Pepperdine Email

Accessing your Pepperdine email couldn't be easier.

1. Go to email.pepperdine.edu.
2. Sign into Pepperdine CAS.

It's that easy!

Having trouble? Please contact Tech Central at 310.506.4357.

Additional Resources

• Use Google Workspace on your device (set up on mobile)
• Mobile tips (Google's suggestions when using Gmail on the go)

Before You Begin

Remember, you cannot store Restricted information within Google Workspace. Please review our Google Workspace Information Storage Policy and Google Workspace Information Security Standards for more information.

Setup Steps for University Staff and Faculty

For the best experience, we recommend the following steps when using Pepperdine Gmail:

1. Use Google Chrome. If you haven't already done so or if it's not already installed, please download Google Chrome and set Chrome as your default web browser.
2. Sign into Google Chrome on your personal or work device. Google Chrome allows you to manage multiple account profiles easily. Sign into Google Chrome with your Pepperdine University account to sync your bookmarks and settings. It also allows you to use the Phishing Alert feature in Gmail. Note: Never sign into any web browser on a public or shared computer.
3. Set Gmail as your default email client. When you click an email address to send a new message, be sure that Google Chrome is set as your default email client.

What is it?

Gmail is Google's cloud email solution. You can compose, read, reply, and manage email through a simple but powerful web interface. It's also mobile-friendly with apps for your modern smartphone.

Your Pepperdine email address is typically your first and last name, but may include a middle initial or a number. Examples include: Jane.Doe@pepperdine.edu, Jane.M.Doe@pepperdine.edu, or Jane.Doe2@pepperdine.edu.

Before You Begin

Remember, you cannot store Restricted information within Google Workspace. Please review our Google Workspace Information Storage Policy and Google Workspace Information Security Standards for more information.

How to Use Gmail

• Start sending mail (composing, replying, and forwarding messages)
• Change your Gmail profile picture
• Organize and find emails (using Search and Labels)
• Create labels to organize Gmail (more details about Labels)
• Create a Gmail signature (also see IMC's Pepperdine Unified Email Signature)
• Out of office or vacation reply (set your vacation responder)
• Create rules to filter your email
• Using Gmail offline (how to use Gmail when not connected to the internet)
• Download or update the Gmail app

You may learn more at the Google Workspace Learning Center and Gmail Support Center.

What is it?

The signatures feature of Gmail allows you to create a consistent and professional-looking ending to your email messages. You can determine whether a signature should be applied to new messages, replies, or both. You may also configure multiple signatures so that you can choose different options depending on the season, audience, or purpose of the message.

Elements of a signature typically include:

• A complimentary close, such as Sincerely, Thank you, With thanks, Respectfully, Best wishes, or Kind regards.
• Your Name
• Your Title
• Your Department, School, etc.
• Contact Phone Number(s)

Pepperdine Unified Email Signature

The University's Integrated Marketing and Communications (IMC) has established standards for all University employee email signatures. Kindly refer to the Pepperdine Unified Email Signature page to learn more.

Create a Gmail Signature

Creating a signature is easy. Please refer to Google's support article, Create a Gmail Signature.

Remember, you may copy and paste the Pepperdine Unified Email Signature templates to simplify the process.

University email is protected by multiple layers of spam filtering. All incoming email first passes through our dedicated Pepperdine Spam Filter before reaching Gmail, then Google's Spam Filter also checks for issues. Together, 99.9% of all spam is filtered before it has a chance to reach your inbox.

 

What is it?

Phishing is the fraudulent practice by outside parties to attempt to steal your information. The outside person or group sends you an email claiming to be from an official service (such as a bank, website, or workplace). The message looks real, with familiar company logos and wording. However, the links point to the criminal website and will try to trick you into giving them your personal information, account details, passwords, or other identification, demographic, or important details.

Don't Be Fooled!

Check for common signs of a phishing message:

• Unrecognized or unexpected sender (e.g. a supposed bank message coming from a generic Gmail account or a plumbing company)
• Outside website destination (e.g. website link points to a destination that is not the legitimate website of the supposed company)
• Spelling, grammar, and language issues (e.g. unprofessional or strange wording; misspellings; awkward phrasing)
• Demand for urgent action (e.g. your account has been compromised, your payment has been rejected, etc.)

 

 

What is it?

Attachments are files or links to files included with email messages. In Gmail, there are several ways to add file attachments. At Pepperdine, we also have the Pepperdine Secure Attachments service, too.

