Primary channels

Along with the use of the virtual learning environment, Moodle, there are two primary channels for communicating with current students:

Student website

The student website at www.port.ac.uk/students  is specifically designed for current students where they will find valuable information and links to other useful University resources, such as:

• Google - students can log in to their Google account, including Google Mail, Calendars, Documents and Sites 
• Myport - students can log in to the student portal, their online student file
• Moodle - the virtual learning environment containing course material
• News and events for students
• Links to student support services such as Library, housing, careers and recruitment, finance and sport

The student website is the homepage on all University PCs. Students should be encouraged to bookmark this site at home as they will need to use it regularly. If staff have any messages they would like to broadcast via the student website please email lookup@port.ac.uk.

Student email

In order to comply fully with data protection legislation, all University-related correspondence with students is to be sent to their University email account only, using the data held in the student record system. Using only the University email account will provide one effective channel for email messages as students will be directed to check their accounts regularly.

The Student Communications Policy states that staff are not to collect and/or use other personal email accounts for any correspondence. There will obviously be occasions when students email staff from personal accounts and this policy does not prevent staff from responding to students in this way. As this process becomes normal practice over time, staff are asked to encourage students to use their University email account as the primary source, but to ensure good communication with students is maintained at all times.

It should be noted that the virtual learning environment - Victory - has its own email facility for all Victory users. This email facility can only be used within Victory itself for learning and teaching purposes, along with the other communication functions such as chat, forums and whiteboard, however emails within Victory can be forwarded or copied to another email account. Students should be encouraged to forward or copy to their Google Mail account should they wish to do so.

Student email addresses

All existing University email addresses for students still work and will be delivered into their Google Mail account. So email addresses based on their computer username or their student reference, such as cam12345@port.ac.uk or 1234567@jupiter.port.ac.uk, can still be used.

In addition, Google provides two new email addresses. One is based on their computer username and the new 'myport' domain, for example cam12345@myport.ac.uk. This email address is held in central records and is used when emailing students from the Staff Portal, see below.

A further email address is more personalised and based on the students name, for example john.smith@myport.ac.uk (or john.smith1@myport.ac.uk if there are duplicate names). This is the email address that students have requested, for use on CVs and application forms and for future use as they will keep their Google account for life.

All the above email addresses will be delivered to the students Google Mail account.

How to email students

Information Services has implemented a system to enable staff to send email to groups of students or individuals via the Staff Portal. The service can be accessed via the 'My services' tab of the staff portal www.port.ac.uk/staffportal.

For information on using the new functionality please refer to the Staff Portal manual. If you have any queries with the email distribution functionality, please contact servicedesk@port.ac.uk or tel 023 9284 7777