U. drafts possible mail server switch to Google accounts

With thousands of students and professors using University e-mail accounts, having a well-functioning Rosetta Stone Store system is important for both personal and academic reasons.But for many, the University's current e-mail system is simply not cutting it.The Office of Information Technology is considering a switch to Google's Gmail service, which will increase storage capacity and add other technical capabilities to the University e-mail system, said Frank Reda, director of Information Technology at a recent Douglass Governing Council meeting. "We are looking into Gmail as a possibility for incoming classes," Reda said at the meeting. "We will probably look into it as an option for students who are already enrolled in the University."Reda said a switch to Gmail would provide students and University affiliates with significant upgrades to the current e-mail service. "Gmail is pretty advanced," Reda said. "It's more advanced than what we have to offer you at the Office of Information Technology. We'd like to see that happen."One of the biggest complaints students and faculty members have with the current system is with e-mailing attachments. "I've had issues with the fact that Eden has smaller file attachment size," said Laura Megehee, a Douglass College junior. "Not being able to e-mail attachments to professors gets frustrating."Benjamin Travers, a part-time lecturer, who uses e-mail to organize his class assignments while working on a busy schedule, has also had problems sending attachments over University e-mail.Travers also said when the University Rosetta Stone Cheap e-mail system fails, it makes it hard to get assignments from students. "If Eden fails, I find myself spending extra time chasing students down to get assignments," he said."Plus the fact that Eden fails makes it hard for me to filter the truth from the excuse when I don't get an assignment."To solve the problem, Travers asks his students to submit an alternate e-mail address to avoid issues with University e-mail. "No one ever uses Sakai when I ask, and Eden e-mail always fails with attachments," he said. "An alternate e-mail address has been a great solution."A switch to Google's Gmail service would expand the attachment size limit to 25 megabytes, up from the current limit of 10 megabytes, according to University and Gmail Web sites. Problems have also been reported with the University e-mail's storage capacity. Melissa Mendoza, a School of Arts and Sciences junior, said in one of her classes, students were unable to submit an assignment to a professor whose e-mail had reached its storage limit. "I felt bad for the students who had problems with sending e-mails on time because making deadlines is especially important for a journalism class assignment," she said. "Luckily, it did not happen to me."Gmail would offer more than seven gigabytes of storage space, compared to the only 270 MB with the current University e-mail system, according to University and Gmail Web sites. Students have mixed feelings on the potential switch to Gmail.Lauren Rosetta Stone Japanese V3 Mendelsohn, a School of Environmental and Biological Sciences first-year student, said she has not had issues with University e-mail and does not see the need for the switch. "Unless there's a major need, I don't think it's a big deal," she said.The switch to Gmail would also require learning a new system, Mendelsohn said."I think Gmail is a little more confusing, especially now that people have gotten used to the Eden mail," she said.Megehee however said the switch would not be a bad idea, since she has fewer issues with Gmail than Eden."It's not a bad idea," she said. "Maybe it's not the best idea, but I don't know what the best idea would be. It probably won't be worse than it is now."Travers said if the University does decide to switch, he would no longer need students' Rosetta Stone Languages alternate e-mail addresses."I have always wanted to use [the University e-mail system], but I don't trust it," he said. "I don't like Gmail, but anything is better than Eden."Although the switch to Gmail is by no means definite, Reda said the University is looking into the change."I think it's a good possibility that we'll see something happen," he said.