users” on Zoom’s official blog, acknowledging outstanding issues and making a commitment to strengthen the platform’s security and privacy through an aggressive remediation plan. Zoom has assured transparent communication through this process and has already followed up to address questions about Encryption and Zoombombing.

Last week, Zoom rolled out a host of product updates, including the following security measures:

Mac Zoom Client installer updates. The Zoom Client was updated to remove scripts that installed the client without requiring root permission.

Security Toolbar Icon for Hosts. The meeting host will now have a Security option in their meeting controls, which exposes all of Zoom’s existing in-meeting security controls one place. This includes locking the meeting, enabling Waiting Room, and more. Users can also now enable Waiting Room in a meeting, even if the feature was not turned on before the start.

Invite Button on Meeting Client Toolbar. The button to invite others to join your Zoom meeting is now available at the bottom of the Participants panel.

Meeting ID No Longer Displayed. The meeting ID will no longer be displayed in the title bar of the Zoom meeting window. The meeting ID can be found by clicking on Participants, then Invite or by clicking on the info icon at the top left of the client window.

File Transfers. The option to do third-party file transfers in Meeting and Chat was temporarily disabled. Local file transfer is available with our latest release. Third-party file transfers and clickable URLs in meeting chat will be added back in an upcoming release.

New Join Flow for the Web client. By default, users will now need to sign-in to their Zoom account or create a Zoom account when joining a meeting with the Web client. This can be disabled by the Admin or the User from their settings page.

Join Before Host Emails Disabled. Notifications sent to the host via email when participants are waiting for the host to join the meeting have been disabled.

Setting to Allow Participants to Rename Themselves. Account admins and hosts can now disable the ability for participants to rename themselves in any meeting. This setting is available at the account, group, and user level in the Web portal. 

Configure meeting and webinar password requirements

• Account owners and admins can now configure minimum meeting password requirements, including a minimum length, requiring letters, numbers, special characters, or only allowing numeric passwords. Past meetings scheduled with passwords will not be impacted. 

Meeting IDs up to 11 digits in length

• One-time random meetings IDs for newly scheduled meetings and webinars can now be up to 11 digits long. Your Personal Meeting ID (PMI) will remain the same and already scheduled meetings will not be impacted. 

Password for Cloud Recordings 

• We updated password guidelines for hosts when sharing their cloud recordings for meetings and webinars.  Default will now be ON, and require a complex password to access a shared recording. Existing shared recordings will not be impacted. 

Re-enable Third-party File Sharing

• We have restored the functionality to share files from third-party platforms, such as Dropbox or OneDrive if configured for their Zoom account, for users on version 4.6.11.

Performance Tuning for Dashboard Data

• Fixed performance issues related to missing data and delay on dashboard and reporting. We will continue to make improvements to this area. 

App Version

• App version is accurately reflected in all areas. 

Message Preview Control (Only Applicable to Zoom Chat Users)

• Users can enable or disable a setting to show a message preview for chat messages.

For more information and resources in the days to come please be sure to update to Zoom’s latest release to take advantage of these new features, and subscribe to their Blog!

In addition to the product updates, the California Community Colleges have been working closely with Zoom to enable additional security features. As a result, the following features are now the default for all staff, faculty, and students in our Zoom account:

1. You must now give permission to others before they can share their desktop screen.
2. The “Waiting Room” feature is now enabled by default, allowing you to control who enters your meeting. You can also prevent further access to your meeting using the “Lock Meeting” option.
3. “Join before host” option is disabled, preventing others from joining your meeting without you being there.

Our ITS Zoom Security webpage contains further information about the controls available to you to secure your meeting from intruders. We will continue to update this page as new security features are enabled & released.

Thanks,
SMCCD ITS Team

If you hear of a student or colleague who believes they were exposed or diagnosed with COVID-19, here is how to handle it:

The person should self-monitor their symptoms at home. If they develop symptoms of COVID-19, such as cough, fever, and shortness of breath, they should call their healthcare provider immediately for health advice. If they do not have a healthcare provider, they can contact San Mateo County Medical Center by calling 650-573-2222. 

