Student Portal > IT help > UCA email

UCA email

The University uses Outlook email. You are provided with a UCA email account when you enrol with the university and your email address is your student number followed by @students.uca.ac.uk. 

Email Login

To connect your UCA email to your phone please follow these steps:

  1. Install the Outlook App from the App or Play Store
  2. If prompted, click on Get started for first time use
  3. Enter your UCA username
    (number@students.ucreative.ac.uk)
  4. Click Add Account or Continue
  5. Sign in with your usual UCA login details

Junkmail, spam and malware

Mail is sometimes received by students and staff from fraudulent sources trying to extract private information. We already take action to reduce the number of these, but you still need to be vigilant.

If you are not expecting an email, or are suspicious of its content, do not click on any links. Check with the sender separately to make sure it is a genuine message.

Advice regarding suspect mail

  • Never send your ucreative password via email: we will never request you to do so.
  • Do not click links in emails unless you are 100% sure they are legitimate.
  • Delete suspect messages immediately: never reply to mail from unknown sources or suspected malicious mail.
  • Do not expand an email: If an email asks you to click on a link to expand the view, do not click on the link and delete the email.

If you have accidently clicked on any suspicious email link, change your password immediately and scan your device for malware.

UCA have an automated detection system, which will flag any suspicious behaviour on accounts, such as Spam emails, multiple sign-in attempts in different locations or Malware detection. If your account is flagged by this system, it will be locked, and you will be contacted by your campus Gateway. Please follow the instructions on this email to reactivate your account. 

Recommended Antivirus Software

It is recommended that Antivirus software is installed on your computer, UCA recommends either Sophos Home or Malware Bytes.

Both have free versions available that provide basic protection.

FAQs

  • Why do I have a UCA email account?

    All students are provided with a UCA email account, and all your university email communication will be sent to this email address. You need to check your UCA email account regularly to ensure that you are aware and respond to messages there. It will also provide you with an educational email address which is sometimes used for student discounts.

    Please note you must use your UCA email if you are seeking assistance from any UCA department or services.

  • What is my UCA email address?

    Your email address is your student number followed by @students.uca.ac.uk. 

    For instance, if John Smith's student number is 2100000, then his email address would be 2100000@students.uca.ac.uk

    This differs from the UCA username, where ucreative is used in place of uca.

  • How do I access my UCA email?

    In the box marked ‘Email or phone’ just enter your username (remember your username is number@students.ucreative.ac.uk, not uca), you will then be taken to the Single Sign-on screen where you can enter your password.

  • My mailbox is full - what should I do?

    You will need to delete as many emails from your inbox and sent items folder as possible.

    When you delete email from your account (either received or sent mail) this only transfers to your ‘Deleted items’ folder which still counts towards the total amount of email in your account. Navigate to this folder and empty the ‘Deleted items’ folder as well, to completely remove it from your mailbox size and increase your available space.

  • Are there any restrictions on email attachments?

    There is a 35mb limit set by Microsoft on any email attachments that you send.

  • Can I automatically forward my emails to another email account?

    No. Doing so contravenes the email usage policy and may result in your account no longer receiving email.

  • Some of my emails are going into my Junk Folder

    There are filters in place on the email system to weed out junk mail and spam, but sometimes these can pick up genuine emails.

    To mark an email address as not junk:

    • In Outlook Web Access go to "Settings" (the cog at the top right of the page)
    • Click “View all Outlook Settings” (at the bottom)
    • Choose "Junk Email".
    • To add safe senders (can be email addresses or domains) click on "Add" within the “Safe Senders and Domains section”. Make sure you add domains ucreative.ac.uk and students.ucreative.ac.uk.

  • How can I block a sender?

    • In Outlook Web Access go to "Settings" (the cog at the top right of the page)
    • Click “View all Outlook Settings” (at the bottom)
    • Choose "Junk Email".
    • To block senders (can be email addresses or domains) click on "Add" within the “Block Senders and Domains” section.

  • All of my emails are going to my Deleted Items folder

    You may have a Rule set to put all emails straight into your deleted items. If this is the case, you have probably clicked on a suspect link. Make sure you change your UCA password as soon as possible and scan your device for malware in case your account has been compromised.

    To turn the Rule off:

    • In Outlook Web Access go to "Settings" (the cog at the top right of the page)
    • Click “View all Outlook Settings” (at the bottom)
    • Choose "Rules".
    • Delete any rules you see that you have not created yourself.

  • I received an email from the ‘gateway’ saying my account was compromised, is this genuine?

    This email is likely to be genuine, but if you are unsure, please contact your campus IT Advisers for confirmation.

    Canterbury

    Tel: 01227 817 314

    gatewaycanterbury@uca.ac.uk

    Epsom

    Tel: 01372 202 551

    gatewayepsom@uca.ac.uk

    Farnham

    Tel: 01252 892 710

    gatewayfarnham@uca.ac.uk

  • My friends have said that I am emailing them from my Uni account when I’m not, what should I do?

    • Make sure you change your UCA password as soon as possible in case your account has been compromised.
    • Run a virus scan on all devices on which you have used your UCA account.
    • Check you have no Rules set up in your email (see All of my Emails are going to my Deleted Items folder).
    • Tell your friends not to open any of these emails and to delete them. If they have opened the emails and clicked on a link, they will need to follow the steps above.