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•  and install.
• Follow instructions on website above to complete installation.
• For more information on how your student organization can use Zoom, visit the  

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• Google Hangouts is a web-based conferencing platform that is accessible on MacOS, Windows, iOS and Android  mobile devices. CU Boulder students, faculty and staff can create virtual meetings that can be joined by anyone in the world with a simple link. Up to 250 people can participate in a Google Hangout.
• There is a screen-sharing feature that would allow a PowerPoint or documents to be displayed and discussed as well as a recording option if content would like to be recorded in advance and distributed to organization members. Recordings get saved directly into your Google Drive.
• For more information on how your student organization can use G Suite, visit the .

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• Log in and start using Teams in a web browser, desktop or mobile app with your CU student organization email address (IdentiKey@colorado.edu) and IdentiKey password. 
• To learn more about Teams, check out this .
• Download the Teams mobile app for  or .
• For more information on how your organization can use Teams, visit the .

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While your student organization has access to all of the above platforms, it can be challenging to know which one to use.

First, consider the needs of your meeting or event. Do you have time to learn about features for each platform? Which platform is most user friendly? Are there features that are absolutely pertenent to the success of your meeting or event (e.g. screen sharing, chat feature, annotation capabilities)?

Tips for running virtual meetings  

• Test out your technology before the start of the meeting. 
• Work with a friend to test out your meeting platform to make sure everything works.  
• Opt for video calling. While not everyone loves the idea of video calls, they increase connection and community. When possible, choose video calling for a more personal approach to staying connected. Note that in cases where reception is bad, you may have to switch off video calling. 
• Start each meeting with an icebreaker where everyone gets to share. If there are a lot of participants, consider using the chat features for people to respond and share. 
• Stick to set times. Set standard weekly times meetings should take place for consistency. We recommend, keeping with the regular times you had prior to going remote. 
• Set clear agendas, outcomes, and action items. We recommend using Google Docs as a way of creating living agendas where people can see updates in real time and items as the meeting goes along. 
• At the end of every meeting, be sure to articulate clear action items and next steps.  
• Create new roles and rotate responsibilities. 
• Think about daily and weekly tasks such as taking meeting minutes and rotate these amongst members to stay engaged. Additionally, consider forming new and creative subcommittees that can work on projects in more intimate chat groups. 
• Get buy-in. Make sure to create space for allowing others to provide thoughts and input. It’s important to ask things like “What do people think of this?” or “Does anyone have anything to add?” Be OK with some silence on the other end as some people may need additional time to think.  
• Meet one-on-one. If you are in a leadership role within your organization, consider scheduling one on one check-ins with other executive board leaders and members. This is a great way to maintain connection and be able to accommodate the different needs of your group. 
• Centralize organization documents. Consider Google Docs, BuffConnect, Slack or another project management for being able to share information with your organization in a timely, adjustable fashion. 

Tips for organizing

• Centralize organization documents. 
• Consider Google docs, BuffConnect, Slack or another project management for being able to share information with your organization in a timely, adjustable fashion. 
• Consider a communication channel and set expectations. 
• Consider using Google Chat, WhatsApp or even Facebook messenger as a centralized channel for the organization to communicate. This can help keep everyone up-to-date and help avoid the confusing text message chain. 

Tips for engaging members

While ensuring you continue to meet the mission and purpose of your organization is important, it’s also important to recognize that much of what your organization does is social, connecting students to one another. Even in a virtual environment, there are lots of ways to help people connect informally and socially.

• Create a “virtual watercooler” 
• Provide social connections outside of typical meetings and events. This could take place via text messaging platform like or .
• Leverage your student organization’s social media accounts to connect with members.

Here are some ideas

• Host a daily check-in or kick-off for members.
• Pose a daily “this or that” question or gif challenge via your student organization’s text message platform.
• This may be focused on organization-related items, or an opportunity to just wish everyone a great day! 
• Host virtual office hours outside of meetings for more personal connections and conversations. 
• Create a regular newsletter. 
• There are a number of resources such as Constant Contact and that allow you to create free electronic newsletters. 
• This can be a great way to keep members up-to-date with the activities of the organization.
• Consider adding trivia questions or fun challenges to make the newsletter more interactive.

When planning your virtual event, it's important to consider what you hope to gain from the event and how those goals can be reached virtually.

• What kind of experience do you hope to deliver?
• What platform will be used to deliver the experience?
• Where do I want the content to be seen?
• When is the best time for the event?
• Will you require event registration?
• Will people still have access to the event once it’s over?

Keeping participants engaged in a virtual setting is challenging, consider incorporating elements to encourage participation.

• Interactive features are common in virtual platforms and can range from Q&A sessions, polls and chats.
• Virtual events provide a great opportunity to apply gamification techniques like , , quizzes and puzzles. 

As student leaders, you uphold the responsibility to create a welcoming and inclusive environment. Similar to in-person events, virtual events should be as inclusive and accessible as possible. When planning the event, consider the following:

• Check language. Make sure clear language, language fonts, and high colour contrast is used at all touch points, including presentations.
• Provide captions and visuals where possible for audio.
• Showcase a diverse range of voices.

Events can often be the foundation of community within an organization. This community can still be fostered and developed virtually. For virtual event ideas, consider what makes your organization special or unique and play into interests of your membership! Here are some examples to help you get started:

• Virtual study session
•  (members must have a Netflix account)
• Virtual meet the pets
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