Email Alias FAQ

What is an email alias and how does it work?

An email alias is a convenient email address based on your name (for example, first.last@duke.edu). Email sent to your alias is routed to the Duke mailbox you designate in your request for an alias (in the case of students, it's routed to your acpub account). Mail sent to your alias goes to the same place as mail sent to your non-alias address. You only need to check your regular mailbox to read email sent to your alias. The alias is not a new mailbox. It's just an address that's easy for people to remember.


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Do I have an email alias? If so, how was it created?

If you're a student, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) pre-assigned an email alias for you (unless your name matched someone else's at Duke). OIT assigns faculty/staff aliases upon request from an individual, the individual's department, or the individual's Lotus Notes administrator.

To find out if you have an email alias, visit the Duke Unique ID and Email Alias Search page. Complete the page by filling in your first name, last name, date of birth, and Social Security number. Click Find. The Duke Email Alias page will display your information.


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How do I request an email alias or change my current one? When will my request be processed?

Visit the Duke Unique ID and Email Alias Search page. Complete the page by filling in your first name, last name, date of birth, and Social Security number. Click Find. The Duke Email Alias page will display your information. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Your request will be routed to the OIT Help Desk, which approves or denies the request within one business day. Your alias will be ready for use one business day after it is approved. You'll be contacted by email if there's a problem with your request.


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What rules do I have to follow in selecting an email alias?

Rule 1: An email alias must contain a period and end in duke.edu. Also, the email address that the alias is directed to must be a Duke-affiliated address, such as @duke.edu or @mc.duke.edu.

Rule 2: Each user can have only one email alias, and each alias can only represent one user.

Rule 3: Aliases are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. If another person has already been assigned the email alias you've requested, you must choose another one.

Rule 4: An email alias must contain at least one or more separating periods, but never two in a row:

OK

john.doe@duke.edu

OK

john.e.doe@duke.edu

Not OK

john..doe@duke.edu

Not OK

john.doe..@duke.edu

Rule 5: An email alias cannot contain any special characters or spaces. If your name has a hyphen or an apostrophe, use a period instead.

OK

jane.smith.doe@duke.edu

Not OK

jane.smith-doe@duke.edu

Not OK

jane.#doe@duke.edu

Not OK

jane. doe@duke.edu

Rule 6: An email alias is not case-sensitive.

Rule 7: OIT offers name-based aliases only. Your alias should use your given name, preferred name, initial, or some combination of these.


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How can I find someone's email alias?

Visit Online@Duke and, under Directories, use Search for a Duke person or department. Use the email address that's listed for the individual. Remember that not everyone has an email alias, and some people choose not to list their email addresses in the directory.
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I use Lotus Notes. Can I get an email alias?

Actually, Notes users must first have a Duke Unique ID and an email alias before their Notes account is created.

NOTE: Before you request a Duke Unique ID or an email alias, contact your Lotus Notes administrator in order to avoid duplicate requests.

To find out if you have a Duke Unique ID, visit the Duke Unique ID and Email Alias Search Page. Complete the page by filling in your first name, last name, date of birth, and Social Security number. Click Find. The Duke Email Alias page will display your information. If no search result is found, you don't have a Unique ID.

To request a Unique ID, please contact your hiring manager.


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What happens to my alias after I leave Duke?

Once you no longer have an active student, staff or faculty affiliation at Duke, your alias will be deleted and that alias will not be eligible for re-use by someone else for six months. Students keep their alias for one year after graduation while faculty and staff could lose their alias on their last day at Duke.


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