Email

 

All students, staff, and faculty receive an @gfcmsu.edu email account that can be accessed via Microsoft Outlook Web Access (OWA), the Outlook desktop application on PCs and Mac computers, and the Outlook mobile application on iOS and Android mobile phones and tablets, for the duration of their time as a student, staff, or faculty member at Great Falls College MSU.

Please see instructions below for how to access, setup, and use each of these. 

 

Find Your @gfcmsu.edu Email Address

You can use Outlook Web Access to easily find your official @gfcmsu.edu email address. 

  1. Open your web browser and go to https://outlook.office.com.
  2. Enter your NetID@gfcmsu.edu when prompted to enter your "Email address, phone number, or Skype" and click Next. (Note: Your NetID@gfcmsu.edu is NOT your email address.)
  3. Enter the password you use for Brightspace and Banner Web/MyInfo and click Sign In.
  4. If you are prompted to "Stay Signed In?":
    • On Your Own Personal Computer - Click Yes or No.
    • On A Shared Or Public Computer - Click No.
  5. You are now signed into Outlook on the web.
  6. Click on your avatar/image or initials in the top right corner and click View Account. 
  7. On the My Account page, below your avatar/image or initials and name, you should see your official @gfcmsu.edu email address. 

 

Your email address should be your firstname.lastname@gfcmsu.edu, like mark.twain@gfcmsu.edu. 

In some cases, it may include a number after your last name, like charles.dickens5@gfcmsu.edu.

In some rare cases, it may be your firstinitial.lastname@gfcmsu.edu, like f.dostoevsky@gfcmsu.edu. (This typically only occurs with very long last names.)

Use Outlook In Your Web Browser

  1. Open your web browser and go to https://outlook.office.com.
  2. Enter your NetID@gfcmsu.edu when prompted to enter your "Email address, phone number, or Skype" and click Next. (Note: Your NetID@gfcmsu.edu is NOT your email address.)
  3. Enter the password you use for Brightspace and Banner Web/MyInfo and click Sign In.
  4. If you are prompted to "Stay Signed In?":
    • On Your Own Personal Computer - Click Yes or No.
    • On A Shared Or Public Computer - Click No.
  5. You are now signed into Outlook on the web.
  • The page is split into 3 columns by default: (from left to right) accounts and folders, inbox, message pane.
  • Click on an email from the inbox (middle column) to view the message in the message pane (right column).
  • Reply, reply all, and forward buttons are located at the top and bottom of each message. Compose a new message by clicking on New Message near the top left corner of the page. 
  • Delete a message by clicking on it from the inbox and either clicking the Delete button or hitting the Delete key on your computer keyboard.

Use The Outlook Application On Your Computer

These instructions assume you have installed Microsoft Office and already have the Outlook application installed on your computer.

 

  1. Open Outlook on your PC (press the Windows key, type Outlook, and press enter when it is selected) or Mac (press the Command key + the spacebar to open Spotlight. Then type Outlook and press enter when it shows as selected). 
  2. If this is your first time opening Outlook it may prompt you to add your account. 
    • If Outlook opens but does not prompt you to add your account and there is no mail or folders showing in the folder list or inbox:
      • Windows - Click on File > Add Account.
      • Mac - Click on Tools > Accounts > the plus icon near the bottom left > New Account.
  3. Enter your @gfcmsu.edu email address and click Continue. (If you don't know your @gfcmsu.edu email address, please see the instructions above.)
  4. The next screen will say Sign In and may carry over your email address, but we will need to change it. On the Sign In screen, enter your NetID@gfcmsu.edu and click Next.
  5. Enter the password you use for Brightspace and Banner Web/MyInfo and click Sign In. 
  6. From this point on, all you should need to do is open Outlook and it should check for and download any new messages.

Use The Outlook Application On Your Mobile Device

These instructions assume you already have the Outlook application installed on your iOS or Android mobile device. If it is not installed, you can download and install it by going to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and searching for Microsoft Outlook.

 

  1. Open the Outlook app on your mobile device. 
  2. If this is your first time opening the Outlook app it may prompt you to add your account with a Get Started button. 
    • If Outlook opens but does not prompt you to add your account: 
      • iOS and Android - Click on your avatar or initials in the top left corner of the screen, click the icon of an envelope with a plus sign on it, and then click Add Email Account.
  3. Enter your @gfcmsu.edu email address and click Continue. (If you don't know your @gfcmsu.edu email address, please see the instructions above.)
  4. The next screen will say Sign In and may carry over your email address, but we will need to change it. On the Sign In screen, enter your NetID@gfcmsu.edu and click Next.
  5. Enter the password you use for Brightspace and Banner Web/MyInfo and click Sign In. 
  6. From this point on, Outlook will be checking for new messages in the background and display a notification when you receive new messages.

Login to the Brightspace Office 365 Widget

Students and instructors are now able to sign into their GFCMSU provided Microsoft Office account from within a widget on the Brightspace My Home page. Once signed in, you will have fast access to your student email, calendar, and OneDrive files.

 

  1. Go to https://elearning.gfcmsu.edu and use the Brightspace login box to sign into your Brightspace account. 
  2. Look for the Office 365 widget. On a wide desktop computer screen, it will be on the right side next to Announcements. On narrower screens, such as mobile devices, you may have to scroll down to locate it. 
  3. Click on the button that says Sign in to your Office365 account.
  4. A new browser tab or window should open asking for your email, phone, or Skype. In that box, enter your NetID@gfcmsu.edu and click next.
    • If you have signed into your GFCMSU Office account in this browser before, you may see your NetID@gfcmsu.edu listed. If so, all you need to do is click on it and it should not ask for your password. 
    • If you have used this browser with a non-GFCMSU Office account before, you may see an account with your personal email address. If you see this, click on Add Account and follow steps 4 and 5. 
  5. The next screen should be asking for your password. Enter the password that you set from the Password Reset Portal.
  6. Click Submit. 
    • You may be asked if you want to save the login. As long as you are on your own personal computer, it is safe to click Yes. However, if you are on a public computer, please click No. 
  7. The new tab or window should close and take you back to Brightspace, with the Office 365 widget signed into your account.
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