Email FAQ

Every active student at Western is entitled to a Western email address e.g. {userId}@uwo.ca.  Current staff and faculty also receive a @uwo.ca e-mail address and will use this in any official communications with students.

The email address is created when:

• an applicant who applied through OUAC transitions to a Western Student in the Student Administration system;
• an applicant to graduate studies who is 'term activation' to a Western Student in the student administration system one month before their start date;
• an individual returns to Western to study after a length of time;
• an individual is hired by Western.

All primary communications from the Registrar's Office, Dean's offices and departments will be addressed to your @uwo.ca email. It is expected that you will keep your email in good working order.

Provided that you regularly monitor your Western email account, you will receive notification emails giving you two weeks’ advance notice prior to the removal of your Microsoft license and other university services.  This is scheduled three times a year on the second Tuesday of January, May, and September.

The transition, removal of your Microsoft license and other university services taking place on the fourth Tuesday of January, May, and September.

This is a general list of Western Services that are maintained after graduation.  If you have any questions, please contact your department or the Helpdesk.

You maintain:

• Access to your @uwo.ca email address.  Refer to Inactive Email for Life Accounts for more information on retention periods for former student alumn.

The following services are removed after graduation:

• OneDrive, Teams (ALL documents such as OneNote stored within OneDrive MUST be transferred to another location)
• Access to online Microsoft Office applications.
• Microsoft Student Advantage (use of Microsoft Office ProPlus on personal devices)

As an employee, by default you do not retain access to your Western email.

As a former student alumn, you have email for life!  An Email For Life account is an exclusive benefit of your status as a Western alumna or alumnus. Note that student who graduated prior to 2015 did not automatically retain their Western email address. 

Inactive Email for Life Accounts

As long as you continue to directly access your Western mailbox at least once a year, your Email for Life account remains active. Any mailbox not accessed for more than 1 year will automatically be deactivated. 

You must log in to your mailbox from the web (myoffice.uwo.ca) or directly through webmail or Outlook. If you forward your mail, you will still need to log in to your mailbox to keep your account active.

When a mailbox is deactivated, you will no longer be able to receive emails to your @uwo.ca address and any content in the mailbox will be deleted.  You only have 30 days after deactivation to recover any deleted emails.

Student Email for Life Requests

Wanting to obtain or reactivate your student @uwo.ca email for life mailbox, you will need to re-apply through Western Alumni to have one created.