Technology

Email Tips

Getting started

  1. What is my email username?
  2. How can I change my email password?
  3. How do I use my Simmons email through a web browser? (Webmail)
  4. Can I use software besides Webmail for my Simmons email?
  5. How do I forward my Simmons email to another account?
  6. How do I set up a vacation reply (automated out-of-the-office message)?
  7. How do I request an email/web account?
  8. Why can't I send email to Simmons email addresses?
  9. Email Safety
  10. Thunderbird FAQ
  11. Configure Outlook for best compatibility with Simmons Technology
  12. Antispam Filtering (junk mail)
  13. Quotas & Mailbox Maintenance
  14. How do I request or administer a Simmons mailing list?

Please remember that any official College communication distributed through email will be done only through your Simmons account.

  1. What is my email username?
    Your Simmons College email username is ususally your last-name (up to eight characters). In the case where there are duplicate last-names, the first letter of your first-name and a number may be appended to your username (e.g. smithj2). Your username is not the same as your email address. Your email address is used to address email messages to your email account (e.g. jane.smith@simmons.edu). If you are unsure of your email username, please contact the Help Desk at (617) 521-2222. For more information about all of your Simmons accounts see Username & Passwords.
  2. How can I change my email password?
    To change your Email Password go to https://preferences.simmons.edu/ click on Email Preferences. Once you log in with your username and password you will see a link to change your password. Just follow the instructions.
  3. How do I use my Simmons email through a web browser? (WebMail)
  4. Can I use software besides WebMail for my Simmons email?
    Yes, you may use any "standards-based" email software to access your Simmons email. For example, you may use Apple Mail, Microsoft Outlook, or Mozilla Thunderbird. Learn how: Setting up email software to access your Simmons account.
  5. How do I forward my Simmons email to another account?
    To forward your Simmons email to another account, log into Simmons WebMail, click Filters (at the top of the screen), then click Forward (at the top of the screen), and enter the email address for the account where you want to read your Simmons mail. 
    For step-by-step instructions, see Webmail: Filters / Rules.
    If you use a standard email client to read email in your other account, consider setting up your email software to access your Simmons account instead of forwarding.
  6. How do I set up a vacation reply (automated out-of-the-office message)?
    To set up a vacation reply (an automated message that will go to the sender of any message to your Simmons account), log into Simmons WebMail, click Filters (at the top of the screen), then click Vacation (at the top of the screen).   People most often use this feature for automated vacation replies. 
    For step-by-step instructions, see Webmail: Filters / Rules.
  7. How do I request an email/web account?
    Email accounts for faculty, staff and students are created automatically when the student or employee arrives at Simmons. You will be notified of your email login information with an Email Acknowledgment form. Logins include access to email, file server, and personal web accounts. If you are unsure of your Simmons login please contact the Help Desk at (617) 521-2222. If you have a temporary employee, please contact HR to ensure s/he is entered into the HR system; the accounts will be generated over the next night.
  8. Why can't I send email to Simmons email addresses?
    Be sure to include the Simmons "domain" as part of the email address. (E.g. firstname.lastname@SIMMONS.EDU). You may receive an error if you forget to include the "@simmons.edu".
  9. Email Safety
  10. Thunderbird FAQ
  11. Configure Outlook for Best Performance with Simmons Technology
    Background:
    Microsoft Outlook provides methods of creating email that is intended to be sent to other people that use Microsoft Outlook. When email is sent in this proprietary format to people that use other email programs, various problems can occur. Your email recipients may not be able to read your messages as you intended, if at all.
    The following are changes you should make to your Outlook default settings in order to most reliably reach faculty, staff, and students at Simmons College. These directions are written specifically for Outlook 2003 and 2007.
    1. Click on the Tools menu and choose Options
    2. Click the Format tab
    3. Click the Internet Format button
    4. Under Outlook Rich Text Options, change the pull-down menu to read "Convert to Plain Text Format" under the heading "When sending Outlook Rich Text format to Internet recipients, use this format:"
    5. Click OK, then OK again to exit the Options menu.
  12. Antispam Filtering
  13. Quotas & Mailbox Maintenance
  14. How do I request or administer a Simmons mailing list?