Below is a list of frequently asked questions and answers related to the myumanitoba - Student Email communication tool

What is Office 365?

Which Office 365 services will be available to students?

Why is the Uof M moving to Office 365 email?

Who is eligible for Office 365 email? And how do I get it?

Is Office 365 email secure?

Is my email subject to US government laws?

Must I use a U of M email account?

Important web links

Governing U of M and Information Services Technology Policies and Procedures

Getting started

Additional Information

What is Office 365?
Office 365 is a web-based suite of software from Microsoft that offers secure, anytime, anywhere access and includes email, calendar, tasks and contacts.Office 365 student email will become the primary communication tool for students to communicate with the U of M community.

Which Office 365 services will be available to students?
At this point in time the U of M will only be providing access to the Outlook Web App.

Why is the Uof M moving to Office 365 email?
The U of M is transitioning student email to Office 365 to increase accessibility, functionality and provide more storage space. By moving student email to the cloud, U of M students can access their email securely anytime and from virtually any device, including smartphones and tablets, as long as there is an internet connection.

Features:

• Larger mailbox (25GB!)
• Integrated email, calendar, tasks and contacts
• Intuitive web interface
• Personal contact list
• Virtually seamless interface for numerous mobile devices

Who is eligible for Office 365 email? And how do I get it?
All U of M students are eligible for an Office 365 email account. If you are a new student, you will have to activate your UMnetID through signUM before you can log into Office 365.

Is Office 365 email secure?
The U of M has a contract with Microsoft that encompasses current security and privacy standards. Office 365 includes anti-malware protection, anti-spam filtering and Microsoft cloud security.

Is my email subject to US government laws?
Yes. However, the move to Office 365 results in no appreciable difference to what currently exists with our email. US and Canadian laws regarding email are very similar in nature.

Must I use a U of M email account?
As of September 1, 2013 all official U of M communication will be sent to your U of M email account.For more information, refer to the Student Email Policy Information Web Page and the ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION WITH STUDENTS POLICY. 

Important web links
To learn about activating your UMnetID: signUM
To access Office 365 Email: Office 365 Email and Calendar
Help Desk: Information Services & Technology - Services for Students

Governing U of M and Information Services Technology Policies and Procedures
Users of this service are governed by the following policies; failure to comply may result, at a minimum, with suspension of service:

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION WITH STUDENTS
FIPPA AND PHIA POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
The Personal Health Information Act (Manitoba)
Computer Accounts - Usage Agreement
USE OF COMPUTER FACILITIES (Policy)
USE OF COMPUTER FACILITIES (Procedure)

Getting started

Don’t have a U of M email account yet? Step-by-step instructions on how to activate your account are located here.

Additional Information

1. Message size limit: The total size includes the message header, the message body, and any file attachments and can not exceed 25 MB. Note:  An email client may limit the size of an individual file attachment to a value much less than the message size limit. For example, in Outlook Web App, the maximum individual file attachment size is 10 MB. 
2. Deleted Items Folder Retention Period:  The maximum number of days that items can remain in the Deleted Items folder before they are automatically removed is 120 days
3. Junk E-mail folder retention: The maximum number of days that items can remain in the Junk E-mail folder before they are automatically removed is not set