To keep connected, all incoming students are provided with a free FMU email account.  Although the account is required, it is still widely unused by students.

Puja Khatri, a freshman majoring in biology, said she does not use the FMU provided email account because she felt it was difficult to set up and accessing it was not worth the trouble.

“I don’t remember the password to log in, and I don’t want to have to go the computer center just to go through the hassle of having my password reset,” Khatri said. “If it was more of a necessity to have the email account I would, but I don’t feel like many important emails get sent to that account.”

Even though many students elect not to use their accounts as their primary email account, FMU still requires all students to at least activate the accounts because FMU-related messages are sent. These emails include information about class registration, financial information and other FMU notices.

Additionally, the majority of students use their personal email accounts instead of having multiple inboxes on different websites. Tyler Donaldson, a junior majoring in computer science, gave that as his reason for not using his FMU account.  Also, Donaldson said he has all the emails received at his FMU email account forwarded to his personal account.

FMU student email accounts are provided through Google’s g-mail service. Some of the benefits of the g-mail accounts include over six gigabytes of storage for emails, and access to Google Apps, such as instant messaging, online documents, calendar and voice calls.

Austin Kemmerlin, a student worker in the Academic Computer Center and a senior majoring in biology, said one of the reasons many students might not use their accounts is because the students do not realize how easy they are to use.

Kemmerlin also noted benefits of having all the students using their FMU-provided email accounts.

“I think it’s really great when it comes to connecting the school,” Kemmerlin said. “The school could send out a mass email if need be, and the students would all get it right away.”

As far as the problems most students have with the emails, Kemmerlin said campus technology is working on making the accounts even easier for students. One of the improvements the accounts saw this year was adding a link under the Swampfox for Students section on the FMU website, which takes students directly to their FMU g-mail account. Other improvements include advertising more to the students about using the accounts.

“We already have the stuff there,” Kemmerlin said.  “So we are working on just getting the word out there that it is easier if you just give it a chance.”