When you opened up your computer and prepared for a packed inbox before the fall semester, you probably noticed a change in your email background. On Aug. 1, UM switched student email accounts from Outlook to Gmail.
Although a student survey indicated that students preferred Google products, many students were pleased with Outlook, and the survey only received a 27% response rate from undergraduate students. The transition to Gmail has had a rough start. It has brought challenges of adapting to a new platform without the enjoyment of Outlook’s advanced capabilities. Simply put, the transition has already hurt student productivity and will inevitably continue to.
Outlook has various tools, such as AI Copilot, that make it easier for students to locate previous emails and documents. Outlook’s calendar is straightforward, popular, and organized, according to Business Insider. These features, which are not found on Gmail make it easier for students to access essential school information.
“The design of Gmail and the calendar system are awful compared to Outlook,” Carlos Ramirez, a junior majoring in industrial engineering, said. “I enjoyed using the Outlook calendar to set up meetings and keep track of my schedule. It was easy for me to use and understand. Using the Gmail calendar causes me more stress. I am still trying to make sense of it.”
Outlook has also helped students navigate academic life conveniently. The ability to mention specific users in large emails and the option to clean up large folder emails in just one click was essential for student productivity.
“Outlook had a more professional appearance,” said third-year finance and accounting major Michael Finkel. “I enjoyed how the university initially had Outlook because many business internships my friends and I participated in utilized Outlook and other Microsoft Office platforms. I believe switching to Gmail will put students at a disadvantage when explaining technological skills on internship applications, as Gmail will only inhibit technological development for prospective jobs.”
One big problem is that many students lost emails during the transfer, requiring them to rework their calendars in an entirely new way. These inconveniences made life rough for students as they utilized their school email when applying for jobs.
“I applied to several internships using my school email and received all follow-up emails to Outlook, which entailed interview scheduling and crucial details about further application stages,” said Finkel. “This caused me to be very frustrated, and I missed some internships I had hoped to get this semester. I wondered why all my emails would still be in Outlook if the school did not use Outlook anymore.”
Outlook also helped students keep track of important school information while having a separate platform for individual emails, making it easy for students to differentiate the two.
“I enjoyed having two separate email systems. I could easily track my notifications, as I knew what came from Outlook and Gmail,” said Donald Suidmak, a third-year student majoring in biology. “Outlook was my school email, and Gmail was my personal. Now, it is harder to pinpoint what comes from my personal email and which are school emails. This confusion has caused me to miss a lot of important emails from professors.”
Some students even lost all of their previous emails and contacts they had before the switch.
“There is a split between the two websites, which is a complete nightmare to deal with,” said Crawford Lashley, a senior majoring in marine biology, “I have to go back into Outlook to find old emails and contacts. I don’t understand why everything got erased when we switched over.”
UMIT transitioned to Gmail for safety concerns, and a survey demonstrated that students preferred to switch to Gmail.
“The reason for the transition is because students voted for Gmail. There was a survey that went out and the results showed that Gmail was the preference,” said Regino Rodriquez, a faculty member of the UMIT department.
Some Students also enjoy Gmail’s easy-to-use interface and are familiar with features such as Google Docs, Drive, and Slides.
“I don’t see a huge difference yet in switching to Gmail,” said third-year student Emma Beall, majoring in broadcast journalism. “During the first week of classes, I forgot to switch to my Gmail and missed many emails. Overall, though, I think this will be a good move by UM in the long run.”
Still, Gmail’s abilities do not match Outlook’s superior features. Gmail has already had significant setbacks in terms of student efficiency. Outlook prepared students for professional communication and allowed them to digest information quickly. It familiarized students with the technological platforms the professional world uses and prepared them for life after college. Gmail will do the exact opposite and leave students feeling disadvantaged.