Yes, you read the headline correctly.
Microsoft 365 email for students is the new student email service being offered by University Systems. Microsoft 365 email for students is an improved email service that has a modern layout and calendaring. A Microsoft 365 email account will come with 100GB of storage and seamless integration with Microsoft OneDrive, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote.
Current UVic students can sign up for a Microsoft 365 email account through onlineservices.uvic.ca.
Microsoft 365 email accounts use Outlook 365, offering a modern email experience and introducing new features.
Screenshot of Microsoft 365 inbox
On sign up, students can choose to bulk migrate emails from their old email account to the new Microsoft 365 inbox, providing a seamless transition.
Screenshot of sign up process
Two new-to-students features offered with Microsoft 365 email are an Outlook calendar and access to Microsoft To-Do.
Students can use their Microsoft 365 calendar to mark free-busy time, keep track of class deadlines, and book group meetings with Microsoft’s scheduling assistant. Course calendar information can be easily imported from Brightspace for quick setup.
Screenshot of Microsoft 365 email account
For a daily planner or task-tracker, students can use Microsoft To-Do. To-Do offers automatic suggestions on what tasks you have due on a day or week. Tasks can be broken down into subtasks with due dates for easy time management. Each to-do list can also be shared to others. Make planning your next group project easier by breaking tasks up and assigning them to members.
The Microsoft 365 email accounts will make use of Outlook’s modern interface, improving readability and usability and containing enhanced emailing features. Some of these are:
- A UVic Student Contacts address book, containing useful UVic student contact emails
- An improved messaging interface, with text formatting options and automatic message suggestions
- Integrated Microsoft Teams calendar functionality for scheduling and attending meetings
More information on these features can be found on the University Systems cool stuff email account page.
By switching to a Microsoft 365 email account, students will also benefit from improved account security:
- Report phishing emails with the “Report Phishing” Button
- Microsoft 365 integrates with UVic’s Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- Email attachments will be scanned for viruses and malware
- Emails from non-UVic accounts will show an external sender header.
More information on these security features and more can be found on the University Systems email account security page.
If you are a UVic staff or faculty member, you may be thinking hey, when do I get one of these email accounts? While this service is not yet available for employees, completion of the student project means we’re one step closer to being able to do this for employees!
If you’re a student, make sure to check onlineservices.uvic.ca or reach out to helpdesk@uvic.ca to check your eligibility for a new Microsoft 365 email account. Sign up and benefit from improved features, a personal calendar, a modern look, and enhanced security.
Questions? Be sure to reach out to check out our support documentation or reach out the UVic Computer Help Desk.
Thanks to Computer Help Desk consultant and real-life-student Avary for this blog post.