The University of Alberta might soon outsource its e-mail system to Google, which would make it the first Canadian university to do so for staff and faculty. While concerns exist about the precedent this would set for staff and students’ privacy, this is a move worth making that other post-secondary institutions should consider as well.
Going with Google would simplify and enhance e-mail communications for both students and administrators. Google mail offers students seven GB of space, along with embedded applications such as a personal calendar and a document feature, which allows for tweaking assignments online instead of dealing with several attachments.
For the U of A, Google mail would mean one unified e-mail system, as opposed to the 30 e-mail systems that are currently hosted, all with varying templates and features. A simpler, easy-to-use interface wouldn’t be the only perk to the switchover. It is estimated that if integrated, the new e-mail system would free up roughly $2 million of U of A’s annual budget, as the services offered to students would be free of charge to the university.
Critics are understandably concerned that putting e-mails in corporate hands could raise privacy issues. But this is a concern no matter what online mail service a university uses — nothing online is ever 100 per cent secure. A student hacked Carleton’s e-mail system last year, proving that a university-managed e-mail interface is just as vulnerable.
For post-secondary institutions wishing to follow innovative new paths, while tightening their budgets,
U of A’s tentative plan is one to keep an eye on.