E-mail, Messaging, and Collaboration Tools
Several Internet-based communication tools are available to the University community.
In addition, we offer video and telephone services, plus a wealth of educational technology resources.
On this page:
How do I get an e-mail account?
An e-mail account is created automatically for students, when they first register for a University course; and for faculty and staff, when they enter University payroll. E-mail is also available (fees may apply) to departments and projects, sponsored employees, student groups, and alumni.Using e-mail
Set up your personal or office computer for e-mail by following our e-mail configuration guides. This is the most full-featured way to send and receive e-mail. With the proper configuration, you can even compose and review messages offline. When you are away from your own computer or are using a shared computer, WebMail is often the most convenient option. With only a Web browser and an Internet connection (which you presumably have if you are reading this online), you can log in to your e-mail. WebMail is the preferred way to check e-mail when using an Internet kiosk or one of our student computer facilities on campus. To help keep the e-mail system running smoothly, please follow our E-mail Best Practices guidelines. Use of e-mail is subject to the University's information technology policies.Junk mail ("spam") control
Although a few unsolicited ads and scam messages occasionally may get through to your inbox, keep in mind that, every week, the University's central junk mail filters keep millions such messages from being delivered in the first place! To further restrict the e-mail that is allowed to reach your inbox, you may fine-tune your incoming e-mail controls. If you believe your friends' or colleagues' messages are being blocked inadvertently, you can examine your list of blocked senders and make an exception.Forwarding, vacation auto-reply
When you are unable to check e-mail for an extended period of time, for instance, during vacation or sabbatical, you may choose to activate e-mail auto-reply. While activated, this mechanism automatically replies to individuals who e-mail you while you are away, notifying them that you will respond when you return. Due to the importance of University e-mail as an official means of communication — for notices of course registration and billing, notifications for employee benefits, student/instructor correspondence, campus alerts, and more — we typically recommend that you do not casually forward your e-mail. However, a forwarding option is available if you need it.Leaving the University?
If you are a graduating student or terminating faculty or staff, your e-mail account may be deactivated following your departure, depending on your role with the University, and other factors.Group or bulk mailing
LISTSERV provides public or private mailing lists. You may allow all or select members to send to the list, and you may opt to retain message archives within LISTSERV. Group discussions at myU allow participants to subscribe by e-mail to new discussion posts. Deans, directors, and department heads may use the VIP mail request form to send bulk announcements to the University community or a subset thereof.UMChat: Instant Messaging (IM)
Exchange text messages for real-time conversations with colleagues in the University community. Individual and group chats are possible. UMChat is based on Jabber, an open protocol supported by many popular IM clients — one of which you may be using already.Gopher Messaging: Voice, Fax, and Text
Gopher Messaging is a unified messaging system that enhances the ordinary voice mail service available on many University telephones. Gopher Messaging allows you to manage your voice mail from your computer: send and receive voice messages, view incoming faxes, manage your greetings, send text messages to another mailbox, set e-mail and pager notification options, and more.UMCal: Calendar for Meetings, Reminders, and Appointments
UMCal is the central calendar system available to faculty, staff, and students. It has replaced MeetingMaker in several campus departments. Before you can use UMCal, either you or your department must sign up. Download and install UMCal for your computer. Use the UMCal Web client when away from your computer. It contains the basic functionality of UMCal, with fewer overall features than the version you install.UMWiki: Collaborative Web Content Creation
Create interlinking Web pages, similar in nature to the popular Wikipedia. Depending on the desired level of participation, you can designate which groups of individuals are allowed to contribute content, and whether your wiki web is open to public view. UMWiki makes it easy to embed images, documents, and Web links. Built-in revision tracking shows you when changes were made, and by whom.myU: University Web Portal for News and Interactive Tools
myU is a Web portal offering several interactive tools that you can customize to your needs. Conduct polls, hold online discussions, create fill-out submission forms, manage group tasks, track document revisions, and more. Embedding images and links is simple. myU gives you fine-grained control when deciding which individuals and groups may use the tools and items you create.UMConnect: Web Conferencing and Presentations
UMConnect (formerly Breeze) provides video, audio, and text chat; virtual whiteboard for cooperative drawing; screen sharing for live demonstrations; and delegation to pass control among participants. In a few simple steps, UMConnect can turn your Microsoft PowerPoint presentations into interactive, online slide shows with optional voice narration and slide notes.
We also provide interactive television (ITV), video streaming, and satellite link services.