Media Release

For Immediate Release

August 16, 2010

Email Changes: Frequently Asked Questions

Why was this decision made?

Many years ago universities started offering email services because they were the only ones capable of doing so.  Since that time the Internet has grown and students arrive on campus having used email for years.  Now, the free email services have far greater services and capacities than we could ever hope to provide.  Our students have told us through a variety of means that a smu.ca address is of little value to them and seldom use it.  This interfered with timely, effective communication with our students since Saint Mary’s policy was to send emails only to the smu.ca address.

What happens if I don’t update my contact information by October 15th?

Access to the email account will end on October 15th. To ensure you don’t miss any communications from the university, it’s important you visit https://activate.smu.ca and update your contact information. 

What if I want to keep my smu.ca email, can I?

Unfortunately, no. This is campus-wide change.

I don’t have another email address, what do I do?

There are numerous free email services available and they only take a minute or two to set up. Options include:

www.hotmail.com

www.yahoo.com

www.gmail.com

In addition, most Internet service providers (e.g. Aliant, Eastlink) offer email address to customers. The Chebucto Community Net is a local not-for-profit organization that provides a number of free and inexpensive services (www.chebucto.ns.ca) including email. 

I’ve been told that using my smu.ca email address looks more professional than a Hotmail or Gmail account. Is this true?
We have spoken to a number of hiring managers in different industries and professional recruiter to ask this question. All of them say that it makes no difference whether a person uses @smu.ca, @hotmail.com, @gmail.com or other common address as long as it is a personal email. Using a work email is frowned upon and considered unprofessional.
The most important considerations when hiring are the education, experience and fit for the position. The quality of the covering letter and resumé are also extremely important in the initial screening. Ensure that both are well written, grammatically correct, succinct, and free of spelling and other errors.

Doesn’t my @smu.ca email address prove that I’m a Saint Mary’s Graduate?
No. It only indicates that you are or were a student. It does not indicate any level of competency or qualification for a job. Hiring managers will determine your education from your resume and will verify it by receiving a copy of your diploma or transcript.

Does my email address have any impact on hiring?
Your email address is typically neutral and has no impact in hiring unless it is a particularly controversial or offensive address. If your address could be offensive to someone, it is best to change it or create another one to use on your resumé. We all change as we mature so it is not unusual to change our email addresses. See http://www.microsoft.com/canada/windows/windowslive/hotmail/update-yourself/ for some great examples. Remember to view your address from the perspective of the potential employer. They may not understand an address that you might view as cute or has some special meaning from your past.

But my resumé has my @smu.ca address on it. What do I do?
You will need to notify potential employers of the change in address. Use it as an opportunity to remind the employer of your interest. Include a covering letter to explain that you have updated your email address and reaffirm your interest in obtaining a position with the firm. You can also use it as an opportunity to add recent experience to your
resume.

I've purchase software through a student discount program that requires me to send a university email address. What do I do?

We are not the only institution that does not provide an email address to students so Microsoft and other companies provide an alternate method of validating that a person is a student.  There is a link “My university/school does not provide me an email address” at the bottom of the many pages after clicking “Buy Now” which describes the process.  It takes a longer to be validated than using an institutional email address but it ensures students are still eligible for these great deals.

How do I save messages in my smu.ca inbox that I want to keep for future reference?

To keep any messages in your smu.ca inbox, simply forward them to another email account.

What will happen to messages that people send to my smu.ca account after it’s closed?

When your account is closed, your smu.ca email address will be deleted.  Anyone sending email to that account will receive an error message saying that the email address does not exist.

How will my contacts know that my email address is changing?

Before the account shuts down, you need to send all of your contacts a quick email letting them know that your contact information is changing. Be sure to emphasize that the account is closing and under no circumstances will you receive emails they send there in the future.

How do I transfer contacts from my smu.ca account to another account?

On the Address Book tab of SMUPort email is an Import/Export button that can be used to export your contacts to a variety of different file formats.  Once exported to a file on your computer, you can use it to import them into another email system.

Are other computer services affected?

No.  You will continue being able to use the campus computer labs, SMUPort, wireless and wired network connections and other services as you always have with your s number.  Self-service Banner is still accessible with your A number and PIN.

Have policies been changed?

Yes, the University Email Procedures and Guidelines has changes to allow email to students and alumni to be sent to their preferred email address.  It also reflects the need for them to inform the university of their preferred email address. (See http://www.smu.ca/policy/itss.html). 

Why can staff and faculty no longer forward their email to an external address?

The confidentiality of internal communications can only be ensured by using the Saint Mary’s email system.  Also, under FOIPOP legislation, email is an institution record which must be maintained.  This can only be done using our own systems.

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For More Information:

Steve Proctor
External Affairs
Saint Mary's University
(902) 420.5513
E-mail: steve.proctor@smu.ca
www.smu.ca