The academic messaging system of Strasbourg is based on an IMAP infrastructure hosted by the rectorate, accessible via the Convergence webmail or a third-party email client. Since the gradual implementation of multi-factor authentication on academic services, the login procedure from a personal device has changed in several technical aspects that we detail here.
IMAP and SMTP settings to configure an email client for Strasbourg
Manual configuration in a client like Thunderbird, Outlook, or the Mail app on a smartphone remains the most reliable method to access academic email without relying on the browser. We recommend prioritizing this approach if the webmail experiences recurring slowness.
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The settings to be filled in are as follows:
- IMAP Incoming Server: imap.ac-strasbourg.fr, port 993, SSL/TLS encryption. This protocol synchronizes folders between the server and the client, meaning that an email read on the phone also appears as read on the webmail.
- SMTP Outgoing Server: smtps.ac-strasbourg.fr, port 465, SSL/TLS encryption. Port 587 with STARTTLS is not documented as supported by the Strasbourg academy.
- Username: the complete academic email address ([email protected]). Some clients only require the part before the at sign, but providing the full address avoids authentication errors.
- Password: that of the academic account, distinct from the Arena password or the ENT Mon Bureau Numérique password depending on the case.
For those who wish to connect to the Strasbourg academic email from an Android or iOS mobile device, the procedure is the same: simply add an IMAP account in the native Mail app settings and enter these same servers.
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Multi-factor authentication and academic connection security
The Ministry of National Education has initiated the deployment of multi-factor authentication (MFA) for remote access to academic services. This measure, aligned with ANSSI recommendations, gradually affects connections via Arena and academic webmails.
In practice, when connecting from an unrecognized network (your home, a public Wi-Fi network), the system may require a second factor: an SMS code sent to the number registered in the rectorate’s directory, validation via an authentication app, or a physical security key.
Preparing your account before the first remote connection
If your mobile phone number is not listed in your administrative record, MFA via SMS will fail without an explicit error message. We observe that this situation generates the majority of reported blocks at the beginning of the school year. Check this directly in the Strasbourg rectorate’s directory or with your HR manager.
Password renewal is mandatory at regular intervals, under penalty of account lockout. The exact timeframe depends on the policy defined by the rectorate. When the expiration approaches, a warning message appears on the webmail, but not in an external IMAP client.
This is a classic trap: the password expires, Thunderbird or the mobile app displays a connection error, and the user looks for a server problem when it is simply a matter of renewing the password via the dedicated portal.
Convergence Webmail: browser access and storage limits
The academic webmail of Strasbourg uses the Convergence interface, accessible from any up-to-date browser. Firefox, Chrome, and Edge work without any particular issues. Safari on macOS may occasionally cause rendering problems on some auxiliary modules (calendar, address book), without blocking message reading.
Storage quota and folder management
Each academic mailbox has a limited storage quota. When this quota is reached, new incoming messages are rejected by the server without notification to the sender. The user no longer receives anything and is not always informed.
To avoid this situation:
- Regularly empty the “Trash” and “Spam/Junk” folders, which count towards the total quota.
- Delete large attachments or move them locally. PDF files of several megabytes sent in bulk during class council periods quickly saturate space.
- Create IMAP folders on the server side to sort messages by school year or function, making targeted purging easier without risking the deletion of recent exchanges.
Forwarding to a personal mailbox: why it is discouraged
Automatically forwarding academic messages to a Gmail, Outlook.com, or other personal email address has long been a common practice. This forwarding is now strongly discouraged, even disabled in several academies, in accordance with GDPR and internal instructions on student and HR data privacy.
The reasoning is simple: a message containing information about a minor student, a medical notice, or an HR document then passes through commercial servers outside the rectorate’s control. The agent’s responsibility is engaged in the event of a data breach.
Viable alternative: the IMAP client on personal device
Rather than forwarding, the IMAP configuration described above allows you to access your academic messages on a personal device while keeping the data on the rectorate’s server. Messages are not copied to a third-party service. This is the method we systematically recommend to staff who need mobile access to their Strasbourg academic email.
The SSO integration via the ENT Mon Bureau Numérique also offers direct access to the messaging once authenticated on the portal, without additional username entry. This option is suitable for users who prefer to stay in the browser and who already regularly access the ENT for other services (class diary, grades).
The key point remains security: an encrypted IMAP access on a personal device better protects data than forwarding to a public email service. With the deployment of MFA and increasing restrictions on transfers, adapting your configuration now avoids unpleasant surprises at the start of the next school year.