Concordia updates its email policy to strengthen privacy, security and communications

In a world where a single email can carry sensitive personal, academic or financial information, how we connect matters more than ever. Concordia is introducing a new email policy to make communication clearer, safer and easier for students, faculty and staff.

Beginning this fall, all students and employees will use only Concordia email accounts to correspond with the university. The goal is simple: to create one trusted, consistent communication channel across the institution.

Newly-admitted students registering for courses in fall 2026 will automatically receive a Concordia account after registering for their first course, ensuring they are immediately connected.

While many returning students already use a Concordia account, those who use their personal email addresses will be required to use their official Concordia email for all communications with the university as of this August.

This approach aligns Concordia with other universities and CEGEPs, where institutional email is the norm.

A verifiable point of contact

One of the key drivers behind the policy change is improved privacy protection.

“As a public institution, Concordia must comply with Quebec’s access-to-information and privacy laws,” explains Gabriel Desjardins, officer of access and privacy. 

“The law requires that we protect the personal information we hold. By centralizing communications via official email accounts, we can better safeguard personal information and meet our legal obligations,” he says.

Cybersecurity is another major benefit, says Mike Popoff, chief information security officer at the university.

“Concordia email operates within a secured and actively managed environment, with protections like security monitoring, advanced filtering and mandatory multi-factor authentication,” Popoff says.

“Keeping university communications within this environment allows us to better protect sensitive information and significantly reduce risks such as phishing, unauthorized access and data loss — which are far more difficult to manage when personal email accounts are used.”

According to Stephanie De Celles, Concordia registrar, the policy also improves clarity and efficiency in day-to-day interactions.

“A Concordia email address provides a trusted, verifiable point of contact with students, allowing us to share important academic and administrative information with confidence,” she says.

What this means for students

This change ensures a simpler and more reliable experience for students from the outset, eliminating past confusion. Previously, login credentials resembled email addresses but did not always include an active mailbox.

Additional advantages include fast and secure electronic payments of scholarships and bursaries, as well as access to services, tools and discounts requiring institutional email verification, such as BIXI (bike share) memberships.

The policy also ensures long-term value: graduates can keep their Concordia email account for life.

By bringing all official exchanges into one secure channel, Concordia is making it easier for students, faculty and staff to stay informed, protect sensitive information and communicate with confidence.

Read the new Policy on Concordia email accounts for students and employees.

Are you a faculty or staff member? Register for an info session for faculty and staff about the new policy.