The maximum incubation period for COVID-19 is considered to be 14 days by the Centers for Disease Control. Incubation period is the period between exposure to an infection and the appearance of the first symptoms. And the average incubation period for COVID-19 is 5 days. Therefore, if anyone came into close contact with an individual with COVID-19 14 days or more ago, then they would have more than likely already developed symptoms if they caught the virus.

If San Mateo County Public Health determines anyone in our District was involved in a COVID-19 exposure, they will notify the District Health Branch Director, who will reach out to each individual privately to notify them about the exposure and provide health guidance. 

Anyone with a medical or psychiatric emergency should call 9-1-1.

Limited funding is available for SMCCCD students who are unable to meet immediate, essential expenses because of hardship related to the COVID-19 emergency situation. Students can request temporary financial assistance to help pay for these essential expenses. This Scholarship ranges from $500 to up to $2000. 

Am I Eligible?
To be eligible students must:
• Be currently enrolled in at least 9 units
• Must have a GPA of 2.0 or higher
• Have submitted a 2019-2020 FAFSA or CA Dream Act Application 
• Student’s Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) must be from 0 to 5555 in order to qualify
• Student’s hardship must be related to COVID-19 (student will be required to provide/submit sufficient information)

How Can I Apply?
Students can fill out the online application for a emergency scholarship.

Commencements Are Postponed

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After consultation with the Board of Trustees and College Presidents, and in light of the continuing guidance coming from local, state, and federal health officials, SMCCCD Interim Chancellor Mike Claire announced the following decisions regarding District operations for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester:

Spring 2020 Semester

• Classes for all three Colleges will continue through the spring semester in an online or distance learning modality.
• Face-to-face instruction is suspended for the remainder of the semester.
• We are monitoring policies from the State Chancellor’s Office regarding disciplines that have labs which require in-person or face to face contact. We work with the Academic Senate and faculty in those disciplines as State policies are finalized.

Commencement and Other Related Events
With regret, we must postpone commencement ceremonies as well as all other related end-of-year celebrations. We must do our part to slow the spread of the coronavirus and it is simply not realistic to expect that mass gatherings will be possible in two months. We are committed to celebrating the incredible accomplishments of our graduates and will reschedule these events as soon as possible.

Campus Access is Prohibited for the Duration of Local and State Shelter-in-Place Orders
Access to our campuses and District Office remains prohibited as long as state and local shelter-in-place orders are in effect.

Summer 2020
We will make a decision in April regarding instructional modalities for the Summer 2020 term.

Spring Break Hours
Next week is our scheduled Spring Break. Should students need to contact College or District staff, they have modified work hours of 8:00 am – 2:00pm. 

Tuesday, March 31 is the César Chávez holiday, so “offices” are closed.

District Information
COVID-19 Website
Phone Hotline: 650-574-6650

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Here is your student update for March 25.

Call the District Hotline with Your Questions
The District has opened a telephone hotline for employees, students, and community members. We’ve assembled answers to the most common questions about operating during the COVID-19 crisis. The hotline will be open Monday-Friday, 8am – 5pm.

The hotline is: 650-574-6650

Zoom Meeting: What To Do About the Coronavirus
Skyline College’s Dr. Walter Cheng will be giving a talk this Friday, March 27 at 11am on the latest updates, news, and medical concerns about the Coronavirus. This is a follow-up to Dr. Cheng’s first talk, which is viewable at Skyline College Health & Wellness’ Overview page. This viewing is open to students and faculty/staff alike, so please spread the word and join! 

Topic: What to do about the Coronavirus Part 2
Time: Mar 27, 2020 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/502147101
Meeting ID: 502 147 101

Visit the Virtual Campus
This hub has all the info you need to access your courses, set up Canvas and Zoom, contact your instructor, access Libraries, Counseling, and many other services.

Virtual.smccd.edu
Canvas Online Help

Do You Need Shelter, Food Assistance, or Basic Services?
Dial 2-1-1 for non-emergency resources during COVID-19.