Before You Begin

Remember, you cannot store Restricted information within Google Workspace. Please review our Google Workspace Information Storage Policy and Google Workspace Information Security Standards for more information.

If your work requires you to send or share Restricted information, use only University-approved solutions, such as the Pepperdine Secure Attachments service below.

Gmail File Attachments

When you are composing new emails or replies, it's easy to send attachments and images in Gmail. You may upload files (the maximum file size is 25 MB) or link to documents stored in Google Drive.

Pepperdine Secure Attachments

Do you need to send a large file, send Restricted data, or send a confidential message? With Pepperdine Secure Attachments, you can:

• Send very large files (up to 20 GB!) that do not count against Google's email attachment size limits.
• Send encrypted attachments with links that require a login and will expire.
• Receive notifications when files are downloaded by the recipient(s).

 

Additional Resources

• Google Workspace Information Storage Policy
• Google Workspace Information Storage Standards
• Google Drive at Pepperdine

What is it?

Delegate Gmail Accounts are essentially "shared inboxes," where either a person has authorized other people to access their email to read and send messages on their behalf (such as an executive assistant) or a departmental email address where employees are added as authorized delegates of the department mailbox.

People will use Pepperdine Gmail via their computer web browser to access a Delegate Gmail Account via the Google Account drop-down menu at the top right. You cannot access a delegated mailbox through a mobile device.

Personal Delegation (Person-to-Person)

The account owner (Delegator) will use their Gmail Settings to grant other people access to their account. The authorized users (Delegates) will access the mailbox through the "Google Account" menu in a computer web browser.

Setting Up Delegation (Account Owner)

To authorize someone else to access your mailbox (to read, send, reply, and delete messages as well as adjust Gmail settings), follow the steps below:

1. Go to Pepperdine Gmail.
2. Select Settings (gear icon at the top right) and choose "See all settings."
3. Choose the Accounts tab.
4. Scroll down to the "Grant access to your account" section.
5. Select "Add another account."
6. Enter the full Pepperdine email address of the delegate (e.g., firstname.lastname@pepperdine.edu).
7. Select "Next Step."
8. Select "Send email to grant access."

Google will send the invitation to the user you entered. They must confirm within one week.

Per Google, it can take up to 24 hours before delegation will be available for the designated individual(s).

Accessing a Delegated Account (Delegate/Authorized User)

Once you have accepted/confirmed the invitation from the Account Owner/Delegator, use the following steps to access the mailbox:

1. Go to Pepperdine Gmail with your computer web browser (Google Chrome is recommended; you cannot use a mobile device or app).
2. Select the Google Account badge at the top right (Pepperdine logo and your account avatar).
3. Select the desired "Delegated" account from the list (e.g. the Delegator's name and email address).
4. A new browser tab will open with the Delegated mailbox.
5. You may now read, reply, compose new messages, and adjust the Account Owner's Gmail settings.

Removing a Delegate (Account Owner)

If a delegate, such as an administrative assistant, moves into a new role at the University, the account owner will want to remove access to the mailbox.

1. Go to Pepperdine Gmail.
2. Select Settings (the gear icon at the top right) and choose "See all settings."
3. Choose the Accounts tab.
4. Scroll down to the "Grant access to your account" section.
5. Select Delete next to the name you wish to remove.

 

Departmental Email Account (for a Team or Office)

A school, department, program, or team may request an email account for their unit. This will act as a Gmail account for centralized email for the unit. Unlike an individual Gmail account, however, there isn't a separate login for the mailbox. Instead, members log into their personal Pepperdine email and then access the department account through their Google Account menu in Gmail. In addition to email, a departmental Google account can also include a team Google Calendar.

Departments may also consider a "Collaborative Inbox" (a special Google Group) as an alternative method of managing email communication. See the "Google Groups" section on this page for more information.

Cost of a Departmental Email Account

Departmental mailboxes incur a one-time setup fee plus recurring monthly fees. The costs are listed on the request form. When making the request, the department must provide valid accounting chartfields.

Request a Departmental Email Account

The appropriate manager for a department or team should make the request.

1. Go to the "IT - Create or Modify Email or Google Group" form.
2. Complete the requestor information.
3. Select "Standard Email" to request a departmental Gmail account.
4. Enter the proposed Email Address (e.g., department.name@pepperdine.edu) and Display Name (how the account will appear when someone searches for the name in the directory or receives the email). Important: There are five schools and multiple departments at Pepperdine. Do not request an email address that is so generic it can be confused with other areas of the University.
5. Choose "Add User(s)" to specify who should be granted delegate access to the new account.
6. Complete the rest of the form, including the accounting chartfields.
7. Select Submit.

