Tuks students are going Google
In July 2012, the current UP hosted student e-mail system (UP mail) will be replaced by a Google hosted e-mail service (TUKS Gmail) for all students.
Why the switch?
The switch was necessitated by the fact that the current UP system simply is no longer able to meet the growing email requirements of students. The Google service was picked among some other possible candidates because of the ease of transition, significant cost savings for the University, the ability to retain the “@tuks.co.za” address, and, most importantly, the useful features included in the service.
Some of the features students can look forward to are better spam protection, lots of mailbox space, a powerful search tool, and the ability to send attachments of up to 20MB in size. Furthermore, many students are already familiar with Gmail.
When will the switch take place?
On 23 July 2012 we will discontinue our use of the current UP mail system and start usingthe TUKS Gmail service.
How will the switch affect me?
Once the switch has been made, all your incoming email will be delivered to your TUKS Gmail inbox. Mail received before the switch will still be available in your old UP mailbox, but no new mail will be delivered there. You will also no longer be able to send any email from the UP account.
What will happen with my old, saved mail on the UP system?
We will not move your old email from your UP mailbox to your TUKS Gmail inbox. You will still have access to this mail in your UP mailbox for at least three months. After that time a decision will be taken on the final closure of all UP mailboxes.
A welcoming email in your TUKS Gmail inbox will contain a process for you to follow should you wish to copy your old mail to your TUKS Gmail account. If there is content in your UP mailbox that you wish to keep, but that you do not wish to copy to your TUKS Gmail account, you will have to copy and paste this content into Word or text files and save these to your own computer or to a flash drive or external hard drive.
The welcoming email will also include other useful information and acceptable use regulations for your TUKS Gmail account.
Will my email address change?
Your email address will not change. It will remain as it is, for example, . The only thing that will change is the physical location of your mailbox.
Will my username and password change?
You will retain your current username. Once you gain access to your new TUKS Gmail account, you will have to change your password ˗̶ either to the password that you have used for your UP account or to a new one.
Your new email account will be hosted in a more public environment; therefore you should take care to choose a password that will protect your account from unauthorised access. The following are generally accepted guidelines for a strong password:
· Passwords should consist of, at least, eight characters, including a combination of at least three of the following: numeric characters, upper and lower case alphabetical characters, and special characters.
· Passwords should not include words found in any dictionary.
· Someone acquainted with the user should not readily be able to guess that user’s password – do not include, for example, your own name, names of partners, pets, celebrities, sports teams, motor cars and names of months in a password.
Will I access my mail account via the student portal as before?
A TUKS Gmail icon will be made available on the student portal for you to use to access the TUKS Gmail Internet console.
Are there any available tutorials for learning to use TUKS Gmail?
There are many resources available on the Internet on how to use Gmail. Google provides help at http://support.google.com/mail/?hl=en . You may also want to watch some videos available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3g3qPedj1M&noredirect=1
What browsers are supported by Google?
You will be able to access your TUKS Gmail account using any of the following browsers: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari. However, you must keep in mind that for accessing the UP Portal and other online systems hosted by UP, you will need to use Internet Explorer 8.
Will I be able to access my TUKS Gmail account from my mobile device?
Access to TUKS Gmail can be configured on your mobile device. Google supports the following mobile devices: Android devices, iPhone, iPad, iPad Touch, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Symbian OS and Palm OS smartphones.
What other Google features will be available?
Google Apps Education Edition comes with Google Calendar, Google Chat and Google Docs. Once the switch to TUKS Gmail has been made, we will start introducing these features according to a roadmap that will be provided later.
I already have a personal Gmail account. How will this affect my TUKS Gmail account?
These two accounts will be completely independent of each other. Your personal account has the format '' while your TUKS account will have the format: ‘’.
What will the space limit on TUKS Gmail be?
The last time we checked, the space limit was 25GBper person. You will therefore no longer be limited to your current 50MB quota. Gmail has a quota indicator, located at the bottom of the Gmail page. This indicator will change from green to red if you approach your storage limit. Once you reach your limit, incoming messages will automatically bounce back to the sender.
What is the maximum attachment size allowed by Google?
Google allows the sending and receipt of messages up to 20 MB in size. If you exceed the 20MB limit, a warning message will be displayed.
What will happen to the current UP e-mail system?
The UP system will be replaced by TUKS Gmail. The UP system will be kept up and runningfor at least three monthsbut you will not be able to send or receive emails from the account. You will only be able to look up old mail messages. After this period a decision will be taken on the final closure of the UP system.
1 / Student e-mail hosting project: Communication to studentsDr Wimpie Beeken