Dear Editor,

With great disappointment I learned that Brandeis University has made a decision to discontinue @brandeis.edu accounts for alumni. 

The explanation that this discontinuation would align the university with best practices is completely bogus. I want to share with you that I have contacted the Alumni offices of New York University, Columbia University, Harvard University, and Yale University, and all of these schools I mentioned provide email accounts for their alumni. I also contacted a local community college and learned that the college does not provide email accounts for its alumni because of the costs associated with the service.

So, congratulations to Brandeis University for joining those community colleges that cannot afford to provide email accounts for the alumni!

For the university whose motto is "Truth, even unto its innermost parts" to give the wrong reason to the alumni community is inexcusable, and I am very upset about the University's decision. It would be acceptable to me and to many other alumni if Brandeis University charges alumni for email accounts, but simply to discontinue the service is not something I would expect from such a well-known institution. 

The decision is penny-wise but pound-foolish.

Sincerely,

Ilya Rubinstein, 

Class of '96