I’ll admit it. I’m not one of those people who hops on the bandwagon labeled ‘change’ the first time it rolls around … or the second time for that matter. In fact, it takes quite a bit for me to be convinced about making an adjustment; especially if the old method seems to be “working just fine; thank you.”
So, anyone can imagine that in March, when we initially broke the news that NSU was planning to modify the email addresses of students, faculty and alumni over the summer break, I was, you guessed it, not a happy camper.
If you’re new to NSU, this change probably hasn’t and won’t affect you. But, for those of us who have been here, the shift has made a significant impact. I happened to have been taking classes and working over the summer vacation when the switch took place on June 2.
An email I received a few days prior, mentioned that we might not be able to access our accounts for up to 24 hours. “Fine,” I thought. “I could use a reason to unplug anyway;” except I wasn’t able to log into my account for an entire three-day period. I missed crucial and time-sensitive emails from employers, conference coordinators, professors and anyone I’d forgotten to tell about the change; including dear ole Blackboard since I stopped getting his emails too.
Then, when I was finally able to access my email account, I was prompted to change my password. Yes, this can be deemed a minor inconvenience; but it also meant that I had to use additional precious grey matter to memorize yet another password, just to be able to go about my normal daily routine.
Can we also take a minute to appreciate how less ‘professional-sounding’ and lengthy this new email address really is?
Moreover, since I am both a student and an employee of NSU, I now have two email addresses to manage; @mynsu.nova.edu and @nova.edu respectively. As a senior Visual Art and Communication Studies senior, who is simply trying to get through her final semesters in one piece, daily conversations have ironically been flooded with phrases like “No, I never got that email from you” and “I never saw it.”
While I can appreciate the fact that NSU values the experiences of its faculty, staff and alumni, I struggle to feel as though this change was for the betterment of the average NSU student who makes up the bulk of its infrastructure. Sure, it may have made life better for whoever it is who manages these accounts. However, for the typical student, communication between advisors, employers, faculty and peers has become more strained if not complicated.
Nevertheless, what’s done is done. I will have to accept that. Still, I can only hope that as we move toward our 2020 goal of being “one NSU,” that the experiences of all parties involved will be viewed and weighed as equally important.
