IPFW Home
IT ResourcesTitle Photo

On-Line Communication with Students

Student E-Mail Overview
How do you reach them?
How do they reach you?
Other Tools

Diagram of the campus computing environment

Student E-Mail Overview

  • All registered students at IPFW are provided e-mail accounts on a computer we call Netmail. The account is theirs to use as long as they maintain their student status with IPFW.
  • Netmail is a web based email system. Students can read their mail through the web interface, use a POP mail program or they can forward their e-mail to another address, like AOL, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.
  • Generally, a student's Netmail username looks like: LLLLFMnn
    where the LLLL indicates the first four letters of the last name, F is the first initial, M is the middle initial, and nn is a number starting with 01.
  • The e-mail address is: username@ipfw.edu
  • In order to use their accounts, students must activate their IDs by going through a sequence of steps involving entering information on a Web page.
  • Students may access their e-mail accounts from Open Access Computing Labs, e-mail Quick Stations in IPFW building lobbies and lounges, or by dialing in from home.
  • For more information, check the Student E-Mail at IPFW page (http://www.its.ipfw.edu/resources/email/studentemail.shtml).

How do you reach them?

  • Obtain a student's e-mail address by:
    • Asking them what it is.
    • Noting it in the From: field of messages they send to you - or - finding it in your Frequent Contacts Address Book in GroupWise.
    • Looking them up IPFW Student Directory online ("/news/lookupstu.html"). Remember, the Web online directory only includes those students that have requested inclusion and does not include all activated accounts.
  • Use a Eudora mail distribution list
    • Using Eudora Pro 4.0 from your office, faculty may use internal, system-generated Eudora mailing lists by course section (for Windows 95/98, or NT; Macintosh users with their own license may be able to add this feature). These are maintained in your Eudora address book by department. Each list is designated by the course name and section numbers. The lists are updated several times a week to reflect the additional students who have activated their e-mail accounts. Note:the lists only contain ACTIVATED Netmail addresses but, unlike the Web directory discussed above, they include all activated accounts.
  • Use a listserv
    • Have a listserv created:
      1. Request the generation of a one semester expiring or unlimited non-expiring, course listserv from IT Services. A copy of the listserv form is available online at http://www.its.ipfw.edu/forms/listserv.html.
      2. Instruct your students to subscribe to the list from their NIMS e-mail or off-campus, personal e-mail account.
        1. address a message to: listserv@listserv.ipfw.edu
        2. In the body of the message, write:
        3. subscribe name-of-list i.e., subscribe ZAN260
        4. After subscribing to the list, post to the list in the following manner:
          name-of-list@listserv.ipfw.edu i.e., ZAN260@listserv.ipfw.edu
        5. You may also subscribe them yourself using the listserv Web page or by e-mail.
        6. An acknowledgement message will be returned to the student when the subscription is entered successfully.
      4. Both students and the instructor can use the list to address mail to all subscribers.
      5. Students replying to a message sent via this listserv will be replying only to the sender unless they specify to "reply to all" which will post the reply to the whole list.

  • Instructions for Managing your ListServ
    • Log onto the Network.
    • From your Internet browser type the following URL: http://mail.ipfw.edu/.
    • When the face-page for Post.Office loads, it would be advisable to Bookmark the page.
    • Complete the E-Mail address box (your_username@ipfw.edu) and fill in either the initial Post.Office password that you were assigned or if you have changed your initial password, the new password that you have set. Using your mouse pointer, single left-click on [Authenticate]. If you receive an Error message click your Browser's [Back] button, and re-enter your information. Remember: The Post.Office system is case-sensitive.
    • On the "Account Management" screen, single left-click to choose [Mailing Lists].
    • Choose "Manage Owned Mailing Lists," which displays all lists under your control and provides access to various moderation mechanisms.
    • Don't forget, there is excellent on-line Help available with this software.
    • Note: Be sure to single left-click on [Submit] to save changes to your listserv.

What other communication tools are available?

  • eLearning (formerly WebCT): eLearning is an on-line course environment supported through the campus Distance Education Committee and CELT. The Web-based system offers a number of components that facilitate interaction, like bulletin boards, chat, on-line grade book, internal e-mail, etc. Although intended as a total course distribution system, some components may work as addons to a traditional classroom-based course. Support for its use is provided by IT Services, IPFW's Distributed Education Instructional Designer, Continuing Studies and CELT.
  • NetTutor: Take the chat room concept and make it graphical. NetTutor is a new distance learning environment for the dissemination of mathematical and graphical content. It is a web-based graphical chat, allowing students to use their own computers to access learning materials in a non-linear fashion or in realtime with live corresponding tutors. Instructors are provided with the tools needed for easy management of classrooms and subject materials. It may be accessed with a Java-enabled browser by going to http://www.nettutor.com

How do they reach you?

  • You can give them your preferred e-mail address in your syllabus. However, they can also use the System Wide Addressbook in NIMS to retrieve all faculty/staff e-mail addresses. The System Wide Addressbook contains the e-mail addresses of all IPFW faculty and staff with a campus e-mail account. System Wide Addressbook information is updated daily throughout the semester.

Note: If you want students to send you files via e-mail, instruct them to use Netmail or some other POP3 compatible email program.