Requests can take 3-5 business days to complete on average.

Update Membership for a Departmental Delegate Email Account

1. Go to the "IT - Delegate Access & Departmental Account Access" form (aka, "Access to Department Email").
2. Enter the requestor information.
3. Search for a person who you wish to add (Firstname Lastname). Tip: If you don't find a match, use the person's formal name instead of a nickname.
4. Specify the departmental email account for the change.
5. Choose the action:
   • Add: Grant the person delegate access to the account.
   • Remove: Revoke delegate access to the account.
   • Change: Update an existing delegate's level of access, such as allowing them to edit the account's calendar instead of just viewing it.
6. Submit the form.

Repeat for each additional person.

 

Additional Resources

• Delegate and collaborate on email (for personal delegation)
• Delegate a user's email address (learn more about delegation and how to use it)

What is it?

Google Groups empowers our community to stay connected to or share content with groups of people. Google Groups may also be called distribution lists, listservs, or discussion groups. Managers of a group can update the group memberships themselves. Groups make it easy to share documents with all group members, and even invite an entire group to a calendar event (rather than adding each person individually!). Managers can also determine who can send messages to the group and allow others to co-manage the group settings and the member list.

The automated class site distribution lists, for example, are powered by Google Groups. See the separate section on "Class Distribution Lists" for more information about those groups.

Types of Google Groups

Google Groups are very flexible and can be used for a number of purposes:

• Class Distribution Lists
• Departmental Collaborative Inboxes
• Department, School, or Program Internal Communication Lists
• Role-based Lists (e.g., All Faculty, All Students, etc.)
• Team, Project, or Group Announcement Lists
• Team, Project, or Group Discussion Boards

Access Pepperdine Google Groups

Pepperdine University community members can visit groups.pepperdine.edu to access Pepperdine Google Groups.

Google Groups Basics

• Find all the groups you own or manage
• Add or remove members
• Set who can view, post, or moderate the group
• Set auto replies for a group
• How to collaborate with a group (share files or calendar events)
• How to favorite groups, manage subscriptions, and other settings

Request a Google Group

A school or department may request a Google Group.

1. Go to the "IT - Create or Modify Email of Google Group" form.
2. Complete the requestor information.
3. Select "Google Group."
4. Enter the proposed "Email Address" (e.g., department.name@pepperdine.edu) and "Display Name" (how the account will appear when someone searches for the name in the directory or receives the email). Important: There are five schools and multiple departments at Pepperdine. Do not request an email address that is so generic it can be confused with other areas of the University.
5. Choose "Add User(s)."
6. Decide who can email the group.
   • "Group Managers Only" - Choose this option for a managed announcement list and group for easy document and calendar event sharing with members.
   • "Group Members Only" - Choose this option for an internal department email list and group for easy document and calendar event sharing with members.
   • "Anyone at Pepperdine University" - Choose this option to limit incoming messages to only active Pepperdine University Gmail accounts. It also offers a group for easy document and calendar event sharing for group members.
   •  "Anyone inside or outside of Pepperdine University" - Choose this option to allow anyone to email the group, such as prospective students who don't have a Pepperdine email account, third-party vendors, or other outside contacts. It also offers a group for easy document and calendar event sharing for group members.
7. Enter the Purpose of the group. Why is this group necessary, what official purpose does it serve, etc.
8. In the Additional Comments, please provide details such as whether this should be a standard Google Group or a Collaborative Inbox.
9. Submit the form.

Requests can take 3-5 business days to complete.

Differences Between a Collaborative Inbox Group and a Departmental Gmail Account

A "Collaborative Inbox" is a special type of Google Group that can be used by a team or department to handle email. A Collaborative Inbox Group and Departmental/Delegated Gmail Accounts share a lot in common. They both can send and receive email messages, for example. When deciding what type of email option is best for your team or department, consider the features of each approach and choose the option that works best for your team.

