Email, Society Accounts and ListServ

Standard mailbox storage limits are:

• 49.5 GB

When you are approaching the size limit on your mailbox, you will receive a warning mail. At this stage, you should tidy your mailbox to free up some space.

 

If the mailbox continues to grow, when you are closer to your quota you will receive another warning. At this stage you will be prevented from sending mail, but you will still be able to receive incoming messages. Tidying your mailbox will be necessary before you can send mails.

 

If your mailbox size continues to grow and exceeds its quota, you will receive a final warning message and your mailbox will also stop receiving mail. By this stage, your mailbox will not be usable until you delete or move some items.

 

Please view our IT guides for more information on managing your mailbox in Outlook 2010.

 

 

LSE assigns email addresses based on your personal details in:

1. SITS, the student record system - for students
2. the Human Resources database - for staff

In order to generate a unique and convenient mail address we employ your first two initials. If this is not unique we employ one, two or three initials. If necessary we repeat this process adding numbers after your last name. The gaps you may see in the mail directory represent names that are being reserved as we are unable to re-issue addresses within two years of their deletion. The use of more than your first initial or exclusion of your third or more initials in your name does not constitute an incorrect mail address.

 

Email addresses will be created according to the Email Address Conventions Policy. If you would like to change your email address or feel it is incorrect, please refer to the policy to make sure the change you are requesting falls within policy guidelines.

 

Please note that while it is possible to edit email addresses, we are sorry but we are unable to alter usernames.

 

If you believe that your email address is incorrect you should follow the steps listed below.

1. Contact the Student Service Centre (students) or Human Resources (staff) and check that your personal details are correct. Email addresses cannot be changed until your record has been updated.
2. When the SSC or HR confirm that your details have been changed, notify the IT Help Desk (taught students) or the  IT Service Desk (staff and postgraduate research students) of this and request that your email address be corrected. Please note, you cannot request a particular email address, only that errors in the address be corrected.

See My LSE email address is being changed. What happens now? (FAQ #4 on this page) for details of the steps you should take to ensure a smooth transition to your new email address.

In the meantime, you can use your username as a valid email address. For example, if your username is bloggsj, you can use bloggsj@lse.ac.uk. Note that this address may not be supported for use with online subscriptions.

 

After a change has been made, mail sent to the incorrect address will be directed to your revised address for 2 months. You may wish to employ an auto-reply (using Outlook rules) to inform any senders of the change during this period. See the following links to create rules to manage your email in Outlook 2010.

 

Why this is happening

As with many universities, it is sometimes necessary to re-issue email addresses. This helps to reduce the need to use numbers to create a unique email address, e.g. j.bloggs15849@lse.ac.uk. This does not mean that the user account and mailbox space have been used before. We create entirely new accounts, but assign an email address that may have been used before. We do not re-issue an email address for at least 2 years.

 

When users leave the school, we request that they unsubscribe from any online services (e.g. Facebook) or mailing lists (e.g. newsletters and marketing updates) but we cannot force them to do so or do so on their behalf. In some cases the service providers and circulars continue to send mail to addresses that no longer exist. If that email address is re-issued, it may receive these messages. We continue to try and resolve this matter with the providers of these services. We create accounts well in advance of students' arrival on campus, so there may be a number of such messages in the inbox. Some examples include:

 

Spam

The LSE employs a company to help control the amount of spam we receive. The methods for producing spam are constantly evolving, as are the means to prevent it. Around half the messages addressed to LSE every day are blocked as spam. There is no way to ensure that no spam gets through. If you receive just a few messages from the same sender, or with the same subject line, and clearly promoting a service or product you do not want, there is a good chance those messages are spam. Spam mailers will not usually employ the same Sender address many times as it may swiftly be classified as a spam mailer and blocked.

 

Message Undeliverable (Spoofing)

You may receive a message with a heading like 'Undeliverable' or an 'Out of Office' referring to a mail address that you have not tried to send to. This is usually the result of 'Spoofing'. This is the term used for spam that is sent out under a false email address. In some cases, the false email address may be an email address that really does exist (such as your LSE address). In that case, any replies to the message are delivered to the spoofed address. We cannot prevent this from happening. As with any other Sender address, spam mailers seldom use the same address for long.

