What Happens When You Leave Drexel
When you leave Drexel University, eventually you must also relinquish most or all of your Drexel email account services. Here are some tips to make the transition less painful.
1. Identify a new email service provider
When your Drexel account is closed, you'll most likely need a new service for reading and storing your email messages.
- You might have another email account already set up where you work or study.
- If you have Internet service at home, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) probably includes one or more email account(s) as part of the service you are already paying for. Verizon, Comcast and AOL are examples of ISPs.
- There are a number of free internet email services. Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail are popular services - each service has different benefits and limitations.
- If you activated any student LinkEdu email accounts during your time with the University, those accounts remain yours indefinitely. You may choose to read and store your email there.
2. Notify correspondents of your new email address
When your Drexel account is closed, your @drexel.edu email addresses will stop working. Email sent to those addresses from that point on will be returned to sender as undeliverable except under special circumstances
Only alumni have a special long-term email forwarding privilege. Mail sent to your userid@drexel.edu address or your official email address may be forwarded to an external email address of your choice. (Note: Your personal alias, if any, is no longer valid.) You must contact an Accounts Manager to arrange for forwarding before the rest of your account is closed. Alumni are also eligible for a permanent @alum.drexel.edu email forwarding address, provided by Alumni Relations.
3. Copy any messages you wish to keep
There are a few different ways to retrieve your mail from the Drexel mail server.
Option 1: Use an email program on your personal computer (e.g. Outlook, Outlook Express) and configure the client for IMAP protocol. Once configured, move all mail (inbox, sent and other folders) from your account (imap.mail.drexel.edu) to the respective folders that are located on your machine. In Outlook, these folders are called Personal Folders; in Outlook Express, they are called Local Folders.
Option 2: Log into http://webmail.drexel.edu and forward all important messages to your new email account. (This option works well when there are only a handful of messages you wish to save.)
Option 3: Yahoo and Gmail both offer services which allow you to move messages from your Drexel inbox into your Yahoo or Gmail account. (Important: This only imports the inbox, not sent messages or other email folders.) Other providers may offer this service as well. Settings for email retrieval:
- Mail Server: pop.mail.drexel.edu
- Port: 995 (override the default POP port)
- Secure connection
- Your own Drexel email userid and password
Additional information:
4. Allow enough time
These steps are all much easier if you allow enough time to set up what you need for the transition.
5. We're here to help
Please call the IRT Help Desk at 215-895-2020 and ask to speak to an Accounts Manager. You can also email accounts@drexel.edu.
