Get Started with Gmail

Overview

The University of Alaska, in collaboration with Google, Inc., provides Gmail as the default mail service for students, staff, and faculty. This services provides email storage and enhanced mail search.

In this article:

• Features
• How do I use this technology?
• Is there any additional information I should know about?
  • Help resources
  • Frequently asked questions
• Need additional help or have issues

Features

With Gmail you can:

• Send and receive email
• Maintain a list of your favorite contacts
• Conversation View: This feature groups related messages together in a single view. Message are grouped based on their subject line and a common initial message. Using Conversation is a good way to keep track of multiple emails that you send and receive about the same topic.
• Labels: This feature is similar to assigning categories in other mail systems. It allows you to apply several labels to a single message. This provides you with options in how you organizing your mailbox.
• Archiving: If you receive a lot of important messages that you need to retain for possible future use, Gmail's Archive feature is for you. Archived messages are removed from your inbox, but are retained in your mailbox and keeps any associated labels you have applied to it. If you leave Conversation View enabled, the whole conversation will reappear in your inbox when someone replies to the thread.
• Vacation (Out of Office) auto responder: Automatically notify people you communicate with that you will be unavailable. You can set a specific response message, specify a date range for the message to be sent, as well as specify if the message should only be sent to people in your contact list, anyone in the UA system, or everyone.

How do I use this technology?

To access your UA Gmail account do the following.

1. Open a web browser, or new browser window.
2. Login to your Google Workspace @ UA account.
3. After successful login your Gmail account will be displayed.

Is there any additional information I should know about?

Help resources

Use the help resources listed below to learn how to successfully use Gmail.

• Google Workspace Learning Center - Gmail training and help
• Gmail Help - Organize emails
• Gmail Help - Find emails
• Gmail Help - Keyboard shortcuts for Gmail
• Gmail Help - Tips & Tricks

Frequently asked questions

What is my official UA email address?

The official UA email address for all students, staff, and faculty is: UaUsername@alaska.edu

What happens to my UA email account after I graduate?

Individuals who've contact the UAA Alumni office after they graduate have the option to continue to use their UA email account.

Is Gmail accessible?

Information about Google Mail accessibility can be found on the Gmail Help Accessibility page.

Need additional help or have issues

For support, requests may be submitted anytime via a ticket using the appropriate Google Workspace @ UA Service form. Requests generate a Ticket which will be worked in order received and urgency by the IT Employees with the knowledge and permissions to assist with the request.

For immediate assistance please review the Contact IT page for the appropriate support group.