Get the Latest District Information
District COVID-19 Page
Telephone Hotline: 650-574-6650

The following message went today from Vice Chancellor Aaron McVean to faculty and staff:

Dear Faculty Colleagues,  

We have received some questions regarding the March 27^th Flex Day that was identified in the academic calendar and wanted to provide some additional clarification. As was previously communicated, March 27^th is to be used as a real flex-ible day for whatever it is you need to do to continue to maintain instructional continuity for students. With that in mind, I want to provide the following information:   

For adjunct faculty who are schedule for instructional and non-instructional work on Friday, you can perform the work that was scheduled, including teaching, or you can engage in professional development, or a combination of both, and submit hours to be compensated. As usual this is available for adjuncts who were already scheduled to work on Friday, and for the number of hours and rate they were scheduled (e.g., if someone was scheduled for four hours, they could engage in four hours of professional development and be compensated). Folks will need to submit a timesheet specifying the time and type of activity, as well as a flex report if engaging in professional development as a flex activity. If adjunct faculty dedicate the time for personal matters, that option has been made available, but would not qualify for compensation.   

If any faculty choose to engage in professional development as a flex activity this Friday, these activities do not need to be preapproved for March 27^th. They can still be included in your flex activity report at the end of the semester.  

I hope this clarifies questions that folks had. If more arise, please communicate with your respective Dean, VP, or supervisor, and we will get answers to you in as timely a manner as possible. I appreciate the willingness and flexibility of everyone in doing what is needed during this unprecedented time. Thank you all, again, for the work you are doing to ensure teaching and learning continues. Be safe, be well, and support one another.

Respectfully,

Aaron McVean, Ph.D.
Vice Chancellor
Educational Services and Planning

Many employees have never worked from home. Even if you have, you probably haven’t done so for extended periods of time while balancing work requirements with family duties. But a few small changes to your home work environment can help create a more comfortable, safe, and productive telecommuting experience. Here are some best practices:

1. Ergonomically friendly work area: Use a sturdy chair that can be adjusted. Refrain from sitting on very soft couches and chairs as they do not support the body evenly during extended sitting.
2. Adjust seating height, so your forearms are parallel to the floor when typing.
3. Place a small pillow behind your lower back while sitting to maintain the natural curve of your spine.
4. Use an external mouse and place objects — such as your phone, mouse, and printed materials — close to your body to minimize reaching.
5. Place your feet entirely on the floor.
6. Alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day (about every hour) to reduce excessive stress on the lower back and legs while sitting.
7. Take short micro-breaks (approximately two minutes in length) every hour to stretch and move your body.
8. Be careful not to overload electrical outlets to avoid fire risk.
9. Be aware of your extension/power cords to minimize tripping hazards.
10. Keep your laptop and equipment in a secure place after hours that can be protected from damage or theft.
11. If possible, find a dedicated workspace where you can focus on your work with minimal distractions.
12. Inspect your home work area: A home workspace should be free from any hazards, including fire and ventilation issues, slipping and falling dangers, and other daily risk factors.

Also see these 5-minute stretches from San Mateo Athletic Club.

San Mateo County has set up a non-emergency hotline for anyone needing assistance with food, housing, mental health or other basic needs. Call 2-1-1 for information on these and many other resources available in the County.

If you have a medical emergency, call 9-1-1.

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Do You Need Technology for Your Online Classes?
We are trying to find out what students need to keep up with your coursework from home. If you need technology like a Chromebook or calculator, please tell us by filling out this form. We will help as many students as we can. Go to the survey.

Thank you!

Student Mental Health Webinar Tomorrow
Active Minds will host a webinar tomorrow, March 24, 4pm Pacific Time, for students concerned about getting by during the pandemic. Entitled “Sleep, Self-Care, and Sharing a Productive, Healthy Indoor Environment: Everything Students Need to Know about Mental Health during COVID-19,” this webinar features an interactive discussion with up to 500 student participants. Information/registration is online.

Links/Resources

• Read the latest public statement from San Mateo County Health Officer Scott Morrow
• Do you know of someone who needs shelter, food assistance, or basic services? Call 2-1-1 or visit the San Mateo County COVID-19 page.
• District COVID-19 Hub

Be well.