Email sent to campus on 9/4
OIT is preparing to roll out further enhancements as part of the ProtectUs: Systemwide Cybersecurity Initiative. Beginning September 15th, 2025, you will see a new Microsoft Sign-On screen when you sign in to Microsoft applications & services and RemoteLab.
How does this impact me when I sign in into Microsoft or RemoteLab services?
- You will see the new Microsoft Sign-On screen (as shown in the image above) when you sign in to Microsoft services & applications (such as Outlook and Teams), as well as RemoteLab.
- When using Microsoft Sign-On, you must enter your entire UC Merced email (ex., rufusbobcat@ucmerced.edu) instead of just your UCMNetID or M.ID.
- Your DUO two-factor authentication (2FA) experience will remain the same.
Why is OIT making this change?
This change allows us to enable self-enrollment for Windows devices into the UC Merced Device Management Program; removing the current barriers that require you to schedule an appointment with the OIT Service Desk to manage enrollment. After an extensive evaluation of alternative solutions in collaboration with campus partners, we determined that this approach will best meet our needs and minimize campus disruption.
Will this change require me to sign in back into Microsoft or RemoteLab Services?
- Yes. Once OIT completes the change from Single Sign-On to Microsoft Sign-On, you will be prompted to sign back in to your account on services and apps such as Outlook, Teams, and others.
- As you’ll notice in the image above, the Microsoft Sign-On caches (saves) the last email address you successfully signed in with. You can click the arrow to change it, or just enter the password associated with the email address to complete the process.
- Any 3rd party integrations with Microsoft services, such as Zoom calendar, will also prompt you to sign in.
Ultimately, Microsoft Sign-On will not change the expected community experience when signing in your UC Merced account. You will use the same password used for Single Sign-On and maintain the same Duo experience, but the look and feel will be a little different. You can learn more about Microsoft Sign-On on the OIT ServiceHub.
We want to thank the campus community and implementation partners for their continued patience and support as we complete the remaining work related to the UCOP cybersecurity mandate. We will share more updates on our progress and any changes you need to be aware of in places like the Monday Memo (for staff and faculty), and UC Merced Connect (for all of campus).
Sincerely,
Nick Dugan
Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer
Nick Hansard
Assistant Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Security Officer
