As a continuation of our effort to standardize and secure technology services for the Mason community, beginning the week of June 1 and continuing through the summer, Information Technology Services (ITS) will complete the release of Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) and Microsoft Teams for the remaining Office 365 (O365) employee accounts (email, calendar and OneDrive for Business, etc.). Nearly 3,000 faculty and staff already use 2FA for O365.

If you are currently using 2FA for O365:

• No further action is required
• MS Teams is available for you to use; See https://its.gmu.edu/microsoft-teams

If you are not currently using 2FA for O365:

• ITS will notify you before the change is made to your account.
• Ensure you are using Microsoft Outlook, the supported method to access your Mason email and calendar. If you are not, you should make the change now. You do not need to wait for your account to be upgraded with 2FA. Supported methods are:
  • Mobile Devices: Outlook Mobile for Android and Apple phones
    • Android: How to Set Up Outlook Mobile Email and Calendar for Android
    • Apple: How to Set Up Outlook Mobile Email and Calendar for Apple iOS
  • Desktop Applications: Outlook 2016 (Supported), Outlook 2019 (Recommended)
    • Mason-managed Windows: Available via Software Center (VPN required)
    • Mason-managed Mac: Available via Mason Self-Service
    • Unmanaged Mason-owned systems: Contact the ITS Support Center for assistance
  • Web: Outlook on the web (http://mso365.gmu.edu)
    • Available from any browser on any device
  • On May 15, ITS contacted those who are using methods other than MS Outlook to access their email. If you require it, ITS will provide assistance making the change.

To learn more about how you can prepare or to enroll early and get access to MS Teams now, see Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for Office 365.

Additional Background:
ITS is standardizing on Outlook, the Microsoft Office 365 email and calendar applications, to facilitate seamless delivery of services and offer a high-quality user experience. As Mason continues to expand its IT and collaboration service offerings, we recently upgraded our Microsoft License, which provides additional Office 365 features and functionality to faculty and staff. The Microsoft collaboration tool set allows for modern, secure, and standardized access to file shares, chat, presence, as well as a suite of new collaboration tools. This change does not apply to accounts on the MasonLive student email system.

Unsupported email clients are not always compatible with 2FA; you will need to upgrade to a supported client to ensure no disruption of service. For additional information, see the list of supported email and calendar clients on the ITS website.

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the ITS Support Center at 703-993-8870 or support@gmu.edu.