Beginning in May, UW-Eau Claire students will receive their final semester grades via e-mail.

The Registrar’s Office is making the switch from paper mail to e-mail for various reasons.

“Students are using electronic technology more and more,” said Sue Moore of the Registrar’s Office. “Ninety-nine percent of the students here use e-mail.”

The process of e-mailing grades was piloted during Winterim of 2000.

After receiving positive feedback, the Registrar’s Office decided to go ahead with implementing the process for spring 2001.

An e-mail account creates privacy of information as well as quick access to information, Moore said.

By sending students their grades through e-mail, they are guaranteed immediate receival compared to inconsistencies with paper mail, she said. Also, they are guaranteed complete privacy as opposed to paper grades sent to their permanent addresses.

Sending grades by e-mail will put control of that information in students’ hands, Moore said, adding that under federal law, the grades received at the university can be shared only with the students.

Along with the benefits of receiving grades faster and having complete control of information, e-mailing grades to students will save the university $10,000 in postage each year, Moore said.

If students need a paper copy of their grade report, the message easily can be printed, she said.

Grades will continue to be posted on the Blugold system as they have in the past.

The computer programming will remain the same, and students will receive a full grade report as always with an accumulative GPA, Moore said.

The e-mail will include the student’s full grade report and links to receive a transcript.

The Registrar’s Office will be sending out an explanatory e-mail about the new way of receiving grades and instructions for accessing Webmail and how to acquire a transcript. The informational e-mail will be sent to all students soon.

The accessibility of campus e-mail, called Outlook Web Access or Webmail, made e-mailing grades possible.

“A year ago one couldn’t access Outlook Webmail off campus,” Moore said. “Now, you can get to your e-mail from anywhere.”

E-mail also has proven helpful to the university for distributing information quickly.

“E-mail gives us unlimited space to get information to students,” said Susan Tarnowski, interim associate dean of Arts and Sciences.

E-mail gives the university a channel to communicate with the students on a personalized basis, she said. Along with receiving grades via e-mail, students will be receiving specialized messages such as academic warnings and academic suspensions.

Along with the messages URLs will be provided to students with suggestions, tips and resources, as well as people to contact.

“The possibilities are endless,” Tarnowski said. “With e-mail there are no space restrictions, linking to Web sites is absolutely possible, and all instructions can be included.”

The first e-mailed grade reports will be sent after grades are due on May 23rd.