About Office 365

All Connecticut Community College students will receive an official email address (username@mail.ct.edu) to which all college-based communications will be sent. The feature-rich email system includes:

• 25GB message storage capacity for each user
• Access to calendar entries and contacts, as well as e-mail from mobile devices
• Full-service web interface for accessing e-mail as well as compatibility with the industry-standard desktop e-mail program Microsoft Outlook
• The ability to search e-mail for details and save favorite searches for reuse. Share calendars with other Office 365 users and view multiple calendars side by side.
• Built-in anti-spam message filtering

SharePoint Online

SharePoint Online gives you a central place to share documents and information with classmates and friends. You can also create websites and take advantage of customization options. It also allows you to invite external users to work on documents and projects.

Lync Online

Lync Online is a next-generation web conferencing service that connects people from anywhere by using presence, instant messaging, and rich online meeting with audio and video. With Lync Online, you can:

• Get real-time presence information including photos, availability status, location, and enhanced instant messaging (IM).
• Make voice calls through your computer to other Lync users.
• Create, moderate, and join pre-planned and on-the-fly audio, video, and web meetings with people inside and outside your organization.
• Enhance online presentation with screen-sharing and virtual whiteboards.
• Let friends participate in your Lync conference calls even if they are not Office 365 users.

Office Web Apps

Office Web Apps allow you to use web browser to create, view, and edit Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote files online. Office Web Apps are browser friendly. It supports Explorer, Chrome, Safari, and Firefox.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Office 365 become available?

Office 365 became available to CCC students on October 1, 2012.

Who is eligible for an Office 365 account?

Current students, those within the re-admit period, and new students are automatically assigned an Office 365 account. This includes credit and non-credit students.*

What Office 365 functionality is available

Exchange Online has been available since October 1, 2012. Lync Online, SharePoint Online and Office Web Apps will be rolled out at later date.

What is my student Office 365 email address?

Student email address format is: prefix@mail.ct.edu The "prefix" is the first letter of your first name, followed by first 4 letters of your last name, followed by a 4-digit number (e.g., jsmit1234@mail.ct.edu for John Smith). If your last name contains fewer than four characters; the "prefix" will include all letters of your last name (e.g., jdoe1234@mail.ct.edu for John Doe).

How do I access my student email account?

You access Office 365 at http://portal.microsoftonline.com.

What is my Office 365 Student Email Login User ID and Password?

You log into Office 365 with your CCC NetID username and password.

Will I be able to log into Office 365 if I change my CCC NETID password?

Yes, just make sure you use your new CCC NETID password.

Security & Privacy: What precautions should I take when using Office 365 on a public computer?

You can access your mailbox from any computer that has a Web browser and an Internet connection. Internet cafés, libraries, and public access terminals such as Internet kiosks offer Internet access to patrons at little or no charge. However, because the computers that provide this service are available to the public, you should take precautions to help protect your data and help ensure your privacy.

We recommend that you use Outlook Web App (email) only in locations you trust.

Take the following precautions when you sign in to a computer in a public place:

• Make sure no one watches you type your user name and password when you sign in.
• Never select an option that lets you save your password for later use. Even if you plan to use the same computer for several days, always type your password.
• Follow the steps for signing in to Office 365

Follow these guidelines when you open messages and attachments:

• Before you open a message, make sure it's from someone you trust and from whom you're expecting an e-mail message.
• Open attachments only from people you trust.
• The best method for opening an attachment when you're using a public or shared computer is to click the Open as Web Page link that's next to the attachment name. This protects you from potential virus attacks and prevents a copy of the attachment from being created on the computer.
• If you want to open an attachment directly instead of as a Web page, save it to a folder or a location you can easily find, such as the Desktop, and then open it from that location. Most browsers give you an option to open the file or save it to a disk when you click the attachment's link. After you finish using the computer, delete the attachment and empty the Recycle Bin or trash.

Make sure you do the following when you've finished using your mailbox:

• Follow the steps for signing out of Office 365
• Close the browser.

What are the steps to log in to Office 365?

Login Instructions (pdf)

What are the steps for signing out of Office 365?

Signing Out Instructions (pdf)

How will I find out my Office 365 Student Email address?

You will be able to look up your Office 365 email address in:

• NetID Lookup Utility
• myCommNet portal

How can I get more information about Office 365?

For more information about Office 365, contact your college IT Department.

Will my college continue to send messages to my current email address?

As of January 1, 2013, all email communication from the college is sent to your Office 365 Student Email address. This includes communication from Banner and Blackboard Learn.*

One notable exception is NetID Security Email, a personal address outside commnet.edu and ct.edu that you specify as the location at which you want to receive helpful information if you ever forget your NetID password.