Student Gmail Association…
On Monday night, Jack Suess and Dr. Mike Carlin, both from the Office of Information Technology, talked to the Senate about their plan to convert UMBC’s email system in the near future. Their hope is to begin transitioning students to Gmail early next semester. They came to the meeting to explain the details of this task, and look for the SGA’s support.
UMBC would not be the first school to sign a contract with Google. In fact, the company has an entire program developed for students. Other universities to make the switch (and save money) include Notre Dame.
The timeline laid out by Suess and Carlin includes a deal with Google towards the end of January, a Beta run for students in late February and early March, and an eventual incorporation of other applications throughout UMBC.
It seems important to note there will be no cost to outsource student email to the company, and a minimal fee for staff (should they be included in the switch). Also, Suess predicted no security threats, and felt Gmail would be safer than the current option. Finally, the Senate and SGA seems to be in full support of the initiative.