 

This is not proof that your email security has been compromised. It is very rare for the spam mailer to have gained access to the Sender address they are using. We advocate good security measures being taken with PCs and passwords at all times. Running a virus scan or changing your password are always sensible precautions to take if you suspect your security has been compromised. See Your LSE password for information on how to reset your network and email password and Protect your Own Computer for information on virus scanning.

 

Circulars

Most newsletters, etc will not be personalised, but arrive from the same Sender. They may arrive at regular intervals or quite frequently. Most will feature a link at the bottom to unsubscribe.

 

Online Services

An online service provider will usually send out personalised messages, eg. Dear Joe Bloggs. In the first instance, we advise that you try replying to any such message explaining that you are not the person for whom the message was intended.

Not all personalised messages are the result of online services. It can be the result of spam mailers who have obtained information contained on public access websites (e.g. the student directory, Facebook, etc)

 

What to do about it

If you think you are receiving someone else's mail you should follow the steps listed below:

1. Spam: In the first instance we suggest you simply delete unwanted messages from external senders without opening them. If you continue to receive unwanted messages from the same Senders they may be circulars from an online services provider.
2. Spoofing: 'Undeliverable' messages are not spam and cannot be blocked as such. If you are concerned that your email security may have been compromised, we recommend that you change your password and run a virus check. (See Your LSE Password for information on how to reset your network and email password and Protect your Own Computer for information on virus scanning).
3. Circulars: In the first instance we advise you to use the unsubscribe link (usually at the bottom of the message) to request removal from their mailing list.
4. Online Services: Try replying to any such messages explaining that you are not the person for whom the message was intended. Please don't attempt to gain unauthorised access to the account in question. Do contact the company concerned to get the messages stopped.

Continuing Unwanted Messages

If the mail you are receiving is offensive, or making it difficult to manage your mailbox, you may wish to consider requesting that we change your email address. This is a disruptive process which we would only advise where other means have failed. See 4. My LSE email address is being changed, what happens now? below.

 

If we are changing your email address you should follow the steps listed below.

1. You must unsubscribe the incorrect address from any online services or social networks as you may no longer be able to log in to them or change your details, once your email address is corrected.
2. In the meantime, you can use your username as a valid email address. For example, if your username is bloggsj, you can use bloggsj@lse.ac.uk. Note that this address may not be supported for use with online subscriptions.
3. Make a note of any Contact entries you have created for Office Communicator. these will not be available after your mailname has been changed.
4. You must confirm to your IT Service Desk that you have read these guidelines.
5. Notify the IT Service desk that you have unsubscribed as described above and request that we proceed with the change to your email address. Please note, you cannot request a specific email address - one will be generated for you based on your registered name.
6. You will be notified once your email address has been updated.
   Your mailname is used as logon credentials for the following services:
   
   • eduroam WiFi - you will need to reconfigure any devices that use eduroam to access the internet.
     
   • Office365 authentication - it will take one hour to re-sync your details to the Cloud. You will be able to log into Office365 services once your account has been re-synced.
   • SharePoint authentication - it will take one hour for your details to be re-synced after your email address is updated, but you should be able to log in to SharePoint using your network username during that time.
   • Office Communicator system - please contact the IT Service Desk to update your account details and recreate your Office Communicator profile.
7. Students should notify their department of their new email address so that any manually generated address lists can be updated with your new electronic contact details.
8. Notify any other contacts.

Please note, that while it is possible to edit email addresses, we are sorry but we are unable to alter usernames.

 

After a change has been made, mail sent to the incorrect address will be directed to your revised address for 2 months. You may wish to employ an auto-reply (using Outlook rules) to inform any senders of the change during this period. See the following links to create rules to manage your email in Outlook 2010.

