Microsoft 365 Office

Summary

Microsoft 365 (M365) is a subscription based suite of applications available via the cloud or for download to a local device. Okanagan College employees and currently enrolled students have access to this service. This educational subscription includes access to the core Office products (Word/Excel/PowerPoint/OneNote) as well as cloud based services such as Outlook, Teams and OneDrive. Additional products may be available for download. Both staff and student email services are through M365.

Body

Microsoft 365 (M365)

A cloud-based suite of Office applications available to all current Okanagan College employees and students.

1   What is Microsoft 365?

Microsoft 365 (M365) is a commercial subscription hosted by Microsoft — a suite of applications available via the cloud or for download to a local device. Okanagan College employees and students currently enrolled in courses have access to this service.

This educational subscription includes access to the core Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote) as well as cloud-based services such as Outlook, Teams, and OneDrive. Additional products such as Access and Publisher may be available for download.

College email services for both staff and students are delivered through M365.

Note: While the cloud-based service supports both Windows and Apple devices, there may be some limits for locally downloaded software (e.g. Access is not available for Apple).
2   Accessing M365

M365 is a cloud-based service hosted by Microsoft, accessed via www.office.com. You must log in using your college-associated email address and OC network password (the same password used for myOkanagan or Moodle).

Student usernames are typically in the format:

firstname.lastname@myokanagan.bc.ca

If another student shares your name, a number is added: john.smith1@myokanagan.bc.ca

Staff usernames are typically in the format:

FirstinitialLastname@okanagan.bc.ca

If another staff member shares your first initial and last name, a middle initial is added: JBSmith@okanagan.bc.ca

Tip: Once logged in, verify your account by clicking the circle with your initials in the top-right corner. If you see a personal email (e.g. Gmail or Hotmail), you are not on the college subscription and will not have expected access.
3   Downloading M365 to Your Device

To work offline or avoid data charges, you can download and install a local copy of Office products — provided your device supports them. Devices with older versions of Windows or macOS may need an OS upgrade first.

After installation, the local copy can work offline but will periodically check online to verify your subscription is still active.

To Download:

  1. Log in to https://m365.cloud.microsoft/apps using your college-associated email address
  2. In the left-hand menu column, click on Apps
  3. In the top-right corner of the screen, click the Install Office drop-down menu and follow the provided prompts and instructions

Upload screenshot here — Install Office drop-down menu

Important: The number of allowed downloads is limited and tracked by Microsoft. Sharing install files or passwords is prohibited under both Microsoft's terms of service and your OC account usage agreement.
Staff note: College employees may download M365 for personal home use during employment. Do not use this process to install Microsoft products on college-owned devices — a separate licensing scheme exists for that purpose.
4   Alumni

Access to the full M365 subscription begins with your first eligible course registration and ends after the final day of your last course. Alumni are no longer eligible for the full suite of services or for locally installed product licensing, and should explore Microsoft's public subscription options.

Legacy access: Microsoft does provide a legacy service — your cloud-based email (Outlook) and file storage (OneDrive) will continue to be available after course completion.
5   End of Employment

Due to the high level of student and corporate data access that staff have, all services — including email and cloud-based file storage — will be suspended at the end of active employment. Term staff will not have access between semesters.

Need early or extended access? If you require access for course prep before the official start of class, or additional time at the end of a term, please contact your Department or Faculty office.

Details

Details

Article ID: 3636
Created
Thu 5/12/22 8:32 PM
Modified
Fri 6/5/26 5:01 PM