Quick Navigation

Northern Illinois University

Everything Technology Handbook

Student E-Mail

All registered students at NIU have an e-mail account automatically activated and an e-mail alias assigned.

  • Your official e-mail address has the format:
    Z-ID@students.niu.edu
  • The alias format is: alias@niu.edu
  • Your alias generally consists of your first initial and last name.
  • E-mail sent to your alias is automatically directed to your NIU student e-mail account.
  • You can look up your alias using the NIU Online Directory by following the Directory  link in the top right corner of this page.

NOTE: Student mailboxes are not backed up by ITS. You are responsible for backing up your own data and e-mail.

ITS is vigilant about providing computer virus protection for all ITS-provided e-mail accounts. NIU student e-mail is screened for viruses before it reaches the recipient. Because new viruses are created every day, and it is impossible to prevent new ones that aren’t included in the latest definition files, students are cautioned to NEVER open mail from someone they don’t know. Unwanted junk mail, or SPAM, can harbor any number of Trojan horse-type viruses or worms. If the sender is not known and trusted, students should delete the message without opening it. Some viruses are designed to appear as if they were sent by someone known to the recipient.

NIU blocks some e-mail attachments, including ZIP files (.zip extension) because they frequently contain virus payloads. Information on blocked file extensions, domains, and IP addresses can be found by visiting go.et.niu.edu/attachments.

If you have any questions, contact the ITS Helpdesk at: helpdesk@niu.edu or 753-8100.

Student WebMail Access

You can access your NIU e-mail accounts via the web. Additional information is available by following the E-mail link on the ITS home page www.its.niu.edu.

To log on to your e-mail account go to webmail.students.niu.edu. You will be prompted to enter your “User Name” (Z-ID) and your “Password.”

The Purge and Quick Delete buttons irrecoverably remove your messages. Be sure that only the messages that you want to be permanently deleted are checked before you select either of these buttons.

If you wish to enable storage of sent messages, follow these steps:

  • Select the Folders button
  • Select the Create Folders button
  • In the “Create Folders” box, enter a name for the new folder, such as “Sent Mail”
  • Select the Apply button
  • Select the Options button
  • Find the entry for “Sent Folder” under the “Appearance” section
  • In the pull-down box, change the settings from “Disable” to the folder you just created, e.g., “Sent Mail”
  • Select the Apply button
  • Select the Logout button

NOTE: You must use the Logout button to save your changes. If you close the session any other way, your changes will not be saved (even though they will appear in the “Options” section).

Starting the next time you log on, any messages that you compose and send within WebMail will be stored in your “Sent Mail” folder.

Remember to periodically delete items (especially messages you have sent with attachments) to free up more space for your account. Accounts with no available space will not be able to receive new mail.

Using an E-Mail Client

You may use other e-mail programs to retrieve your e-mail. Some of these programs include features that are not available using student WebMail.

Setup instructions for Microsoft Outlook ExpressTM and Mozilla ThunderbirdTM are available at go.et.niu.edu/clientconfig.

If you have questions, contact the ITS Helpdesk at helpdesk@niu.edu or 753-8100.

Students living in the residence halls or Northern View Community should contact the ResTech Helpdesk at restech@niu.edu or 753-6267.