The introduction of Office 365 for student email has caused problems with email apps on tablets and phones, but the university has posted information on how to fix those issues.
This system was an update from the old Microsoft Live@EDU system which SHU had been using since 2009.
"When I use the tablet's app and on my phone, I can't go back to emails I received over a week ago," junior Matt Gay said. "Sometimes I can't even go back more than three days. It's just weird."
Some students say the app isn't always reliable when they need to access their emails, instead they use a browser. "Sometimes when I use the app, it freezes while I'm trying to open an email or respond to an email, so I just use a browser if I need to get to them," junior Maria Makil said.
Chief information officer Stephen Landry said that these problems are easy fixes. He said students should refer to the school website's technology page to find the answers to their questions. Landry also said a useful tool for student problems can be the FAQ's section of the technology page.
According to Landry, in order for the Windows 8 "mail" tile app to work efficiently, it needs to be re-configured on each student's tablet or laptop because the servers moved from from Live@EDU to Office 365. Students were advised to do this earlier this year when the update was announced.
Landry said that while there may be some problems, they are easily dealt with and this version of Microsoft's email system is an improvement from the last system.
"All software companies release periodic updates of their software, and Microsoft is no exception," he said. "Microsoft Office 365 offers many improvements over the old Live@EDU email system, including a modernized user interface that is more tablet friendly. Office 365 provides more storage, including 25 gigabytes of online file storage."
The update to the system also has new services such as Skydrive Pro, which is for file storing and sharing, and Lync, which is an online messaging and video conferencing system. Both services are linked to the University's contact book, which makes it that much easier to keep in touch with professors and other faculty members, according to Landry.
Eric Hostlettler can be reached at eric.hostlettler@student.shu.edu.
