Having a professional email account is considered a must-have for any job search. The account associated with unityid@ncsu.edu includes features that allow students to share calendars, documents and other services with anyone on the gmail service.  With the recent student email move from Unity/Wolfware to Google, that technology will follow you after graduation, a service many seniors are not aware of.

According to Stan Martin, director of outreach, communications & consulting for the Office of Information Technology, allowing the alumni to keep their email addresses was always considered a good idea, but not possible until the switch to Google.   “As of the spring 2010 graduating class, we have kept the access to features such as email, documents and calendars on for them when they leave because when we were debating options for a new email host, that was one of the reasons we contracted with Google. It allows us to give them that service without costing anything extra for alumni,” Martin said.   Morgan Hightshoe, a senior in zoology, said he was not aware he could keep his email after graduation.   “This is great! I love Gmail, it’s so easy to use with a variety of applications that anyone can find useful. Gmail is extremely user friendly and works well. It’s a great advantage for students to be able to keep it. Also, people look more credible when they are emailing from university labels ‘.edu’,” Hightshoe said.   Although email is a life-time access, other features available to enrolled students will be removed after graduation.   “One thing we’re working through is the process of limiting access, so you have access to Google Apps, but then wouldn’t be able to lab computers,” he said.   Server space is another feature not continuous, Martin said.   “Server space will also be disabled after the time allowed.”   The main reason for the cut-off of server space and unity log-ins is the way people change roles after graduation.   According to Martin, since most students graduate and leave the University altogether, they can get space elsewhere. Other students may become staff, who sometimes leave the University through other ways than retirement, and these constantly changing roles mean a lot of catch-up for OIT staff.   “We haven’t announced this kind of information before and you won’t be able to find details about who can and can’t keep their accounts after they leave because this process isn’t finalized. We’re still looking at the changing of roles, and access you have based on that role, as we evaluate services for those that have moved on. These changes are part of the challenge, identity as individual and the roles associated with that identity is something we have to think about,” Martin said.   In early 2009, OIT evaluated whether it would be possible to move student email from Unity/Wolfware mail to an external provider. One of the aspects of that evaluation included providing access to alumni to keep their Unityid address.   Collaborating with the Alumni Association was part of the process, according to Martin.   “We talked with the Alumni Association, and they thought it would be a good idea to use Google so those services could continue. They still forward email through their alumni@ncsu.edu service,” he said.   Another role being evaluated is what classification of student should be allowed to keep their account.    Martin said these decisions depend on the the type of enrollment of a student.   “If you’ve graduated you’re going to be able to keep your account, if you’re just a non-degree seeking student, and only took one class, we are looking at determining what the minimum number of courses should be to keep access,” he said.   A group entitled “Identity and Access Management” is in charge of these decisions. The registrar, human resources for staff access, and an Alumni Association representative are some of the members of a cross section who would be helping provide advice on kinds of access.   Megan Forman, a senior in communication media, said she recently learned of the availability of her email after May and likes the idea because it makes students look official in the job market.   “I think it’s good because it looks official and credible. I’m doing a lot of job applications this semester and who knows where I’m going to be in a year, so it’s nice I will have an email that will look good anywhere. It just makes sense.”