Important information: alumni email accounts
After careful consideration, the University will soon be ending the provision of alumni email accounts for life.
This article explains why the decision has been made and provides information on what happens next.
Why is the University making this change?
The University’s digital environment is facing the threat of increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks and protecting our systems, data, and community is our priority. Following a recent security review and a cyber incident involving compromised alumni email accounts, we identified that long‑standing alumni accounts carry particular risks over time.
Unlike staff and student accounts, alumni email accounts are not actively monitored on a day‑to‑day basis and are not protected by the same modern security measures, such as mandatory multi‑factor authentication.
While we explored a range of options, maintaining additional security protections for a very large number of long‑term, low‑usage accounts would not fully remove these risks and would significantly divert limited IT support resources. In line with approaches now taken by many universities, we have decided to phase out this service, as a necessary step to ensure the long‑term security and resilience of the University’s systems.
When will my alumni email account be closed?
Your alumni email account will remain active until 14 September 2026. After this date, the account will be permanently closed.
Additional reminders will be communicated to alumni ahead of the service closure.
What will happen to my data?
After your account closes, your alumni email account and any remaining data will be securely deleted in line with the University’s data protection and information security policies. Once deleted, this data cannot be recovered.
What do I need to do before my account closes?
Before the closure date, please ensure that you:
- Back up any important emails, contacts, or attachments you wish to keep
- Update any external services (such as banking, subscriptions, professional accounts, or social media) that currently use your alumni email address
- Provide the University with an alternative personal email address so we can continue to stay in touch
I’ve forgotten my password — what should I do?
If you are unable to access your alumni email account and need assistance, please contact the IT Service Desk on +44 (0)121 414 7171.
How will the University stay in touch with alumni?
The University remains firmly committed to maintaining a lifelong relationship with its alumni. While the alumni email service is ending, all other alumni communications, benefits, and engagement opportunities remain unchanged.
To continue receiving updates, news, events, and opportunities, please ensure your contact details are up to date via our online form.
I have further questions.
For any additional queries, please get in touch with the IT Service Desk.