E-mail system still problematic, some students say

The Florida A&M University e-mail accounts are intended for both social and academic communication.

The accounts are an alternative way for financial aid to contact students with valuable information regarding their award summaries. Book vouchers, direct deposit requests and inquiries can be confirmed through FAMU e-mail accounts. This is because of the secure nature of the accounts.

But some students complain that access is minimal.

“I figured they were going through changes or upgrading, I was hoping that if I kept doing it back to back it would work but, it didn’t,” said Patrick Tomlinson, 19, a sophomore engineering student from San Antonio. ” It sucks.”

“The current e-mail system has exceeded its useful capacity,” said Kenneth R. Perry, associate vice president and chief information officer for Enterprise Resource Planning/Infrastructure.

Students may have had trouble due to the high volume of usage. Regardless of the number of users, not all students have experienced difficulty.

“I have it set up to use primarily on the Internet, but I also use it on Outlook Express and the Outlook that comes with Microsoft Office too, it’s pretty reliable and I never have to worry about it going down,” said Preston Lucas, 21, a junior engineering student from Miami.

“The school uses it to communicate with students, that is the only reason I use it,” said Antonio Burgess, 20, a junior political science student from Fort Lauderdale. “I don’t too much care for it. Compared to Yahoo, MSN and AOL it is not on that level.”

The e-mail system is a resource that some students have difficulty with, but it can be very beneficial.

Students should keep in mind that other e-mail options are not secure sites. As soon as an e-mail is sent through those sites it is accessible to others aside from the intended recipient.

“We are releasing a new system for next week Saturday,” Perry said.

The new system will allow students to do everything for themselves. Resetting passwords will be easier and the chances of personal information being stolen are low. Students will be able to locate professors other students and deans with the new system. It will be updated on a regular basis as new information is received.

The current e-mail system was expected to run into problems, that is why the new program has been underway for a year and a half. It will replace the current system according to Perry.

The system will include improved junk mail filtration, increased mailbox sizes, support for mobile devices and an improved user interface.

Once the new system is put into effect, it may be less difficult for some students to access their e-mail. The system will allow students to work more independently with their e-mail accounts.

In recent years it was not an option for students to manage school email accounts alone. There will be a page on the new system with frequently asked questions that will further allow students to have control. Creators of the system hope that all the changes will be helpful.

With all the features of the new system, students will have the opportunity to hold e-mail accounts that are intended to be user friendly and easily accessible.

“We’re really putting tools in place that will empower the user to manage their passwords and access their accounts,” said Keith Berry, associate postmaster for the university’s e-mail system.

Contact Steffany Bennett at steffany_bennett@yahoo.com