Student FAQs - Email

How can I create a Columbia email account?

After you have enrolled, you can create an email account by going to the myUNI site at http://uni.columbia.edu. If you have not been given your UNI, which will be the beginning of your email address (before "@columbia.edu"), you can use the "Forgot UNI/Lookup by Name" field to search for your UNI. When you know your UNI you can select the "Activate UNI or Email" link and follow the instructions to select a password. Your account will be available for use within 24 hours of activation. If you need assistance you can contact the CUMC IT Service Desk.

How can I change my password?

You can change your password online at the myUNI site: http://uni.columbia.edu
Select the "Logon to Manage Your UNI Account" link at the top of that page, and logon with your UNI and current password. At the next page, enter your current password, then enter the new password you've selected in each of the two bottom fields.

Be sure to observe qualifications in bold at the top of the "Change Your Password" page when you select a new password. You will receive a message stating if the change was successful or not; if not please note the exact error message and contact us if you would like assistance.

Regarding passwords:
Use them like a toothbrush. Change them often, and don't share them with friends. -Clifford Stoll

Can I read my Columbia email from any computer?

Yes, as long as the computer has an Internet connection. Columbia University uses CubMail, a web-based email program that allows you to access your email through a web browser. Please note that CubMail does not meet CUMC IT email security standards.

-For more information on CubMail and its many features, please see the CubMail homepage

How can I set up an email program on my own computer?

Outlook Professional or Entourage for Macintosh are the only email programs supported by CUMC IT. Both are free for current CUMC students under Columbia's site license with Microsoft.
You are welcome to contact the CUMC IT Service Desk if you have any specific questions on configuring a program on your computer.

What is the difference between POP and IMAP email?

When you first configure your email address in a program such as Outlook, you will be prompted to use either a POP or IMAP account. IMAP keeps your mail folders on the server. It is compatible with using CubMail. You can switch between different computers, mail programs, and CubMail, and they will all show the same mail folders and have the same messages marked as seen. If you want this flexibility, use IMAP.
POP keeps the mail folders on the computer's hard drive. This has some advantages for speed and offline use, but requires that you always read mail with the same computer.
However, it is possible to configure both types of email accounts to store messages differently.

Can I forward my Columbia email account to my Gmail or other email account?

Automatic email forwarding to non-approved systems - including gmail, yahoo, etc. - is prohibited. As a student at a medical institution, users cannot automatically forward their institutional email to an external account in order to prevent release of PHI data, accidental or otherwise. Please see our Email Policies web site for details.

How can I send automatic replies when I am on vacation?

You can set up an automatic vacation or away message by logging into the myUNI web site:
http://uni.columbia.edu
Once you log in with your UNI and password, you will see a list of options for your account. Select the "Vacation" link under the "Configure Email Settings" heading, and follow the instructions listed.

How do I filter my email messages?

If you have set up an email program on your main computer there are instructions in that program's Help menu on how to filter email messages within the program. You can also log in to the myUNI web site and select the "Email Filtering" or "Set Your Personal Spam Filter" links under the "Configure Email Settings" heading to sort your email or filter out any spam messages you may be receiving.

What can I do if I forget my password?

If you forget your password you can come to the CUMC IT Service Desk with your Columbia ID to have us reset your account, or you can call us for assistance at extension 5-Help (212-305-4357).

How can I send an attachment through CubMail?

To send an attachment through CubMail you need to start composing your message, then scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Browse to select the attachment(s). Once you find your attachment click on Open, and be sure to click on the Attach button to the right of the Browse button, or your file will not be attached.

How can I view an attachment through CubMail?

To view an attachment within CubMail, open the message and then open or save the attachment by clicking on the small floppy disk icon next to the attachment.

Are there limits on the size and types of email attachments?

CubMail allows any email to be a total size of 10MB including attachments. If you use an email program such as Outlook for your Cyrus email account rather than CubMail, you will be able to send up to 30MB total per message. Please note that a file can increase by as much as 30% in size when sending it as an email attachment, so you may only be able to attach up to 21MB (7.5MB if using CubMail).

Most types of attachments other than .exe files are now allowed. Zip files are allowed, since the Columbia mail filter is able to examine the types of files inside zip files, and will allow it if it is not found to contain a virus or other malware.

Why have I stopped receiving new email in my Columbia account?

If you have reached your quota limit for your Columbia email account you will stop receiving new emails. See the FAQ immediately below regarding resolving this problem; any emails that have been sent to you but not received will appear after you have more space on your account. If there seem to be other problems with your account, please contact the CUMC IT Service Desk.

How can I free up space in my email account?

If you know you have run out of space in your email account, or you have stopped receiving new messages, please log into the myUNI site and select the "Check Your Space Quota" link under the "Configure Email Settings" heading. If you are at your quota you will be able to grant yourself a temporary increase by clicking on the button at the bottom of the page. If you have further problems or questions you can come by the CUMC IT Service Desk or contact us at extension 5-Help (212-305-4357).

Due to limited space on the Columbia mail servers, we highly recommend that anyone with a Columbia email account set up Outlook or Entourage on their main computer. This will allow you to save email on that specific computer using "Local Folders" or a similarly named feature depending on the program. You are still able to keep email messages on the Columbia mail servers to access from other computers.

To set up an email program on your computer, please see the instructions linked here. To set up local folders in one of the Columbia supported mail programs, please select the link below for the program you are using:

• Outlook Express
• Outlook Professional
• Apple Mail

Once I graduate from Columbia University, how long is my email account active?

After you leave Columbia, your student computer ID is placed in a grace period lasting about nine months from the end of the last semester for which you registered. The last month before your account expires, you will receive weekly email messages to notify you. You must move or save any needed messages before the expiration date or they will be lost. For more information please see:
http://www.columbia.edu/acis/faq/236.html
Columbia does offer alumni a lifetime email address and email forwarding. You can find out more about alumni accounts at http://alumni.columbia.edu/email.