Report: New Harvard Grads No Longer Eligible for Alumni Email Addresses
“leaving this year’s graduates unable to obtain the email handle which many say is important to job searches and networking”
This story is much bigger than it sounds. Imagine that you went to Harvard. You’re proud of that accomplishment, and now you’re told you can’t have the same kind of email address as those before you.
The Harvard Crimson reports:
New Harvard Graduates No Longer Eligible For Alumni Email Addresses As University Explores Alternative Services
The Harvard Alumni Association discontinued the ability to create new @alumni.harvard.edu email forwarding accounts last month, leaving this year’s graduates unable to obtain the email handle which many say is important to job searches and networking.
HAA announced the change on its website in recent weeks, citing a number of technological issues related to phishing, spam, and email loss as reasons for the change. The email service — which will still be accessible to users with existing accounts — allows alumni to create an email alias in the format [email protected], which permits users to receive forwarded communications but not send their own messages.
Harvard plans to establish a working group in the fall semester composed of IT personnel, administrators, and students to determine other ways of using technology to support alumni while taking into account cost, security, and liability, according to Prashanth “PK” Kumar ’21, the Second Marshal of the College’s Class of 2021. In the meantime, graduates may continue to access their existing school email accounts — such as the @college.harvard.edu account for undergraduates — for an additional 365 days.
Mena W. Ahmed, the outgoing president of the Graduate School of Design’s student government, said the termination of alumni forwarding emails is the opposite of what she and other students hoped for.
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Comments
If the bright sparks at Harvard can’t figure out how to run a simple SMTP forwarding service – or even outsource it – that says a lot more about the value of a Harvard education than @harvard.edu.
I have few doubts that this exclusive email addy will soon be available to alums in a gold-plated paid format.
How sad. That Haavahd address goes SO well with the Rolex, and the key fob with the roundel, four interlocking rings, it three pointed star.
Harvard students: check your damn privilege. Right?
I wonder if that’s it, a politically motivated minor fratricide. Although I’ve hardly seen any resumes that use a university’s forwarding address, including from graduates of such name-brand universities.
Is it possible that this year’s graduates are still looking for a job? That’s the real news about Harvard, if so.
Savvy potential employers might see a Harvard alumni email address as a warning. Candidate is A) showing off, a braggart, and B) is a Harvard grad.
Harvard has been devaluing their brand for a long time.