OU IT assigns all students, faculty, and staff an @OU.edu e-mail address and Microsoft 365 mailbox upon creation of the their OUNet Account. This email address will also act as your log in username for many OU sites and applications.
The default e-mail address is based on one's name and will typically take the format:
FirstName.MiddleInitial.LastName-1@ou.edu (example: Susan.G.Adhikari-1@ou.edu)
This address is commonly called the "dotted" email address. In addition to the dotted email address, a secondary "alias" email address can be created.
Log in to your OUNet Account to:
- Create or change your e-mail alias (example: soonerfan1997@ou.edu). Please note that if an alias is set, it will become your new email log in username. This alias email address will also be a valid point of contact alongside your existing default dotted email address.
- Forward your e-mail off campus to an alternate non-OU email address. Note that OU can not guarantee mail delivery if a forward is set. This forward will also cause all incoming mail to bypass your OU mail account and go to the mail address you specify. So no copy is saved in your OU mailbox.
Changing your Email Address
OU email account holders have the ability to add an alias to their account. This alias functions as a secondary email address on their account. Once the alias is added or if an existing alias is changed, ones login username will also change to reflect this update. Please note that there is a two day update cycle for the Microsoft 365 username field. This means that it will take the system two days to update to your new alias as the username. So until the system updates, you may have to continue to use your previous alias for your username. For additional information, please see this article. Note that one can only have one valid email alias. If one changes their alias, mail sent to the previous alias will not be forwarded or delivered to their mailbox.
Name Change Side Effects
Dotted email addresses utilize a user's legal, not preferred name. Legal name changes processed through Academic Records or Payroll & Employee Services will automatically change an individual's dotted email address. If an alias is set, it may not be apparent that a change has occurred to the default dotted name. Note, that if your default dotted name changes, mail sent to the previous dotted name will no longer be delivered to your mailbox.
If one's dotted email address suddenly changes without a legal name change, it is likely due to:
- A new employee record (such as a current student being hired at OU).
- A new academic record (such as a current employee who starts taking courses).
- A new academic application was processed (such as a user with an existing academic record applying for grad school).
In these cases, the default dotted address may change because different forms of ID were used for school vs employment, and one ID does not have the same exact name (additional surnames, additional middle names, etc.).