News Archives

As UBC completes its transition to Microsoft Exchange Online, we are implementing automated email alias management for faculty and staff accounts (@ubc.ca), effective October 15, 2025. This change affects how email aliases are created and managed across the university.

What's Changing

Beginning October 15, email alias management will be automated.

New Employees: Will receive automated preferredfirstname.preferredlastname@ubc.ca (preferredFN.preferredLN@UBC.ca) aliases based on the Enterprise Data Governance Naming Standards, and their preferred first and last names captured in Workday during the hiring process. Central HR has modified their workflowto ensure that preferred names are captured during this process. If a preferred name is not set in Workday, then the legal first and last names are used. If there are duplicates of the same first and last name, then a numerical sequence is assigned (e.g., preferredFN.preferredLN2@UBC.ca).

The preferredFN.preferredLN@UBC.ca is also used as username login for the M365 environment.

Existing Employees: Email alias modifications will require IT Service Desk tickets under the following circumstances only:

• Legal name changes processed through HR
• Preferred name updates documented in Workday
• Correction of data entry errors, if exists
• Privacy or safety concerns
• Other exceptional circumstances with appropriate approval

Department Administrators: Will no longer manage preferredFN.preferredLN@UBC.ca aliases through the UBC Directory interface.

Alias Forwarding: preferredFN.preferredLN@UBC.ca will be tied exclusively to FASmail mailboxes and used as login IDs for the M365 service. Users can forward email from their M365 FASmail mailbox to approved domains that are compliant with the Information Security Standard (U3). For more information around email forwarding, see Assessed FASmail Forwarding Domains for a list of compliant email forwarding domains.

CWL My Account/Simplified Sign Up: Manual alias selection option during account setup will be removed.

Why This Change

This transition:

• Streamlines automatic onboarding processes for new employees
• Facilitates direct access to Microsoft 365 and Exchange Online cloud environment for the eligible users when joining UBC
• Avoids risks associated with users changing their email login credentials
• Improves security/identity management
• Ensures consistency with UBC's data governance standards

What This Means for Departments

• HR teams should ensure accurate name information is entered in Workday at hiring
• After October 15, users who wish to change their preferredFN.preferredLN@UBC.ca alias should be directed to update their preferred name in Workday, then to submit a ticket to the IT Service Centre
• Exceptional alias changes will be managed by the ITSC through a modified Departmental FASmail Administrator approval process

Not Affected

• Existing preferredFN.preferredLN@UBC.ca email addresses remain unchanged
• Student email accounts (separate process)
• Generic/shared mailbox processes

Find Out More

Visit the Email Alias Management page on the M365@UBC site for more details about this change, and Data Standards | Office of the CIO for more information about UBC’s naming standards.

With a new academic year upon us, UBC offers helpful IT resources you may require for your studies at UBC: 

The UBC Integrated Service Centre and the UBC Cybersecurity team are aware of recent news regarding a data breach involving Workday Community. Workday Community is Workday's official online platform where customers get support and access resources about Workday products. It is used only by staff providing technical Workday support across UBC, and is completely separate from UBC's Workday system, which manages HR, student, and finance data.

Please note:

• This breach affects Workday Community only. It does not involve the UBC Workday system.
• Workday Community does not contain any UBC Workday data.
• CWL accounts are not compromised.
• UBC Workday data is not compromised.

Attackers may attempt to exploit the publicity of this breach to launch phishing campaigns. Be extra vigilant, particularly with emails or messages claiming to be about Workday account security. These may urge you to click on a link to "recover your password" or "secure your account".

What you should do:

• Always be aware of emails with a yellow banner stating [CAUTION: Non-UBC Email].
• Never click links or provide your CWL credentials to non-UBC websites.
• If you receive a suspicious email, or if you believe you may have entered your credentials into a fraudulent site, report it immediately to UBC Cybersecurity at security@ubc.ca.
• Remember: UBC will never contact you to request your password or MFA code.

UBC is conducting a thorough review and will provide direct communication to any affected parties as necessary.

We're in the final laps of the M365 Email migration project and have a lot to share. Below you'll find where we're at, what's changing, and what (if anything) you need to do. Thanks to everyone across UBC who helped us get this far.

Exchange Online Migration: In the Home Stretch

• 90% complete as of today.
• 32,675 mailboxes migrated, with 1,272 queued in upcoming waves.
• Thank you for your patience and teamwork as we wrap up the last phase.

What you can do

Watch for your migration notice and the post-migration tips from the M365@UBC team. If you've already moved, you're all set! More info: Exchange Online Migration | UBC IT

Legacy Alumni Email Transition: Complete

The legacy alumni email service has now been retired as part of UBC's broader work to strengthen security, modernize access controls, and align with Microsoft licensing. Over 2,200 eligible alumni enrolled in Alumni Email Forwarding, which activated August 12, 2025.

