This article was previously printed in the Collegian and has been reprinted - with permission from the author - for the benefit of first-year students and others new to campus.
As someone who has daily contact with undergraduates, I often hear from frustrated students that they were not aware of certain academic regulations, or that they were never informed about an upcoming event or a change of policy. In almost every case, this frustration could have been avoided if all students regularly checked their University e-mail account. Here are some key reasons why you should use and read your UMass e-mail.
Official Communication
In this day of paperless communication, the University no longer sends grades or other important notices to a student's home or campus address. In fact, according to the University's Fall 2005 Email Communications Policy, the University's primary means of communicating official information is e-mail.
Further, the University will send official communications only to e-mail addresses distributed by OIT (also known as UMail addresses), and expects that such communications will be received and read in a timely fashion.
Students are, therefore, responsible for checking their University e-mail on a frequent and consistent basis to ensure that they are staying current with all official communications. In other words, even if you ignore it, you will be held accountable for the information that has been sent.
UMail "Problems"
You might be surprised to read that students regularly report problems with their UMail account, which sometimes comes down to the fact that it is not as fun or as easy to use as an e-mail vendor like Hotmail or Yahoo. I am not sure if it is because using the familiar e-mail account is more interesting and enjoyable or because UMail messages about serious issues are not as interesting or enjoyable, but some students choose to ignore their UMail or have it redirected ("forwarded") to their more familiar, personal e-mail address. As a result, they miss crucial University information because their familiar account treats the forwarded messages as Spam or, even worse, does not forward them at all.
To avoid missing deadlines or even opportunities, we recommend that you stop having your UMass e-mail forwarded. Instead, either use your UMail as your only account, or use two accounts and check your UMail daily for university-related business.
A Permanent Record of Your Civility . . . or Not
Although it is "informal," as long as e-mail is the University's "official" mode of communication, students need to remember that when writing to members of the campus community, a certain e-mail etiquette is expected. Always indicate your full name, not just Doug or Maria, include your SPIRE number as a courtesy, and start with a salutation such as "Dear Professor Quinn." Believe it or not, I receive several messages per week that begin "hey," and are not signed at all. This is not the best way to make a positive impression.
One last suggestion: when writing e-mails regarding University business, try to avoid abbreviations that might be more appropriate when text messaging (TMOT - trust me on this). These are habits that will serve you well when you leave campus and enter the professional world. Believe me, a little civility goes a long way.
Take your future into your own hands. Reading your University e-mail is a great way to avoid missing withdrawal deadlines, for example, which may result in a lower grade point average recorded permanently on your transcript.
Using University e-mail to address issues in an informal way could also come back to haunt you. What if these e-mails end up in the hands of a potential employer looking for an employee with a more professional demeanor? E-mail is a permanent record and what you don't know about it, either way, could hurt you.
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