Gmail Migration FAQ
- Why is Reed moving to Gmail?
- Why move to Gmail now?
- What is the timeline for moving to Gmail?
- Will my Reed email address change?
- What will happen to my existing email messages?
- Can I continue to use Thunderbird, Apple Mail or another mail client?
- Will ads appear in Gmail?
- Can Google mine the data that is stored in Reed Gmail accounts and use it for commercial purposes?
- Can I send confidential data from my Gmail account?
- Will training be offered?
- Can I still check email over the web?
- Will I still be able to look up Reed addresses?
- I have filters set up to handle incoming mail. Will these be transferred to Gmail?
- I use a shared mailbox. Will I still be able to access it in Gmail?
- I forward my Reed email to an off campus address. Do I still need to migrate?
- I'm a graduating senior. Am I required to migrate?
- I'm ready to make the switch to Gmail! How do I get started?
Why is Reed moving to Gmail?
A: Gmail provides a number of benefits, including:
- Email storage quotas will increase from 1GB to 25GB per user
- The level of spam reaching inboxes will decline
- The Gmail web interface is more robust than the web interface we currently use
- Email integration with Google Calendar, Google Docs, and other Google services will be available
- Users will be able to switch more easily between Reed email and personal Gmail accounts
- We will be able to take advantage of Gmail's powerful infrastructure rather than maintaining (and paying for) our own email infrastructure
Why move to Gmail now?
A: When Reed first adopted Google Apps for Education the goal was to provide a campus-wide calendaring solution and collaboration tool. Since then, Google Calendar and Google Docs have become valuable resources for much of the Reed community. Now that we have seen how well Google's services work at Reed, we are ready to adopt Gmail.
What is the timeline for moving to Gmail?
A: Students can opt-in starting in April. Staff and faculty can opt-in after commencement. Our goal is to have all users migrated by the end of September.
Will my Reed email address change?
A: No. Your Reed email address and any aliases you have (e.g., first.last@reed.edu) will remain the same.
What will happen to my existing email messages?
A: Your email messages and folder structure wil be preserved in Gmail.
Can I continue to use Thunderbird, Apple Mail or another mail client?
A: Yes, you can continue to use your mail client of choice. After migration, please follow our instructions for adding your Gmail account to your mail client or mobile device.
Will ads appear in Gmail?
A: No, ads are not displayed in the version of Gmail that is included with Google Apps for Education.
Can Google mine the data that is stored in Reed Gmail accounts and use it for commercial purposes?
A: No, our contract with Google prohibits this type of activity.
Can I send confidential data from my Gmail account?
A: Sending unencrypted confidential data from your email account should be avoided. Please contact CUS and we will help you identify a convenient method for transmitting encrypted data over email.
Will training be offered?
A: Yes, we are working on a training plan and will announce it when dates are scheduled.
Can I still check email over the web?
A: Yes, once you've migrated, you can check your Gmail account over the web at mail.reed.edu.
Will I still be able to look up Reed addresses?
Yes, you will still be able to look up a Reed email address when composing a new message. This will continue to work with the web version and with mail clients like Thunderbird and Apple Mail.
I have filters set up to handle incoming mail. Will these be transferred to Gmail?
A: No, you will have to re-create the filters in Gmail.
I use a shared mailbox. Will I still be able to access it in Gmail?
A: No. CIS is working on a solution for shared mailboxes. We recommend you not migrate until a solution is in place.
I forward my Reed email to an off campus address. Do I still need to migrate?
A: The answer depends on how you are forwarding your email! If you set your mail delivery preference in IRIS to go to an alternate address, then you do not need to do anything (in the event that you have messages stored on Reed's server, CIS will make sure it gets migrated before the deadline). If you set up forwarding via a filter in Webmail, then you do need to migrate. After migration, you can create a new filter to turn on forwarding, or set the delivery preference in IRIS. Please contact CUS if you have questions about how forwarding is enabled on your account.
I'm a graduating senior. Am I required to migrate?
A: No, seniors graduating in May are not required to migrate.
I'm ready to make the switch to Gmail! How do I get started?
A: Great! Students can make the switch now by following our migration instructions! It will be available to faculty and staff after commencement.
If you have further questions about the migration to Gmail, please email gmail_move@reed.edu.