Northwest Email FAQ

Email has great importance in business and education and its impact on daily communication practices is undeniable and far reaching. Every day, millions of emails are sent from companies to customers, employees to other employees and students to faculty. Northwest provides each member of its campus community, including its recognized organizations, with University email accounts via Office 365 (Outlook).

You & Northwest Email

Northwest Missouri State University provides email services to faculty, staff and students, as well as, miscellaneous organizational and departmental accounts.

Faculty, staff and students can use the pre-loaded Microsoft Outlook software, which provides calendar and note-taking features, on their Northwest-issued laptop computers to manage their Northwest email. Northwest's Information Technology department encourages faculty, staff and students to use Outlook.

Note: You cannot change your Northwest Network Account password within the Outlook desktop or mobile app. However, you can change your password within email when using a web browser on a desktop or laptop computer.

While Northwest does not routinely monitor email, email should never be considered entirely private. The following best practices help to ensure your privacy as well as the privacy of others:

Email is easily misdirected due to misspellings, therefore, be careful to ensure an email address is correct before sending a message.
If you receive a message that you do not understand, keep in mind it might not be directed to you or it might be trying to get you to respond for "phishing" purposes.
Never read another person’s email messages. Email is no different than mail received through the post office.
Avoid using threatening and hateful terminology in your email messages.
While messages are in transit, they may pass through several systems where people can read them or print them.
Always avoid giving out sensitive information about yourself or others via email unless you know for sure who is asking for the information.
Email may be used in litigation or by employers who monitor the internal communications on their company’s network. Thus, if you would not want someone else other than the recipient to read the message, then do not send it by email.
Avoid opening questionable email attachments or links due to viruses and phishing schemes!
- Call before you click! 660.562.1634

BEWARE OF PHISHING SCAMS! THEY WANT YOUR INFORMATION!

How do I change my Northwest email password?

You can change your Northwest Network Account password, also used for Northwest Email, through Outlook for Web. See Understanding Your Northwest Login Credentials for other options to change your password.

Note: These steps must be performed in a web browser on a laptop or desktop computer.

Open a web browser such as Chrome or Firefox.
Log into your Northwest Email.
Click the circle in the top right corner of the page displaying your Inbox.
- The circle should contain either your profile picture or some of your initials.
Click View Account.
Click Change Password.
Enter your current password in the Old password field.
Enter your new password in the Create new password box and the Confirm new password box.
- See Understanding Your Northwest Login Credentials for password complexity requirements.
Click Submit.
If you see a profile page, your password has been successfully changed.

How do I login to Northwest Email?

Northwest Email can be accessed online through the Bearcat Login page.

You can also set up and use Microsoft Outlook on your Northwest-issued laptop or desktop computer rather than going out to the web. Outlook is available on all Northwest-issued laptops and desktops and you are encouraged to use this software.

You will login to your Northwest Email with your Northwest Network Account username and password.

How do I set up Microsoft Outlook on my Northwest-issued laptop?

Once set up, you can use Outlook to receive your Northwest email on your Northwest-issued laptop without having to use a web browser. However, you will need an active internet connection to receive email through Outlook.

Click Start.
Click Outlook.
- You can also type Outlook in the Windows search box.
If this is the first time you are logging into Outlook, a configuration window will appear.
Enter your Northwest email address.
Click Connect.
Enter your Northwest Network Account password.
Click Sign in.
Uncheck Allow my organization to manage my device.
Click Ok.
Uncheck Set up Outlook Mobile on my phone, too.
- If you would like to use the app on your smartphone, you may leave this checked.
Click Done.
Once Outlook opens, close and reopen it.
If you have any difficulty during setup, contact the Northwest Technology Service Center at 660.562.1634!

To set up Outlook to work successfully with your Northwest Email on a non-university provided computer, please see the Microsoft Outlook/Office 365 help page.

How do I set up my Northwest Email on my smartphone?

Due to Northwest Email accounts being set up to use multifactor authentication, you will need to download and install the Microsoft Outlook app on your smartphone. Once the Outlook app is installed on your phone, you will need to add your Northwest email account to the app. See the appropriate section below for the installation and set up steps based on the type of operating system on your device.

Apple iOS

Open the App Store.
Search Outlook.
Install the Outlook app.
Select Outlook.
Enter your Northwest email address.
Select Sign in.
When the page loads, enter your Northwest Network Account password.
Select Sign in.
When prompted, follow the on-screen steps for verifying your identity.
When prompted to add another account, select Maybe Later.
If you have any difficulty during setup, contact the Northwest Technology Service Center at 660.562.1634.

Android

Open the Play Store.
Search Outlook.
Install the Outlook app.
Select Outlook.
Select Add Account.
Enter your Northwest email address.
When the page loads, enter your Northwest Network Account password.
Select Sign in.
When prompted, follow the on-screen steps for verifying your identity.
When prompted to add another account, select Maybe Later.
If you have any difficulty during setup, contact the Northwest Technology Service Center at 660.562.1634.

How can I email someone at Northwest if I do not know their email address?

The university's global address list is available within Northwest email accounts so that faculty, staff and students may look up and email other Northwest students, faculty and staff without having to know the person's full email address.

Once you start a new email message in Outlook, you can simply click on the To: and Northwest's entire global address list will appear. You can also click To: in Outlook and type a person's full name in the Search textbox. Then double-click the name of the person you want to put them in the To: field and click Ok.

Do I have personal file storage through my Northwest Email?

Yes, you do have personal file storage, which you can access by logging into your Northwest Email. File storage is 1 terabyte in OneDrive. To access OneDrive, log into your Northwest Email using a web browser and click on the app launcher icon (located in the top left corner).

Microsoft Office 365 app icons

How long do I get to keep my Northwest email account?

Northwest students get to keep active Northwest Network Account login credentials, which allows access to Northwest Email, for one full year after withdrawing or graduating from the University. The exception to this rule is for students who are expelled from the University due to disciplinary action.

Northwest faculty and staff Northwest Network Accounts including email access are immediately locked after their last shift or after 5 p.m. on their last full day of scheduled work.

Information Technology | 660.562.1634 | helpdesk@nwmissouri.edu