UMaine Alumni Office Offers FirstClass Email to Graduates
Contact: Chris Corro, (207) 581-1142, Donna Thornton, (207) 581-2586, George Manlove, (207) 581-3756
ORONO — For recent University of Maine graduates, leaving campus no longer means losing touch with classmates, acquaintances and campus news.
For the first time since the FirstClass email and communications network was introduced to the campus in 1994, graduates will be able to retain FirstClass accounts similar to existing student FirstClass accounts. A pilot program for members of the Class of 2005 and 2004, the offer resulted from a partnership among the UMaine Alumni Association, UMaine President Robert Kennedy’s office and the Office of Information Technologies.
The feature is available to 2004 and 2005 UMaine graduates who accept an invitation for a complimentary membership to the alumni association and pay the $10 annual licensing fee for FirstClass, according to Donna Thornton, interim president and CEO of the alumni association.
Thornton says response to the offer has been “terrific” since it was announced during commencement exercises May 7.
While it will differ slightly from the account students have used in terms of conferences and permissions, the Alumni FirstClass account still will offer many of the same features that make FirstClass a convenient communications tool, Thornton says. The 2005 graduates may keep their current FirstClass student account through June; the new Alumni FirstClass will become active July 1.
“This is a test right now,” Thornton says. “Students have come to us and have been disappointed when they’ve been terminated from their FirstClass accounts. That’s how they communicated for the last four years.”
Depending upon its popularity, the alumni association may extend the offer to even more UMaine alumni. “Our goal is to offer this email service to all alumni,” Thornton says.
Alumni FirstClass includes: email, using the same address graduates have now; personalized calendar, address book, links to public folders for many campus groups and organizations, including Greeks, student organizations and honor societies, plus links to folders with the latest UMaine news and alumni events. It also will provide chat capabilities. Participants must establish Internet connectivity through an independent ISP.
Extending FirstClass to alumni serves multiple purposes, Thornton says. While it helps UMaine graduates stay in contact with one another, it also allows them to remain in contact with the university and the alumni association.
“From an alumni perspective, if someone is in California, they can access a class or a speech or a presentation that was held on campus, instead of connecting to UCLA,” Thornton says. “They maintain a connection to us.”
The alumni association depends on graduates for several different kinds of support after they leave the campus with their degrees. Support, Thornton says, can range from financial contributions to the university to various forms of advocacy, including attending an event or being willing to call a legislator to, say, express support for UMaine research and development efforts.
“We are pleased to be able to respond to the demand from new graduates by establishing a convenient way for them to stay connected,” says UMaine President Kennedy. “First Class is an important part of our campus communication system, and the participation of more alumni in its conferences and other features will enhance the service for all of us. At the same time, it will provide an effective way for the university to keep in touch with these valued members of our community.”
To activate complimentary membership and Alumni FirstClass accounts, students can contact Chris Corro at 581-1142.