The University of Oregon is extending the benefits of UOmail to all students over the next two years.
Students who use Webmail can switch to the UOmail system by opting in. Instructions are available in the UO Service Portal.
"This is such a huge step up for our students who are still on Webmail," said Jessie Minton, vice provost for information services and chief information officer. "UOmail is mobile-friendly, it has a built-in calendar and it integrates seamlessly with the Microsoft Office apps."
Starting in winter term, students remaining on Webmail will be assigned dates to transition to UOmail. Information Services plans to transition thousands of students per month until the process is complete, in mid-2023 or sooner. All affected students will receive direct email notifications prior to their scheduled transitions.
"We encourage you to opt in to UOmail," Minton said. "It lets you choose the time, and you'll get a better email system sooner."
Webmail is still used by thousands of students who claimed their Duck IDs before July 17, 2019.
For those who opt in to UOmail, the switch will occur overnight. New email messages will then arrive in their UOmail inbox, which they can access through a browser at uomail.uoregon.edu, through the Microsoft Outlook app for their computer or mobile device, or through other mail applications on their devices. More information about getting started with UOmail is available in the UO Service Portal.
Students' old email messages won't be automatically moved to UOmail. To keep those messages, which is optional, students must move them within 180 days of their switch, before losing access to Webmail. Emails can be moved out of Webmail in several ways.
As announced by Minton in October 2018, moving all students, staff and faculty members to UOmail will create a consistent user experience throughout the university, provide feature enhancements, facilitate collaboration and improve information security and operating efficiency.
More than 20,000 people are already using UOmail, including thousands of students and employees who have arrived at the UO since July 2019. About 12,000 existing staff, faculty members and departmental role accounts transitioned from the older Exchange system to UOmail during the 2019-20 academic year.
Students are the largest group remaining on the Webmail system.
Information Services has begun gradually transitioning about 1,200 departmental role accounts from Webmail to UOmail. The last group planned to transition from Webmail to UOmail will include most retirees.
The Information Services website provides more information about the student transition to UOmail and the overall email consolidation project.
Students with questions about UOmail are encouraged to contact the Technology Service Desk by live chat, by phone at 541-346-4357, through the email and calendar help page in the UO Service Portal or in person in Room 042, Erb Memorial Union.
—By Nancy Novitski, University Communications