Student E-Mail & Basic Computer Safety

Mandatory Student E-Mail Policy

All students are responsible for checking their e-mail daily for messages from the University. All official University information (e.g., grades, academic notices, campus calendars, attendance policy updates, registration and financial information, etc.) will be sent electronically only. No University information will be sent to any other e-mail address.

E-Mail Accounts

An e-mail account (ending in @student.methodist.edu) will be created for all Methodist University students.

  • Undergraduate: New students will receive their e-mail and Canvas account username and password in a letter sent to you by the Admissions Office.
  • Graduate: New students will receive their e-mail addresses and passwords from their program coordinators.

E-Mail Safety

  • Use disposable e-mail addresses (Gmail, yahoo, etc.) when registering for online services or websites. You will cut down on spam to your standard e-mail address.
  • Do not respond to “opt-out” statements in email addresses unless you are comfortable that the sender is a reputable company.
  • Be sure that any mailing lists you subscribe to do not release the names of their members.
  • Avoid publishing your standard e-mail address on blogs and other websites.
  • If you do not recognize the sender of the message and/or the subject line is senseless or offensive, delete the email.
  • Do not open attachments unless you are expecting them. Even if you know the sender, you should be very careful opening attachments. Although an e-mail may look like it is from someone you know it is possible a spammer is spoofing their email address.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

  • All Methodist University accounts must have MFA enabled to access online services.
  • See the MFA Policy.

Password Protection

  • Do not share Methodist University passwords with anyone, including friends, family members, administrative assistants, managers, co-workers, and family members, etc.
  • All passwords are to be treated as sensitive, confidential Methodist University information.
  • Do not insert passwords into e-mail messages or other forms of electronic communication.
  • Do not reveal passwords over the phone to anyone.
  • Do not reveal passwords on questionnaires, surveys, or security forms.
  • Do not hint at the format of a password (for example, “my family name”).
  • Do not write passwords down and store them anywhere. Do not store passwords in a file on a computer system or mobile devices (phone, tablet) without encryption.
  • We do not recommend the use of the “Remember Password” feature of applications (for example, web browsers).
  • Any user suspecting that his/her password may have been compromised must report the incident to the IT Help Desk and change all passwords.

Strong Passwords

  • Strong unique passwords are important as the first line of defense between you and a hacker.
  • Strong passwords can help you protect your computer and your identity.
  • Create passwords that are both easy for you to remember and also hard for someone else to discover.
    • at least 8 characters – the longer the better
    • contain uppercase & lowercase letters
    • contain non-alpha characters ($, %, &, !)
    • contain numbers

Strong Passwords are NOT

  • variations of your name or login
  • dictionary words
  • names of your pets or family
  • easily discovered numbers, such as license number, telephone number, your favorite TV show, etc.
  • all numbers or all lowercase letters

Strong Password Example

It is easy to create passwords that are both easy to remember and hard to break.

Gc4$/glS is an example of a good, strong password. It has a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, it contains a number and non-alpha characters. It also is relatively easy to remember.

G Gas
c cost
4 four
$ dollars
/ per
g gallon
l last
S Spring

Additionally, you should setup your computer to lock itself after a short period of inactivity to keep unauthorized users from accessing your machine.