 

If there is a specific request to delete an account and there is no record of ongoing study, then the network and email account will be removed from the system and any associated H: space and Personal Web pages will be deleted. The request may come from a manager, senior member of the LSE's administration or the account owner in person or via their personal LSE email address.

 

At the start of each year we begin the annual deletion process. We do not delete accounts until 2 months after they have expired, unless as described in the first paragraph. During this period it is common for students to apply to re-sit exams, or contracts to be issued. Accounts for which a study record is identified will be automatically unexpired during this period.

 

Until the point an account is deleted it will still be visible in the Outlook Global Address list. It will continue to accept mail, issue Out of Office messages and process rules, unless it becomes full. If senders try to contact a mailbox that is full they will receive a reply to that affect.

 

We will not re-issue your network name or email address for 2 years after the deletion of your account. After this time we may do so in order to keep such names as short and convenient as possible. A re-issued network name will not have access to the same resources as the previous instance of that name, nor will it use the same H: space folder. A re-issued mail address will not have access to your mailbox, it will just have the same address.

 

If your account is due to expire you must:

• Unsubscribe your LSE address from any online services, newsletters or social networks. If you do not, your subscriptions, profile and personal details may be accessible to an individual issued your mail address.
• Archive any content from email that you wish to retain before emptying the mailbox.
• Transfer any content from your H: space that you wish to retain before emptying it.
• Transfer any content from your Personal Web Pages that you wish to retain then delete the contents.

If you do not think your account should be expiring see 6. My email account is about to expire but I don't think it should, what can I do? below.

All users  

An account's expiry is based upon contract of employment or a study record associated with its owner, where these are available. Where these are not available, they are based upon information received from the department in which a person works or the office responsible for their induction.

 

Graduating students are entitled to a term's grace to set their account in order which is generally interpreted as the end of that year. Exceptions relate to re-sitting exams, etc.

 

Around the middle of the month on which an account is due to expire, it will be sent an alert to this effect. If an employment or study record is created before the end of the month, the expiry will be automatically extended. A second alert is issued to expiring accounts in the last week of the month.

 

The LSE is legally prohibited from extending IT facilities to non-members. We are also unable to provide a forwarding service, but you may set up rules to forward your mail, which will function until we delete the mailbox.

  

We make every effort to retain accounts for current members of the school. Information Management and Technology are unable to extend account expiries upon request from the owner of an account. Due to the volume of expiries each month it is not possible for us to validate all the requests for extensions. There will be cases when expiring accounts are still required.

 

Students

Continuing students should contact the Student Services Centre to obtain confirmation of their status. The IT Help Desk (for undergraduates and taught graduates) and the IT Service Desk (for research postgraduates) are only able to extend expiries for students with evidence of a current study record.

 

Other students should contact the office that handled their induction.

 

To transfer the ownership of a Student Union Club or Society Mailbox please email su.arcstaff@lse.ac.uk with the full name of the new club or society chair, their email address and student ID number, along with the name of the mailbox they wish to access.

 

Staff

Staff should contact their Departmental Administrator or Head of Department who can instruct the IT Service desk to extend the expiry of their account.

Please visit: www.alumni.lse.ac.uk for information about online services available to alumni.

We will attempt to reissue email addresses to staff or students before their return to the LSE.

 

However, this is not always possible. In the case of students, it may cause disruption to class lists and for staff, it may cause disruption to distribution lists. The email address may have also been issued to another user of the same name.

 

Unfortunately, we are not able to reissue a student or member of staff's previous LSE email address once a new one has been created.

 

If you have any questions about this, please contact the IT Service Desk (staff and research students) or the IT Help Desk (taught students).

 

 

Your LSE e-mail address and H space are still accessible to you until the end of December of the year you graduate. For example, graduates of Summer 2016 will be able to use their username and password until December 31 2016.

 

After the end of December, you can use the alumni service. 

 

Please also note: graduates can set up an @alumni.lse.ac.uk personal email forwarding address (a free forwarding service linked to their personal email, not linked to their LSE accounts) any time after they officially graduate.

 

See www.alumni.lse.ac.uk for more details.

