To: 

Dean Leslie Grinage, Vice President for Campus Life and Student Experience

Barnard Office of Information Technology

Office of Alumnae Relations and Development

We, the undersigned students of Barnard College, respectfully request that the college reconsider its policy concerning post-graduation email access. Currently, Barnard is the only undergraduate college affiliated with Columbia University whose graduates are not permitted to retain their original Barnard/Columbia email addresses after graduation. Instead, alumnae must transition to an alternate alumnae-specific email address. 

This disparity is both unfair and professionally disadvantageous. Our school emails serve as important tools for networking, career advancement, academic collaboration, and maintaining professional identity beyond our undergraduate years. The revocation of Barnard graduates' original email access upon graduation severely disrupts professional continuity and disadvantages our alumnae compared to peers from Columbia College, SEAS, and General Studies, all of whom retain their original Columbia emails.

Additionally, many students register for essential professional platforms (e.g., LinkedIn, academic journals, job boards, grant portals, domain hosting, Zoom, etc.) using their Barnard/Columbia .edu email addresses. Losing access to the original address after graduation can result in significant issues, including locked accounts, failed two-step verifications, and disrupted communication with employers, mentors, and collaborators. Forwarding mail or transferring Google Drive access does not adequately address these risks.

Beyond professional disadvantages, the loss of Barnard email accounts creates challenges for vulnerable student populations. Students from first-generation, international, and low-income backgrounds often rely more heavily on .edu emails for access to student discounts, research tools, and long-term academic correspondence. Disrupting this access disproportionately impacts those who cannot easily replace these vital resources. More critically, the loss of email continuity can impair citation tracking and fragment academic records, which are crucial evaluation criteria for future immigration applications, particularly for international students.

As a college affiliated with Columbia University, Barnard should offer alumnae the same level of professional support and infrastructure as its peer institutions. Retaining the original Barnard/Columbia email address strengthens our identity within the broader Columbia community and affirms our equal standing among its graduates.

This change would require minimal technical or financial investment. Maintaining institutional email access for alumnae—especially if limited to login-only use—incurs low administrative cost while offering immense long-term benefits. In recognition of any associated costs and to further support the feasibility of this change, we would appreciate the option to retain our Barnard email addresses on a paid basis, if necessary. Alumnae goodwill, continued engagement, and a consistent digital identity contribute to the reputation and community strength of Barnard as a whole.

We believe that Barnard College graduates deserve the same professional support and opportunities as alumni of Columbia University. Therefore, we respectfully request that Barnard College provide graduates with the opportunity to retain access to their original Barnard email accounts, recognizing the importance of maintaining professional, academic, and personal connections beyond graduation. We urge the Barnard administration to align its alumnae email policy with those of Columbia University’s other undergraduate colleges and grant us the right to maintain our original Barnard/Columbia email addresses.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Barnard Student