Here is what NUIT says:
Can I change my @u.northwestern.edu account username after I have activated my account?
No. Your account username cannot be changed. You have the option to create up to two nicknames for your account. Give your nickname to your friends to use as your e-mail address if you prefer. You can also reply to e-mail messages from your nickname address.
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(Basically, a nickname is your new email address, if I understand correctly...you can pretend
YourName2007@u.nu doesn't exist, and just have people send mail to
Nickname@u.nu instead.)
Here's more info:
What is a nickname?
A nickname is an additional e-mail address. For example, a nickname for
JoeWildcat2007@u.northwestern.edu could be
joew@u.northwestern.edu. You can send and receive mail sent to your assigned account name or any of your account nicknames.
How do I create and manage nicknames?
You will be given the ability to add a single nickname when you activate your account. After activation, you have the option of creating and modifying up to two nicknames by visiting the @u.northwestern.edu Account Management page. (
https://umail.northwestern.edu/manage/)
After creating nickname(s) for your account, you must add the nicknames as new e-mail accounts. Then you can send mail from any nickname account by selecting the nickname from the dropdown list in the "From" field when composing an e-mail.
Your account nicknames will not be automatically displayed in the Online Directory. If you want to publish your @u.northwestern.edu nicknames in the Online Directory, add the information to the "Other" field in the following format:
joew@u.northwestern.edu;
joe-wildcat@u.northwestern.edu.
IMPORTANT: You cannot log in to your @u.northwestern.edu account with a nickname.
How many nicknames can I have?
You can have up to two nicknames at any given time. You also have the ability to delete existing nicknames and replace them with newer ones.