Gmail instead of student E-mail?
Gina Barone
Issue date: 10/26/09 Section: News
It's not a secret: Most PUC students do not check their PUC email.
According to the SGA, a survey was sent out last semester about NetMail usage, in which students overwhelmingly did not regularly-if at all-check their accounts. For the SGA, this was a concern, as something needed to be done to get students to use their PUC email.
Currently, PUC NetMail is hosted and maintained by the information services staff on campus. It would require a substantial amount of additional resources, both human and financial to modernize.
The SGA has found a solution to this problem with the introduction of the Student E-mail Modernization Act.
This would put an end to the current student NetMail by outsourcing the hosting and maintenance to Google.
It would potentially put an end to saving or archiving deleted email communication, documents, appointments or contacts, a practice which is a current issue with the NetMail. The SGA feels very strongly: this practice infringes on students' rights to privacy.
"The Student Government is strongly opposed to the administration archiving student data, it is a gross infringement upon a student's right to privacy and will not be tolerated," said David Ober, SGA president.
The Act also puts a time limit for the administration to get moving on this issue, by having the new student Gmail available on or before August 24, 2010.
IPFW and IU have recently modernized their school email systems by upgrading to Gmail. These campuses, as well as the SGA, agree; Gmail offers tools and utilities that NetMail does not.
PUC is blazing the trail, since Purdue West Lafayette Student Government just now started this same initiative.
"The goal in passing this bill is to offer an email system that is familiar to students, extends storage for email messages, and provides applications that allow students to collaborate." said Ober.
In a student senate meeting on October 23, Kayla Weck, the Senate Speaker, stated that the new Gmail system is geared toward helping students get more proactive in checking email, as well as saving students' money.
Other perks of the new system were discussed, such as the smooth integration into My PUC, calendar usage, along with more memory. Faculty, staff and students would benefit by the newly freed space, allowing for an increase in inbox storage sizes.
After discussion, the Student Modernization Act of 2009 was passed by the student senate. Now the bill will be sent to a committee tasked with making a final decision. If accepted, the SGA hopes for swift action.
According to the SGA, a survey was sent out last semester about NetMail usage, in which students overwhelmingly did not regularly-if at all-check their accounts. For the SGA, this was a concern, as something needed to be done to get students to use their PUC email.
Currently, PUC NetMail is hosted and maintained by the information services staff on campus. It would require a substantial amount of additional resources, both human and financial to modernize.
The SGA has found a solution to this problem with the introduction of the Student E-mail Modernization Act.
This would put an end to the current student NetMail by outsourcing the hosting and maintenance to Google.
It would potentially put an end to saving or archiving deleted email communication, documents, appointments or contacts, a practice which is a current issue with the NetMail. The SGA feels very strongly: this practice infringes on students' rights to privacy.
"The Student Government is strongly opposed to the administration archiving student data, it is a gross infringement upon a student's right to privacy and will not be tolerated," said David Ober, SGA president.
The Act also puts a time limit for the administration to get moving on this issue, by having the new student Gmail available on or before August 24, 2010.
IPFW and IU have recently modernized their school email systems by upgrading to Gmail. These campuses, as well as the SGA, agree; Gmail offers tools and utilities that NetMail does not.
PUC is blazing the trail, since Purdue West Lafayette Student Government just now started this same initiative.
"The goal in passing this bill is to offer an email system that is familiar to students, extends storage for email messages, and provides applications that allow students to collaborate." said Ober.
In a student senate meeting on October 23, Kayla Weck, the Senate Speaker, stated that the new Gmail system is geared toward helping students get more proactive in checking email, as well as saving students' money.
Other perks of the new system were discussed, such as the smooth integration into My PUC, calendar usage, along with more memory. Faculty, staff and students would benefit by the newly freed space, allowing for an increase in inbox storage sizes.
After discussion, the Student Modernization Act of 2009 was passed by the student senate. Now the bill will be sent to a committee tasked with making a final decision. If accepted, the SGA hopes for swift action.
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