Establishing an E-mail Account
Establishing a GCC e-mail account is crucial for a number of reasons. For one thing, a frequent complaint among students and departments alike is not being able to reach instructors. Part of being "in the loop" around here is to appear in the automated e-mail directories.
E-mail Accounts at GCC
There are two kinds of e-mail accounts held by employees on campus:
- MEMO, the e-mail system for all Maricopa Community Colleges employees. MEMO addresses are in the format firstname.lastname@gcmail.maricopa.edu
for GCC employees. The setup of this account is coordinated by your department secretary
(see
contact numbers).
- Student Mail, the e-mail system for all eGCC account holders at GCC. Student addresses are in the format username@student.gc.maricopa.edu
where "username" matches one's eGCC login. This account is created when you establish an
eGCC account.
Faculty and staff may use both or either of these accounts. The main advantages of a MEMO address are that its format matches those of full-time employees (for professional appearances), it includes you on Maricopa and GCC distribution lists, and it automatically places you in the directory at http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/index/directory.cfm.
There are advantages in using your Student Mail too. It's one way to keep an Inbox without MEMO distribution-list messages. You might also find it convenient because it is prepared by default when you log into eGCC machines on campus.
Streamlining E-mail
Afraid of having too many e-mail programs to remember and to access? Don't be!
You can forward your MEMO or Student e-mail to an account you routinely check, such as your home e-mail. To set up your Student Mail for forwarding, log onto https://student.gc.maricopa.edu with your eGCC username and password and click Rules on the returned page. To set up your MEMO account for forwarding, open http://gcmail.maricopa.edu/ and follow the link to the Personal Administration Tool ; after logging in, use the link labeled Personal Account Manager for forwarding options.
The two aforementioned URLs are also the links for web-based access to your e-mail inboxes. In a pinch, you only need a Web browser and an Internet connection – on any computer – to access your GCC e-mail!
You can also open multiple e-mail accounts separately in most e-mail programs, i.e. with inboxes sorted by account. Directions for setting up MEMO in Netscape Messenger are at http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/ted/memo/. Directions for adding Student Mail to either Messenger or Microsoft Outlook are at http://gecko.gc.maricopa.edu/Palette/faq.htm.
Organizing Multiple Uses of E-mail
If you use Netscape, you might find it helpful to use the Profile Manager to "split" your e-mail identity between, say, your teaching duties and the cute nickname you use for e-mail at home. While using the same computer and browser program, each Netscape profile can have its own distinct e-mail settings.
For multi-tasking with your e-mail you will find it very helpful to learn how e-mail filters work. You can create custom folders in addition to your Inbox – for example, "ENG101 Assignments" – so that mail meeting criteria such as a certain subject lines, to: or from: addresses, etc., automatically arrive in that custom folder. You can even use such criteria to make certain kinds of mail arrive instantly in your trash bin! Directions for creating filters in Netscape Messenger may be found at http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/ted/memo/filters.html. If you use Outlook, find Rules Wizard (Message Rules for Outlook Express) under the Tools menu and follow the directions.
