FAQs - Faculty/Staff Email

I got an email from CMU asking for my user name and password. Is this a legitimate request? Should I respond to the email?

Absolutely not. CMU will never ask for your password via email, under any circumstances. If you receive an email requesting your Global ID and/or password, you should delete it immediately.

Can I access my Outlook Calendar and email through the Web?

Yes. To access email or calendar via the Web, visit the site: https://mail.cmich.edu/. You can sign into this site using your Global ID and password.

What is my quota on the Exchange server?

Faculty/staff members will receive 200 megabytes of storage. To check what current consumption levels are, right-click on Mailbox - [Your Name], and select Properties for "Mailbox - [Your Name]." Click on Folder Size. Examine the number labeled "Total Size (including sub-folders). For a rough estimate of usage, slide the decimal 3 places to the left. The value will indicate the number of megabytes used (there are 1024 kilobytes in a megabyte).

What are the differences between Outlook and Outlook Express?

There are vast differences between Outlook and Outlook Express in terms of functionality. Outlook express will not connect to the Exchange server correctly and lacks many of the functions that Outlook possesses. Outlook Express is Microsoft's free "bundle" application that comes on most windows machines. Outlook Express does not support the new campus calendaring system.

How do I configure Outlook to access my email and Calendar off campus?

Off-campus access through Outlook using the Exchange Service is not supported. To access your email off-campus, you either need to use IMAP (with restrictions), the Web interface, or a VPN connection. Instructions on how to set up a VPN connection can be found here.

For most people, the simplest solution is to use the web interface via Outlook Web Access, located at https://mail.cmich.edu. Regardless of the method you use to connect, the username and password remain the same.

Is it okay to install multiple versions of Outlook on the same computer (e.g. Outlook 2007 and 2003)?

While it is possible to install multiple versions of Office on the same computer, multiple versions of Outlook should not be installed on the same computer. Microsoft recommends that you do not install multiple Office packages on the same machine.

How do I control who does and does not receive email notifications when I create a meeting?

Email notifications are sent to all members of the meeting (chosen from the "invite attendees" option), or no email notifications are sent at all. All members automatically receive email notification, by default. If you wish to avoid sending email invitation, click Cancel Invitation before clicking Save and Close. This will still create the meeting in all attendees' Calendars, but it will not send a notification.

What do the different access rights mean?

  • Create Items: Allows others to create Calendar Appointments, etc.
  • Read Items: Allows others to read Calendar Entries, etc.
  • Create Subfolders: Allows others to create sub-folders with your Calendar Account.
  • Folder Visible: Makes your Calendar Folders visible to others.
  • Folder Owner: Allows others total control of your Calendar Folder.

How do I get my password for Outlook email and Calendar?

Your password for Outlook email and Calendar is your Global ID password, which is used for most systems at CMU. If you do not know your Global ID password, call the Help Desk at (989) 774-3662.

How do I set up a vacation message in Outlook?

  1. Click on the Tools menu, and then Out of Office Assistant.
  2. Choose the option, I am currently Out of the Office.
  3. Enter the vacation message in the AutoReply only once to each sender with the following text field.

How do I forward mail on the Exchange server?

Log into https://myaccount.cmich.edu and select mail forwarding from the menu. Enter the external email address where you want your mail forwarded.  Similarly, you could use Rules and Alerts to specify which emails to forward, and where they would go. Information on setting up rules and alerts (filters) can be found on this page.  If you have any questions, contact the Help Desk at 774-3662.

How do I send an attachment in Outlook?

  1. While composing a message, click the paperclip icon  in toolbar, labeled Attach File. If the icon does not appear, click the Insert tab and then Attach File.
  2. Select the file or files to attach, and then click Insert.
  3. Send the message as normal.

How do I open an attachment sent to me in Outlook?

Simply double-click on the item in the list of attachments, usually directly above the message body.

How do I organize my email by sender, subject, or other criterion?

To organize or sort mail by sender, subject, date, etc., click the column heading that corresponds with the field to sort by. To sort by a field in the opposite direction (e.g. reverse alphabetical, etc), click the column heading a second time.

What happens when my mailbox is full? Will my messages be queued for delivery?

Messages rejected due to a mailbox being over quota will not be queued for later delivery. It is necessary to clean out the mailbox and request that all bounced emails be resent.

What email clients does CMU support?

CMU recommends either Outlook or Entourage for email through Microsoft Exchange, since both clients support email and calendaring functions. Other clients might include Outlook Express, Mac Mail, Thunderbird, or Eudora, although these may not function as efficiently as the recommended clients. CMU has no officially-supported email clients.