Alumni Email Forwarding - Frequently Asked Questions

Updated Sept 9, 2011

Question categories:

What is email forwarding and how does it work?

How do I register for alumni email forwarding?

Benefits of email forwarding

How to properly configure your alumni email forwarding address

Information about expiring @sfu.ca student email accounts

What Is Email Forwarding And How Does It Work?

What is the Alumni Email Forwarding Service?
This service provides SFU graduates with a forwarding email address of "@alumni.sfu.ca"; this address is professional, long term, and easy to remember. Email sent to this address is forwarded to an email account of your choice. By activating Alumni Email Forwarding, friends and colleagues will be able to stay in touch through your "@alumni.sfu.ca" email address no matter how many times you change email providers or employers.

Is this an Internet service or free email account?
This is a free message relay service and is intended for those who already have an email account with an external email service provider (e.g. Gmail). It is not an email storage account.

Does the Alumni Email Forwarding Service store my messages?
No, this service does not store messages. It forwards email messages to your preferred email account and serves as an email alias.

How do I check my Alumni Email?
You can access your mail by logging into the address that you indicated email should be sent to. For example, if the receiving email address for your account is set to a xxxx@gmail.com address, please login to gmail with your gmail account login credentials.

How Do I Register For Alumni Email Forwarding?

Who can register for a @alumni.sfu.ca address?
All SFU graduates with a degree, certificate or diploma can register for the Alumni Email Forwarding Service.

How do I register for the Alumni Email Forwarding Service?
If you already have an active email account provided to you through Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail, MSN, etc., begin receiving the benefit of your Alumni Email address:

• Create a new user account here
• Enter your personal information and follow the remaining steps
• Verify that you have received a confirmation notice to your forwarding address from SFU
• Click on the link within the confirmation notice you received to activate Alumni Email Forwarding. Note that your "@alumni.sfu.ca" address will not be activated until you perform this final step.

If you have a Telus or Shaw email address, or a work email address, you may wish to use that as your forwarding address. If you do not already have an active email address, see the suggestions below for free email service providers.

All email messages sent to your "@alumni.sfu.ca" address will automatically be directed to the email address you provided during the activation process.

Benefits Of Email Forwarding

Is Email Forwarding Reliable?
Many former webmail users were using their accounts for forwarding-only purposes in the past without reporting issues or problems regarding instability, delays, or lost messages. Our research during this process has shown email forwarding to be very reliable, and many other leading North American post-secondary institutions have implemented it with great success.

Why should I have an “@alumni.sfu.ca” email address?
First and foremost, your @alumni.sfu.ca email forward address serves as your login credentials to order online transcripts from SFU, and to also access to free wireless internet service at all institutions participating in the Eduroam network, including SFU.

Furthermore, moving, changing jobs, or changing email providers often means losing touch with friends or family. The @alumni.sfu.ca address is part of a free email forwarding service from SFU Alumni Association that helps you stay connected.

The Alumni Email Forwarding Service enables you to provide friends and family with an email address that won’t change – yourcomputingID@alumni.sfu.ca – and we simply forward email messages from that address to your current email account. You will never have to notify your family, friends and business contacts when you change your email address – just make sure that we have your current address. This service also provides you with a professional email address and shows your pride in being an SFU graduate.

How To Properly Configure Your Alumni Email Forwarding Address

How do I change my password?
To change your password visit: http://www.sfu.ca/alumni/emailforwarding/update

What if I forget my password?
Contact help@alumni.sfu.ca to have your password reset. Please include your full name, student number, date of birth and graduation credential(s) in your message.

How do I set up my Alumni Email Forwarding address to show up as my sender address?

For Gmail: To configure Gmail - a free online email provider - to send emails with your SFU alumni email address, please review this PDF guide: http://www.sfu.ca/alumni/emailforwarding/Setting-From-Field-to-Alumni-Address

Some web-based email clients (such as Hotmail and AOL Mail) may send email "on behalf of [yourcomputingID]@alumni.sfu.ca".

For Desktop Software: Most desktop email software clients (such as Mozilla Thunderbird, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Outlook Express, Mac Mail, etc.) allow you to change the default "From" address line. However, each email client does this differently. Here is a general PDF 'how-to' guide to configure Thunderbird, a free desktop email client:
http://www.sfu.ca/alumni/emailforwarding/Setting-From-Field-in-Desktop-Client

How long does it take for my email forwarding to begin working?
Once the forwarding has been set up, it should work within 5 minutes. It is your responsibility to make sure <your_account>@alumni.sfu.ca is forwarded to a working destination address. Automated procedures will detect non-working destination addresses and remove the forwarding. If you notice that <your_account>@alumni.sfu.ca seems to be no longer forwarding, please visit www.sfu.ca/alumni/emailforwarding/update and verify or update your forwarding address.

I’ve set my alumni forwarding address to send mail to a preferred email account. Why doesn’t it work?
There may be an error in your settings. Please check that you entered the correct forwarding address and that you’ve completed the registration.

I've changed my internet service provider (ISP) and now have a new email address that I need to update so my SFU alumni email forwarding will continue to work. What do I do?
To change the forwarding information, please visit www.sfu.ca/alumni/emailforwarding/update to edit your profile with the new email address to which all email should be forwarded.

How do I configure an email application such as Outlook or Eudora?
Refer to the help documents for the application that you are using.

Why have I received unwanted email through my forwarding address?
You may receive unwanted email (SPAM) through your alumni forwarding address just as you do through other email addresses. Unfortunately, unwanted email is beyond the control of the University.

I signed up on a listserv with my email forwarding address. How do I unsubscribe?
To unsubscribe, contact the list administrator. The contact email for the administrator is usually in your subscription confirmation email from the list. Explain the situation and you should be able to resolve the issue.

Information About Expiring @sfu.ca Email Accounts

I recently graduated. When does my student account (@sfu.ca) expire?
Student accounts remain active for one year from the end of the last semester in which you were registered for classes. You will receive a notification email from SFU's IT Services department four weeks prior to your account expiring, and a second notice two weeks prior to the expiry date.

I received an email notifying me my student email account is expiring. What can I do?
You can register for the Alumni Email Forwarding Service in order to have an SFU email address. You may wish to migrate your existing SFU Connect email data to an external email account. If so, please visit http://www.sfu.ca/alumni/emailforwarding/migrating-sfu-connect-mail-to-gmail for instructions.

Will my student account automatically become an alumni account?
No, this process does not occur automatically. After your student email account (@sfu.ca) expires, you will no longer be able to sign into your student account or access your mail.