UT Enterprise Technology will make current students’ Microsoft 365 accounts their official University email address starting Sunday. All University communications will now be redirected to these addresses. 

Cole Camplese, vice president for technology for UT Enterprise Technology, wrote in an email that the University made the change to improve communication between students and the institution. The update also aims to increase access to tools in Microsoft 365 and enhance collaboration. The email addresses are formatted as (eid)@my.utexas.edu in the UT Directory and other identity systems.

The change is already in effect for incoming freshman students, Camplese wrote. 

Graham Chapman, associate vice president of Enterprise Platforms, wrote in a University-wide email that students can continue to use their UT Mail Google accounts, but they will not receive official University communications. Those who have not set up a Microsoft 365 account yet are required to do so by visiting the UT Office 365 portal and then checking their email through Microsoft Outlook, according to the Enterprise Technology website. 

Inside their Outlook accounts, students can enable email forwarding if they wish to receive communications to both their official and personal emails. However, employees cannot do so for accounts used for University business, according to the University Service Desk ITS Customer Support Services website. 

“Currently, university policy prohibits forwarding for employees,” Camplese wrote. “An exception has been requested for student employees.” 

Students’ email forwarding will continue to work for a year after their official email account is deactivated upon graduation, Camplese wrote. 

“When you leave the University, your personal email will become your primary email address,” Chapman wrote. “To make sure you don’t miss important communications, be sure to update your personal email on the Address Change page in UT Direct.”