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Electronic Mail at the UW

IT Connect > Email

• On This Page
• Choose Your Email System
• Useful Email Tools
• Guidelines and Rules

Choose Your Email System

The UW offers four central email systems to choose from. Some departments operate additional systems.

Email Options for Everyone

Custom UW versions of Microsoft Windows Live and Google Apps are available to the UW community which include ad-free email, use of your @uw.edu address, calendaring, and many more collaboration tools.

Note: Departments handling personal or other sensitive information may not allow use of these two options for privacy and security reasons. Check with your department.

UW Outlook Live email is available as part of the UW Windows Live service, which also includes Messenger, SkyDrive, Photo Gallery, and more.
More about UW Windows Live | Sign up now | Go to Outlook Live | Support

UW Google Email is available as part of the UW Google Apps service, which also includes Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Sites, and more.
More About Google Apps | Sign up now | Go to Google Email | Support

You can sign up for either or both, but email to your uwnetid@uw.edu address can only be directed to one at a given time.

Additional Email Options for Faculty and Staff

UW Email (also known as UW Deskmail or Web Alpine) is a basic email service developed at the UW.
More about UW Email | Go to Web Alpine

UW Exchange is a for-fee service that offers integrated email, calendaring, contacts, and task management through Microsoft Outlook, Web browsers, and mobile devices. Contact your departmental IT support for more information on using UW Exchange.
More about UW Exchange | Go to Outlook Web App

Useful Email Tools

• You can Change Your UW Email Forwarding anytime.
• Use the Mailman service to manage your email distribution lists, including class lists.
• Get Sophos anti-virus software to protect your Windows and Apple computer.
• The Safe and Secure Computing page explains how to protect yourself from viruses, spyware, phishing, and other malware attacks.
• The UW Electronic Directory Service is an online directory that many email programs can use.
• The Bulk Email at the UW page explains UW policy on sending out large batches of email.

Guidelines and Rules

Privacy

The UW Email system is provided to support UW activities and is subject to state laws and UW policy.

• Do not send sensitive information by email. This includes personnel data, patient records, student information, and financial information. For more information, see the Minimum Data Security Standards.
• Email messages can be kept and forwarded. Never assume email is private, even when using encryption technologies. The message you send to one person can easily spread to many more.

Employee use of UW Email

UW Email is made available to UW faculty and staff solely for the purpose of facilitating effective business operations.

Email as public record

Email messages are public records when they are created or received in the transaction of public business. As such, they must be retained as evidence in accordance with UW records retention practices:

• UW Records Management - Information records management, retention, storage, and destruction
• RCW 40.14 - Washington State law relating to preservation and destruction of public records

Email management and retention

Employees are responsible for handling and maintaining records, including email and electronic records, in accordance to University policy and requirements. UW Records Management has published Email Best Practices information.

Protect yourself

Some simple steps can help protect you from email problems