The sharing of emails can be useful for groups who need to receive communications sent to a central email address. Within SPU's email system, there are several options available for the sharing of emails to conduct business of academic activities. 

Microsoft 365 Group Mailbox

As part of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, group mailboxes can be shared and managed by individual owners without the need to request a change from CIS. Just like traditional shared mailboxes, groups include a dedicated email address and calendar. Emails are received and stored in a dedicated space that authorized users can access. This mailbox works best in a shared workflow situation where multiple people are taking ownership in reading and responding to different emails in the same mailbox. 

M365 groups have the advantage of interconnectivity to other apps like Teams, SharePoint, and OneNote. A single group can share one or more of these resources under a single membership in addition to the mailbox itself. The group mailbox includes a calendar. 

M365 Groups:

• Can be created and managed at any time by a current student or employee of SPU
• Can be shared with anyone who is also a current student or employee of SPU
• Includes connected resources in Teams, SharePoint, and OneNote which can be shared amongst members of the group

Learn More About M365 Groups

Get Started by Creating a Group

Note:  The shared mailbox shows up under the Groups folder in the left navigation pane of the Outlook Client.  If a Microsoft 365 Group is created through Teams, the mailbox will not show up in the member's Outlook Client.  To resolve this issue contact the CIS Help Desk at help@spu.edu. 

Shared Mailbox

A traditional shared mailbox has a mailbox address that receives email. The received emails are stored in a single mailbox that authorized users can access. All actions taken by authorized users occur in the shared mailbox, so this solution works best in an environment where multiple users are working in a shared workflow. Shared mailboxes also work best if there is a need to keep emails in a central location for privacy or privileged reasons. 

Shared mailboxes are managed by CIS. To create or modify a shared mailbox or to manage permissions for shared mailboxes, contact the CIS Help Desk at help@spu.edu. 

Click here to learn more about Shared Mailboxes.

Distribution List

Distribution lists forward emails to individuals who are members of the list. When an email address is configured as a distribution list, every email sent to that address is forwarded to the individual email addresses of the the list's members. The email that the distribution list uses does not store emails in a central location. Distributions lists work best in situations where each member has their own workflow to respond to emails. 

Most distribution lists are managed by individual departments via the SPU Security Group Toolbox. Some distribution lists are managed by CIS. 

Distribution lists are created by CIS. To request one, contact the CIS Help Desk at help@spu.edu.