Information Technology

FirstClass Retirement Update and Important Reminders

The project to retire FirstClass in May 2018 continues to progress.

What’s Been Happening?

• The Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CITL) and members of the FirstClass project team are meeting with faculty, departments, and organizations to assist them with the transition to alternative solutions for FirstClass conferences. The options include Blackboard, Google Apps (Google Drive, Google Groups…), Box, Listservs, and the UMaine MyCampus Portal.
• UMS IT staff have developed support materials and processes to help faculty, staff, and students to migrate email, contacts, and stored files from FirstClass to Google Apps or Box (link to training materials). Google Apps training sessions were conducted throughout the fall semester.

What Can I Do Now?

• If you are using FirstClass as your primary email account, you will want to start the transition to Gmail. You can sign-up for an upcoming training session. Here’s information about the schedule and the registration link:
  • Session Topic – Google Q & A
    • If you have been using gmail or any of the various google applications and have questions; feel free to ask away.
    • Location:  228 Merrill Hall
    • Date/Time:  December 11 – 9-9:30 am & 12:30-1:00 pm
  • Session Topic – FirstClass Migration Starter
    • Please note that this workshop is not intended for complex email migrations, such as archived messages stored in multiple locations. To participate in this session, you will need to know your  UMS and FirstClass login credentials (usernames and passwords), and be familiar with Getting Started with Gmail and GMail Basics. 
    • Location:  228 Merrill Hall
    • Date and Times: December 11 – 10:30-11 am & 11-11:30 am

• If you are a faculty member who needs assistance transitioning from FirstClass course conferences to an alternative course delivery solution, please contact CITL at citl@maine.edu or 207.581.3333. 
• If you subscribe to listservs and use your FirstClass address for those lists, you will want to change your email address with the listserv provider. You will also want to change your email address with online services.

What’s Next?

• As of December 1, 2017:
  • The new UMaine Portal announcement and community bulletin boards that replace FirstClass Conference boards will be open for business. Go here for information.
  • No new FirstClass accounts will be activated.
  • The FirstClass course conference creation feature will be disabled.

Questions?

Questions and comments can be sent to fc-migration-questions-group@maine.edu.