ACCMail Q & A:

Are students’ previous email addresses stored where they can be accessed?

• No. It was determined that, as students gmail accounts are created, the new email address will overwrite the email address on file.

Is forwarding email from gmail to another account recommended.

• FERPA requires that we deliver communication to students securely. Since ACC administers the email program, we are assured that the student is the recipient. If students choose to forward email or share passwords, they take on the responsibility of protecting their privacy.

• Policies are currently being written so that email sent to g.austincc.edu accounts will replace USPS as “official means of communication” to students.

Why were faculty not included in the process and kept informed?

• All faculty and staff were kept informed of the gmail process via President’s Announcements, emails, notices on the ACC home page and posters on campuses since June. A document is attached with all notices that were provided.

Why, during implementation, did some students have gmail accounts while others did not and none of them appeared in Blackboard?

• IT began creating 37,000 + gmail accounts on Friday evening, Sept. 12 at 5:00 PM. Google estimated that it would take approximately 24 hours to create the accounts. It actually took 48 hours to create 90% of the accounts. It then took an additional 12 hours or so on Monday for problem solving with individual records that didn’t process initially, for various reasons. The Blackboard administrator imported gmail accounts at about noon on Monday. By Tuesday morning all accounts had been created and all had been imported to Blackboard.

I would like to receive a list of my students’ new gmail addresses.

• Faculty can obtain students’ new gmail addresses from their class rosters in Online Services.

Why are the new gmail accounts mandatory? Why can’t students choose to use either gmail or their personal accounts like UT and other schools?

• ACC chose to make the new gmail accounts mandatory to satisfy FERPA regulations. Students may choose to forward or pop their gmail into any email account they choose.

It would be nice to allow students and faculty to update email addresses on line.

• Updates to email addresses in the Colleague database are not allowed by any person. These email addresses are updated by automated processes that support ACC policies and guidelines.

Why can’t ACC store multiple email addresses for students like we do phone numbers.

• Students may provide ACC with parents’ or friends email addresses in place of their own. FERPA requires that we deliver communication to students securely. Since ACC administers the email program, we are assured that the student is the recipient.

Why do students have to use their ACCeID to reset ACCmail password?

• Since ACC does not send any personal information to Google, students must authenticate themselves with ACC. Once authenticated, ACC will send a password reset request to Google on the student’s behalf.