What's next?

Our focus shifts to students and graduates within the 18-month grace period. We'll share timelines and details well ahead of any changes. For more information visit: Alumni Email Transition - M365@UBC | UBC IT

Emeriti Email Migration: MFA Complete; Migration August 19

With support from the Emeriti College and the UBC Helpdesk teams, multi-factor authentication (MFA) is now enabled for all UBC Emeriti. The Emeriti migration to Microsoft Exchange Online is scheduled for August 19.

What Emeriti need to do?

Look out for and review the email sent to you with details about the migration and your new login information.

Each August, Pride Month invites us to honor the stories, courage, and everyday acts that make our communities stronger. This year, we're sharing the journey of Fernanda Alves: an advocate, mentor, and quiet force for inclusion at UBC. 

Originally from Florianópolis, Brazil, Fernanda moved to Kelowna in 2021 to study computer information systems, a key turning point for her. Expecting to be one of the few women in her class, she was surprised to find many women classmates and professors. It showed her there was space and power in representation. 

With encouragement from her professor, Sarah Foss, Fernanda helped organize her college's first Women in Tech panel. It wasn't a huge event, but it was important. Stories were shared, connections made, and the idea grew year after year. The panel lives on, expanding to highlight women in STEM and beyond. 

Fernanda began as a programmer analyst with UBCO IT's Web and Apps team and now supports partnerships in the Office of the Vice President, Research and Innovation. She is an advocate for women in IT and a proud member of the UBC Queer Faculty and Staff Collective. 

Fernanda's passion for inclusion comes from knowing what it feels like to not see yourself reflected in a room. She remembers how isolating it can feel when your story isn't heard or taken seriously. Fernanda's experience in tech has taught her the power of small actions. She believes trust and belonging grow when people feel safe to be themselves. In every new setting, she looks for ways to set that tone whether it's sharing her pronouns in a meeting or speaking up so others feel comfortable doing the same. 

Fernanda's advice for anyone exploring who they are while working in tech is simple: never feel you have to hide parts of yourself to succeed. "Your story, your perspective, and your questions matter. If tech is where you want to be, you belong here" she says. 

Fernanda encourages finding communities that affirm who you are and if you can't find one, create them in small ways. In college, she used to make light-hearted comments with classmates about turning to counselling services when coding got frustrating. What started in small ways opened real conversations about mental health and stress. 

"It doesn't always have to be serious. Even inviting someone for coffee can be the start of a safe space," she says. "Being yourself is your strength. It helps you, and it helps others see they're not alone too." 

When Fernanda thinks about what would help people feel they truly belong, mentorship comes first. She hopes to see more investment in programs that support underrepresented groups, especially queer and trans communities, and that bring everyone into the conversation. One simple idea she loves is a belonging check-in. Instead of a typical icebreaker at meetings, she suggests asking, "How are you feeling today? How can we support each other better?" 

Fernanda believes that "Visibility matters. Little by little, it opens doors for others to feel they belong too." 

One moment that stays with her is from her first summer teaching at a kids' summer video game camp. On the first day, out of 22 students, there was only one girl. Her mother pulled Fernanda aside, worried that her daughter felt too shy and out of place to stay. Fernanda sat with her, shared her own experience as a woman in tech, and asked a colleague to check in and cheer her on. Instead of leaving, the girl stayed quietly at first, but by the end of the week, she was excited to showcase what she had built. On the last day, she hugged Fernanda and said she wanted to keep making video games. 

Fernanda never forgets that moment:

"We were the only women in that room of 21 boys. If I hadn't been there, she might have left. Inclusion starts young. It's about giving someone the courage to say, 'I belong here too.'" 

She hopes every workplace and classroom makes that feeling possible with policies, values, language, and daily care that help people show up as themselves and know they matter. 

For Fernanda, Pride should not be limited to June. She believes true inclusion happens when everyone can bring their whole self to every room, every day of the year, not just when there are rainbow flags and parades. She dreams of workplaces where asking and respecting pronouns is normal, where diverse families are reflected in benefits and policies, and where people feel safe to speak freely. 

"It's about constant and intentional care, not just a celebration" she says. Pride Month shines a light on how far communities have come, but the real goal is a world where nobody wonders if they belong because inclusion is part of everyday life. 

This month, Fernanda is proud of a commitment she made just for herself: joining a local queer run club. Sports have always been part of her life but finding a community that shares that passion hasn't always been easy. "It's more than running. It's time I keep for myself, to feel part of something and to grow my circle. I'm proud I made it non-negotiable." 

Fernanda's journey reminds us that Pride is more than a month on the calendar. Her story is a simple reminder to keep Pride alive all year. Be visible, stay kind, lift each other up, and never underestimate the power of one small act to make someone feel at home.