Student Access to Office 365

Microsoft 365 (m365) services, including Outlook, OneDrive, Office and Teams are provided by Allan Hancock College to support teaching, learning, and college business operations. Access to m365 is a benefit for currently registered students at Hancock College. Students may open, create and modify Microsoft Office documents with the online versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint. They have the ability to store files on OneDrive. Currently registered students also are granted an @my.hancockcollege.edu email address.

When do students receive access to an m365 account?

Shortly after registering for a course the student is granted an account on m365. The time between registration and the ability to log into m365 usually takes between 30 minutes and 2 hours. During some maintenance windows the time to create the m365 account might take longer. If a student has registered for a course and is not able to access their m365 account within 8 hours they should create a help desk request.

Proper use of m365

All users must abide by Hancock’s official acceptable use framework outlined in BP 3720.

Key expectations include:

• Do not attempt to gain unauthorized access to systems or data
• Respect copyrights, licenses, and intellectual property
• Protect the integrity of data and systems
• Respect the rights and privacy of other users
• Avoid misuse, abuse, or disruptive behavior

Users are explicitly responsible for not abusing technology resources and for using them in a lawful and ethical manner.

Long-Term or Personal Storage

m365 services (especially OneDrive and email) should not be treated as a permanent storage solution. Important considerations:

• Accounts are tied to your student status 
• Accounts will be disabled and deleted when you stop taking classes at Hancock College
• The college may change storage limits, retention policies, or access rules at any time
• Store important personal files in a personal cloud service or external backup
• Assume that any data in your college account is temporary and subject to removal

When do students lose access to their m365 account?

Students retain access to their m365 account while registered for current or future courses. Access will be retained for 120 days following the end of the last class a student was registered.

How do students know if they will lose access?

Students who have not registered for current or future classes will be notified . Email will be sent to users one month before access is revoked via the student's @my.hancockcollege.edu email address. Email messages will have the subject line "Hancock College Email and Office 365 access – action required".

Will students lose their email or files if they register for a class?

• Students who register for classes again within 120 days of their last course completing should not lose any email messages or files.
• Students who register for a class after 120 days of their last course completing will regain access to Office 365 but will lose the email messages and files from their account. This data cannot be recovered.

Backing up m365 Data

• Students can maintain access to Office 365 by registering for a class in a current or future term.
• Students who do not wish to register for future classes should forward any email messages to a personal account and move any OneDrive files to their personal computer or a personal storage location.

Spam and Phishing Filtering on Student Mailboxes

In June 2026, Allan Hancock College implemented a new email filtering system designed to improve campus cybersecurity and reduce phishing incidents.

How the Filter Operates

The updated system categorizes incoming emails based on the sender's domain:

• Messages from official Hancock College email addresses and approved college vendors will continue to be delivered directly to your Inbox.

• All messages from unknown or external senders will automatically be routed to your Junk folder.

• Suspected phishing messages will not be delivered to the students' mailboxes.

To ensure you do not miss important external communications, please keep the following in mind:

• Because the filter automatically reroutes external senders, students should check their Junk folder regularly for legitimate messages from outside organizations or contacts.

• Students should be skeptical of any message delivered to the Junk folder. Official correspondence regarding sensitive campus matters will never be sent from an unapproved external address.

High-Risk Topics to Review Carefully

Phishing scams frequently target students by mimicking official institutional notifications. Be particularly cautious of any message in your Junk folder regarding:

• Financial Aid status or disbursements

• Employment opportunities and student jobs

• Account security updates or password changes

If you receive a message regarding these topics in your Junk folder, it is not an official college communication. For questions or assistance with your student email account, please contact the IT Help Desk.

Prevent Email Sender from going to Junk Folder 

Because Allan Hancock College uses highly aggressive spam and security filters on student Outlook accounts, almost all incoming emails from outside the college or its pre-approved vendors are automatically routed straight to your Junk folder. This includes emails from external organizations, potential employers, personal accounts, and standard providers like Gmail or Yahoo.

To ensure you don't miss important external communications, you can manually override these strict filters by adding specific email addresses to your Safe Senders list.

1. In Outlook, click the Gear/Settings icon in the top right corner
2. Check that "Mail" is the selected setting
3. Click "Junk Mail"
4. Click "+ Add safe sender"
5. Enter the email address to be added as a Safe Sender
6. Click "Ok"
7. Click "Save"