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Introduction
This document provides instructions on how to access a shared mailbox in Microsoft 365.
A shared mailbox, sometimes referred to as a "departmental email address" or "shared address", is an email account that is assigned to a department, committee, office, or other group rather than to an individual person. These addresses are typically used for communicating with members of the RIC community and the general public, and they allow multiple people to send and receive messages from a single, recognizable address. For example, helpdesk@ric.edu is a shared mailbox.
Unlike a personal account, a shared mailbox does not have its own username and password, and you cannot log directly into it. Instead, a person's individual RIC M365/SSO account—the same account used to access their personal RIC email—is granted permission to read and/or send messages on behalf of the shared mailbox. This approach ensures that any activity performed in the shared mailbox is tied to a specific person's account, which supports accountability and security.
Because permissions are managed through individual accounts, several people can access the same shared mailbox at once, each using their own login. When someone sends a message from a shared mailbox, recipients see the shared address (for example, helpdesk@ric.edu) as the sender rather than the individual's personal address.
Requirements
- A RIC M365/SSO account that has been assigned access to a shared mailbox.
- Microsoft Outlook client - this can be Outlook for Windows, Mac, or Mobile.
Please note that student employees, graduate assistants, and interns will only be assigned access with a specific account that is assigned to a student employee for work purposes. These are generallly recognized as a "student worker account". This is separate from a normal account assigned to students for their day-to-day academic requirements of the college.