Frequently Asked Questions

General Information about Southern Miss-Sponsored Gmail Accounts

Why is The University of Southern Mississippi switching to Gmail?

The University of Southern Mississippi is adopting Gmail for students e-mail. Gmail offers large storage capacity, voice and video chat, mobile access, spam and virus protection, and a powerful search. For the first time, Southern Miss students will be able to retain their @eagles.usm.edu addresses after they graduate.

Along with Gmail, Southern Miss students will have access to Google Calendar, Google Talk (IM), and Google Docs, all free to educational institutions. Over 6,000,000 students worldwide have moved to Gmail on their campuses

Who should I call or e-mail if I have a problem with Gmail?

You will call or go by the iTech help desk, which is located in Cook Library room 209 and is open for walk-in traffic from 8 a.m. - 10 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and on Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. The Help Desk can be reached via telephone at 601.266.HELP (4357) from 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Friday For more information, you can visit the iTech Web site at http://www.usm.edu/itech or place a Help Desk work order at http://www.usm.edu/itech/workorder.php.

Configuration of Your Southern Miss-Sponsored E-mail Account

Who is eligible?

At this point, the project is focusing on migrating students accounts to Eagles Apps @eagles.usm.edu. However, our signed agreement allows any Southern Miss faculty, staff or students to use Eagles Apps.

Do I have to switch?

Yes, Eagle Apps is the official Southern Miss e-mail for Southern Miss students. The University of Southern Mississippi expects all Southern Miss students to have an active Southern Miss e-mail account. Your e-mail account will be used by Southern Miss and classroom instructors to communicate important information. You should get in the habit of checking your e-mail account daily.

Will my e-mail address change?

Yes, it will. It will no longer be John.Doe@usm.edu, it will be John.Doe@eagles.usm.edu.

How do I change my current e-mail address to the new Eagle Apps e-mail?

By Feb. 1, 2010, all students will have their new "@eagles.usm.edu" e-mail address set up for them. All you will have to do follow these set up instructions to be able to access Eagle Apps.

How do I get my password for Eagle Apps?

This can be done by logging into SOAR and following this path Self Service --> USM Self-Service --> Activate E-mail. Then log into Eagle Apps ID to set a password of your choice. A detailed set of instructions can be found here.

I forgot my password, how do I reset it?

To reset your password you will need to go the EagleAppsID page. There you will be prompted to answer Challenge Questions you set up when you intially configured your EagleAppsID Account

Migration Process

How do I initially log in to my Eagle Apps @eagles.usm.edu account?

To log into Eagle Apps account you will need to follow the "Getting Started" directions. Those can be found here or by going to the Eagle Apps Web Site and clicking on Getting Started.

How do I move my existing SOUTHERN MISS Web mail e-mail into my Eagle Apps @eagles.usm.edu account?

Your old e-mail can be moved to your new Eagle Apps account using POP by following these directions. Once POP is set up, all of your old messages will be moved to your Eagle Apps account in a matter of minutes.

How long will my SOUTHERN MISS Web mail (@usm.edu) account remain available?

Your SOUTHERN MISS Webmail will remain accessible until March 1, 2010.

Will my e-mails that are sent to my @usm.edu address be rerouted to my @eagles.usm.edu address?

They will be rerouted beginning Feb. 1 until March 1, 2010 and within that timeframe all users will need to notify any contacts of the change in e-mail address.

If we have our USM e-mails forwarded to another account right now will they continue to be forwarded?

E-mails from "@usm.edu" accounts will continue to be forwarded until March 1, 2010 when "@usm.edu" servers will be disabled. After that point it will be the responsiblility of the student to set up forwards from their "@eagles.usm.edu" addresses. The University has an e-mail policy (Student E-mail Policy) that requires all students to have their university provided e-mail accounts set up.

Will I receive important e-mail from SOUTHERN MISS at my new account?

Yes. SOUTHERN MISS will use your @eagles.usm.edu address for all communication which will be handled at Google.

What if I already have a Gmail.com e-mail account?

Your Gmail.com account is separate from your Eagle Apps @eagles.usm.edu account. There is no association between the two of them. You may share calendars and Google Documents from one account to the other so that you may have the convenience of acessing them from either account.

What is the maximum size for an Eagle Apps @eagles.usm.edu attachment?

Eagle Apps @eagles.usm.edu limits the size of attachments to 20MB. Keep in mind that the recipient's e-mail system may not allow attachments of this size.

Can I keep my Eagle Apps @eagles.usm.edu account after I graduate?

Yes. You will be able to continue using your account after graduation.

How much space do I have on Eagle Apps @eagles.usm.edu and where is my e-mail stored?

You have over 7 Gigabytes of storage on Eagle Apps @eagles.usm.edu (more than 94 times the e-mail quota you now have), and your e-mail is stored in Google’s data storage centers.

Does iTech at Southern Miss provide support for Eagle Apps @eagles.usm.edu?

Of course! We'll continue to update these pages with links to the extensive help already developed by Google. If you have unique questions or concerns, you can send those to eagleapps@usm.edu.

Privacy and Security

How does Google protect my privacy?

Google upholds a strict privacy policy and is committed to respecting the privacy of the information Southern Miss students place in its systems by not giving that information to others or using it inappropriately.

You may read Google's FAQ on privacy and security and its privacy and security policies for a complete explanation of how they handle your information.

Google agrees that Southern Miss students’ data is subject to FERPA requirements: “To the extent that Google has access to ‘Education Records,’ it is deemed a ‘school official,’ as each of these terms is defined under FERPA. Google agrees to comply with its obligations under FERPA.”

Does Google share my personal information with outside organizations?

No. Google is committed to upholding the privacy of your personal information.

How secure is Eagle Apps @eagles.usm.edu? Does Google protect me from hackers, spam, viruses and phishing attacks?

Google has one of the best spam blockers in the business. It checks for viruses and blocks them by not allowing you to download executable files that could contain damaging code.

Will I see advertisements on my Eagle Apps @eagles.usm.edu account page?

No, you will not receive advertisements in Eagle Apps @eagles.usm.edu while you are a student at Southern Miss.

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