The University of Chicago’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1892

Chicago Maroon

The University of Chicago’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1892

Chicago Maroon

The University of Chicago’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1892

Chicago Maroon

Editorial: RE: e-mail

The University’s new website provides an attractive and accessible public face for the school, but it also serves as a reminder that cMail, a key component of the U of C’s web presence, is still in need of change. The University should rethink the way it provides e-mail to students and outsource College e-mail to another provider—a move that would benefit students and remove a drain of University funds.

Slow, clunky, and prone to offering the exasperating “Page Expired” message at the most inopportune moments, cMail pales in comparison to more adept e-mail servers. While NSIT boasted last year that cMail’s storage space per student was increased to one gigabyte, Gmail recently expanded its offerings to over six gigabytes per account.

The current cMail system’s problems have nothing to do with incompetence: The University simply can’t devote the same time and resources to e-mail that companies like Google can. Instead of using tuition money to fund a system that lacks many of the features of its alternatives, the most logical solution to the U of C’s e-mail woes is to ditch cMail altogether and outsource campus e-mail. This change would allow the U of C to save money currently being spent to maintain cMail, and NSIT staff who work on the current system could be reassigned to other tasks.

The U of C would not be the first university to outsource its e-mail. Arizona State, Arkansas State, and Clemson University have all dropped their e-mail systems in favor of Google’s free service, while still allowing students to keep their .edu addresses. Drexel University recently announced that it would allow students to choose between accounts with Drexel, Google, or Microsoft. Not only has the switch led to more reliable e-mail and lower costs (Arizona State predicts it will save $350,000 a year from outsourcing its e-mail), but Google has been receptive to universities’ concerns: For example, the company has disabled embedded e-mail advertisements in student accounts due to privacy considerations.

U of C students are increasingly recognizing that there is a world beyond cMail: Between a quarter and a third of current students have their e-mail forwarded to off-campus accounts, according to NSIT. The University should embrace the logic of this trend and outsource all of its student e-mail. It would save thousands in maintenance and storage costs, while providing students with the best service available.

Now that’s something to e-mail home about.

The Maroon Editorial Board consists of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Viewpoints Editors, and an additional Editorial Board member.

Leave a Comment
Donate to Chicago Maroon
$670
$2000
Contributed
Our Goal

Your donation makes the work of student journalists of University of Chicago possible and allows us to continue serving the UChicago and Hyde Park community.

More to Discover
About the Contributor

Board Members

Solana Adedokun

Elena Eisenstadt

Cherie Fernandes

Michael McClure

Eva McCord

Naina Purushothaman

Kayla Rubenstein

Anu Vashist

 

The Editorial Board publishes editorials that represent The Maroon's institutional voice. Seven to 10 voting-eligible members of The Maroon compose the Board. The editor-in-chief runs the editorial board, and the managing editor is required to be a member. Each member of the Board has equal voting power. No more than three members of the Editorial Board may dissent from a published editorial. If more than three members dissent, the editorial may not be published. Dissenters are entitled but not required to explain the reason(s) for their dissent at the end of the editorial. 

Donate to Chicago Maroon
$670
$2000
Contributed
Our Goal

Comments (0)

All Chicago Maroon Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *