About upcoming changes to the Duke Alumni Email Service
See below for more information.
What is happening to Duke Alumni email addresses?
Duke is discontinuing the alumni email service, which includes both forwarding services and 360 mailboxes.
The decision to sunset this service is due to increasingly restrictive security policies among external email service providers. These policies have resulted in changes in more frequent and unpredictable rejection of forwarded messages, including those being forwarded from @alumni.duke.edu addresses. Many alumni using the service are simply not receiving emails sent to, or forwarded from, their alumni addresses, limiting the reliability of the service. Both other schools at Duke and peer institutions have sunset their alumni email address services for similar reasons.
Alumni will not be able to request new alumni email addresses and accounts, starting in spring 2026.
All existing name@alumni.duke.edu addresses and related forwarding will be deactivated on January 31, 2027.
Ample advance notice will be provided before deactivation occurs.
At this time, the university will not be offering any other forwarding, aliasing, or mailbox-only options after the deactivation date.
Originally alumni were informed that the deactivation date would be July 31, 2026. Why is it now January 31, 2027?
The deadline extension was based on feedback submitted by alumni that more time would allow for an easier transition. This includes giving alumni the opportunity to keep up auto-replies (directing contacts to their new address) on their alumni email addresses longer, more time to update their alumni addresses with third-parties, and to inform contacts who reach them at their alumni email addresses.
How can a “lifetime” alumni email address be discontinued?
When this was initially named a “lifetime” benefit decades ago, email was nascent. The service has always been subject to university policies, security requirements, and technological feasibility. As email providers matured and evolved the product over time, it became clear that we could no longer offer a “benefit” (particularly for a “lifetime” or in perpetuity) with widespread and prominent inconsistency and reliability in message delivery.
When will my alumni email account be shut down?
All alumni email accounts will be deactivated on January 31, 2027. Users with existing alumni email addresses will continue to have full access to their accounts until that time.
Will another email option be available?
No other email option is currently planned.
Alumni, including 2026 graduates, have access to the Duke Alumni Network. The network provides several options for contacting and communicating with fellow alumni, including an alumni directory and alumni community groups.
New graduates of all of Duke University’s schools will also have access to their student @duke.edu addresses and Net IDs for one year.
Establish a Duke OneLink account to access the Duke Alumni website.
Who is affected by this change?
This change applies to all alumni and others who currently have a university-provided alumni email address (name@alumni.duke.edu), regardless of graduation year, degree type, or location.
Will current students or faculty be affected?
No. This change affects all users of alumni email accounts only. Current students, faculty, and staff will continue to use university email accounts (NetID-based) according to existing policies. (Holders of alumni email addresses in those groups will no longer have access to their alumni accounts.)
What happens if I do nothing?
After the deactivation date, alumni profiles who continue to have an alumni email address designated as their preferred email address will have their preferred address updated to either 1) the destination address of any configured forwarding, or 2) the secondary address as designated on their alumni profile.
If no action is taken before the service closing date, your alumni email account will be deactivated and login to the account will no longer be possible. All email messages and stored data associated will no longer be accessible.
How can I save my emails and contacts before the account closes?
You can export or download your emails, contacts, and calendar data using standard email client tools. Step-by-step instructions for many services can be found on email providers' support websites.
What about alumni email addresses used for other important services or logins?
You should plan to update any third-party services (banking, social media, healthcare, subscriptions, etc.) that use the Duke Alumni email address as a login by changing your login method to use a personal email account. To ensure uninterrupted access, you should change your login address on third-party sites before January 31, 2027. Changed login addresses may require multifactor authentication on those services.
Will my access to alumni services or the Duke Alumni Network change?
No. Access to alumni resources, event registrations, giving platforms, and the alumni directory will continue to be possible only by registering and using a Duke OneLink account. You should plan to replace any use of your Duke Alumni email address to access alumni resources with a Duke OneLink account before January 31, 2027.
How can I switch my alumni record preferred email address to a personal email address?
Alumni can update their preferred email address at any time through the alumni network, or by contacting Duke Alumni via email at aed-replies@duke.edu. Please plan to change your preferred email address by January 31, 2027.
Will alumni receive reminders before the deactivation date?
Yes. Multiple reminder emails and notifications will be sent leading up to the shutdown date to ensure alumni have time to prepare and update their preferred email addresses on the alumni network.
Can I request an exception to keep my account?
Unfortunately, no exceptions can be made. The policy applies uniformly to all users of alumni email addresses.
What email service should I use instead?
Many alumni choose widely available for personal email services such as Gmail, Outlook.com, or iCloud Mail, which provide long-term stability and personal account ownership.
Will this change affect my donor or alumni status?
No. Your alumni status, degree records, and relationship with the university remain unchanged.
How will the university communicate with alumni after the shutdown?
The university will communicate using your preferred personal email address on file, as well as through the alumni website, newsletters, and official social media channels.
How can I share feedback about this decision?
The university understands this change may be disappointing. Alumni are welcome to share feedback with Duke Alumni Engagement and Development. All submissions will be documented and retained. Share your thoughts via email to aed-replies@duke.edu.
I have more questions. Where do I ask?
Contact Duke Alumni at aed-replies@duke.edu with any other questions.