 

Once an SU society or club has been registered, the Chairperson may apply to create a new IT account or update an existing account. IMT can only deal with the named owner of the account when handling support requests, so it is essential that this information is kept up-to-date.

 

New societies

For new accounts, IMT will only create a mailbox when requested to do so by the Sports and Societies Administrator or other approved SU staff member.

 

Existing societies

If updating an existing society account, the data stored in the mailbox and on the H:space will remain intact. The ownership of the account will be need to be changed from the previous Chairperson to the current one.

 

Existing society email accounts expire at the end of October each year, so as soon as a new Chairperson is selected, they should apply to update the account.

 

Procedure for all societies

Please email the SU's Sports and Societies Administrator, in the first instance, who will be able to verify the details of the current Chairperson and pass on the details to IMT.

 

Your email account will then be activated/updated within three working days. The IT Help Desk will email the Chairperson when this is ready and he or she should visit the Help Desk to receive the login details.

 

It is the Chairperson's responsibility to maintain the security of the email account and to ensure that it is not used in any way that would contravene the School's IT Conditions of Use . A copy of these conditions must be signed before account details can be issued.

 

Only the Chairperson will have the authority to reset the password, and if any subsequent changes are needed to the account, IMT will only deal with the Chairperson in regard to these.

If you have a society account and want to send a mass email please get in touch with the Communications Officer at the Students' Union at su.comms@lse.ac.uk

 

If you are a student and want to send a mass email to other students, please get in touch with the Communications Office at the Students' Union: su.comms@lse.ac.uk The message can be included in the weekly bulletin that is emailed out to students.

What is a Mailing List?

An electronic mailing list is very similar to a postal mailing list. Your e-mail address is added to the e-mail addresses of a group of other people who share a common interest. People send messages to the list address and they are automatically forwarded on to each of the individual members. You read the e-mail just as you would any other you receive.

 

There is one big difference between postal and e-mail mailing lists: you ask to have your name added to the list - you don't just get junk mail from an organisation you haven't heard of. To emphasise this you are known as a member of a list. There is no limit to the number of lists of which you can be a member, however, some lists generate a lot of e-mail and you can quickly become swamped if you're not careful.

 

Types of Mailing List

There are a number of ways in which mailing lists can be used but the two basic uses are:

• discussion - where the list is used by its members to exchange messages that form ongoing discussions. Discussion mailing lists have names ending in "-L".
• announcement - where the list is used mainly by the list owners as a way to send information out to the list members. Announcement mailing lists have names ending in "-announce-L"

Some discussion lists allow anyone to join and post messages. Others let anyone join with all messages being looked at by a 'moderator' before being forwarded on to the list. Still others are 'closed' - your application to join is vetted (this is often used on confidential projects or to ensure that lists remain at the right academic level) and only approved members can post and receive mail from the list.

 

Getting started

To join an LSE mailing list, you would normally be sent a message from the list owner inviting you to join and containing appropriate instructions. List owners will publicise their lists accordingly and this will depend on the function, confidentiality and scope of the particular list.

 

If you are interested in creating a list for your project or interest group, staff and research students should contact your cluster team. Advice will be given on the suitability of the subject area and on the basic principles of list ownership.

 

Unfortunately, at this time, taught course students are unable to participate as list owners.

 

Mailing Lists at LSE

Information Management and Technology uses ListServ software to manage its lists and as some of the commands may vary between list software packages users of other list management services may find that some adaptation is required. The list is managed in one of two ways; through sending emails containing specific commands or through the ListServ web interface on http://listserv.lse.ac.uk/. Please note you need to use Internet Explorer in order for ListServ to work.

 

IMT reserves the right to refuse to host a list if the subject area of the list does not meet our guidelines.

 

More information

The first point of contact for mailing lists is the IT Service Desk - they will be able to advise on best use of the ListServ service.

 

More information for list owners

No, you won't. All mailboxes that are currently on Office 365 will be kept on there until you leave LSE. We will not be moving any Office 365 mailboxes to any other email system.