Table Comparing Collaborative Inbox Google Groups with Departmental Email Accounts

Goal	Collaborative Inbox Group	Department Gmail Account
Access Email	Computer web browser, Mobile web browser	Computer web browser only
Easy Google Drive sharing for all members	Yes	No
Easy Calendar event sharing for all members	Yes	No
Separate Team Calendar available	No*	Yes (optional)
Compose Email	Yes	Yes
Receive and Reply to Email	Yes	Yes
Forward Email	Yes	Yes
Assign Messages	Yes, includes automatic notifications to assignees	Define custom Labels
Mark Complete	Yes	Define custom Labels
Mark as Duplicate	Yes	Define custom Labels
Mark as No Action Needed	Yes	Define custom Labels
Star Conversations	Yes	Yes
Lock Conversations	Yes	No
Add Labels	Yes	Yes
Member Management	Yes (Multiple managers can be defined to add/remove members)	Request updates (Submit Etrieve form)
Spam Handling	Yes	Yes
Use Phish Alert	No	Yes
Auto-Responder	Yes, multiple options	Vacation responder
Subscription	Yes (every message, subscribed threads, a daily digest, or no messages)	No
Drafts	No	Yes
Undo Send	No	Yes (optional setting)

* Note: A shared calendar can be created by a member of the team and shared with other team members. However, if that person separates from the University, the calendar will be deleted once the account is deleted.

What is it?

Class Distribution Lists are powered by Google Groups. The University automatically creates class lists for all classes each semester. Official student and faculty enrollments are updated on a daily basis during the term. Each list allows instructors and students of the particular course to communicate with the entire class quickly via email or to quickly share files and folders in Google Drive.

Only officially enrolled students are included in a managed class list. Waitlisted or auditing students are not included. Teaching Assistants and Graduate Assistants are also not included but can be manually added by the instructor.

How are Class Lists Named?

Each class is given a unique list name based on the class subject, class number, section number, academic term, and year. To find a list in Gmail, a faculty member or student would search for the class subject abbreviation (e.g., ENG for English), class number (e.g., 101), class section (e.g., .01), and the term number, term label, and year.

Example: ENG 101.01 for Spring 2013 would be named "eng101.01-2spring2013@pepperdine.edu" (without the quotes)

Tip: When composing an email, start with the subject and number (e.g., "eng101" without quotes or spaces). Gmail will present available matches. Narrow your search by adding the section value (e.g., "eng101.01"). Be careful to choose the correct semester!

When are Class Lists Created and Removed?

Class lists are created and removed on a routine basis. Lists are created roughly a month before the start of a new semester and then removed one to three months after the end of a semester. 

Schedule of Class Distribution List Creation and Removal

Academic Term	Class List Creation Date	Class List Removal Date
Fall	August 1*	March 31*
Spring	December 1*	July 31*
Summer	April 1*	November 30^

* Note: Lists will be created or removed on a business day. If the date falls upon a weekend, then the lists will be created or removed on the next business day. The list creation process can take 1-2 business days to create the groups and populate the faculty and student members. Once created, enrollments are updated on a daily basis.

Managing a Class List

Student and instructor enrollments for class lists are automated based on daily feeds from WaveNet. Instructors do not need to add or remove official student enrollments.

If an instructor needs to add a Teaching Assistant, Graduate Assistant, or academic administrator for communication or document sharing, the instructor will modify the group membership. It is the responsibility of the instructor to add any additional, authorized users and always to be mindful of FERPA and privacy considerations when doing so.

What is it?

Google Contacts allows you to create individual contacts and contact groups (not to be confused with Google Groups).

How to Use Google Contacts

1. Create contacts and contact groups
2. Email contacts and contact groups
3. How to search, update, and delete contacts and contact groups

What is it?

Bulk email (aka, Mail merge) is the process of sending a single message to many recipients. The types of messages can include notices about updates or outages, special announcements, and promotions. Senders often want to know the status of large sends, such as the number of messages sent, the number opened, and the number bounced or undeliverable.

Options for Bulk Email

The University provides two main ways to send bulk email messages:

1. University Email Marketing (Salesforce Marketing Cloud through IMC)
2. Yet Another Mail Merge (YAMM) (through Google Sheets and Gmail)

Additional Resources

• University Email Policies, Standards, and Practices (by IMC)
• Gmail sending limits in Google Workspace
• Google Groups policies and limits

Pepperdine Gmail Videos

• Composing a Message
• Using Labels in Gmail
• Using Filters in Gmail
• Gmail Search
• Gmail Settings
• Gmail Navigation

Additional Resources

• IT Training
• Google Workspace Learning Center
• LinkedIn Learning
• Pepperdine ISO: Anti-Phishing Tips