This study is an exploratory survey of current electronic mail (E-mail) use, attitudes toward E-mail and likelihood of future E-mail use among freshmen university students. Increasingly, universities are giving students access to their campus E-mail systems. In this case study, the administration of the college of communication in a Northeastern university was interested in implementing an E-mail system as part of a larger organizational shift toward electronic communications. As digital media become a reality, it was deemed important that students become familiar with electronic communications. An E-mail system would be the first entry for students into the production and receipt of digital information. This study was carried out prior to and in preparation for the implementation of a college-wide E-mail system into the curriculum. By exploring students' current E-mail use patterns, attitudes about Email, and a few correlates, this study hopes to shed some light on the factors that facilitate adoption and use once the system is formally implemented. Describing E-mail E-mail is a subset of computer networking. Along with other computer-mediated communication applications like individual and group scheduling, and collaborative workgroup software, the purpose of E-mail is the facilitation of information exchange between members of an organization, whether an office, a university community, a real or collaboration, or a commercial information service like CompuServe or Prodigy (Rapaport, 1991). Basically, electronic communication technology combines computer text processing and communication tools with the speed and reach of a computer network. The result of this is that anyone with a computer account or address can send and receive information to any other members of the network (Sproull and Kiesler 1993). The importance of introducing students to E-mail is highlighted by the growing number of studies reporting on using Email as a means of university teaching, and the growing use of E-mail among corporations and businesses. D'Souza (1991) studied the impact that E-mail has on the instructional process. In this study, students in a class went on-line with E-mail. Class material dissemination, discussion and paper collection were performed on-line. D'Souza (1991 ) found that the E-mail system helped the shy or passive students overcome communication anxiety that might be present in the setting. They expressed themselves more freely (both positively and negatively) to the instructor and classmates. Another benefit of the system described by D'Souza (1991) was more efficient completion of group projects through E-mail. Students could collaborate with other class members, ask questions, share data and keep up on events through the svstem. The one negative result of the system was that it lacked the traditional non-verbal cues of face-to-face communication. Some students found this system to be too impersonal, and felt awkward communicating electronically. The possibility for a virtual classroom was also explored by Hiltz (1986). Her study wondered if an interactive learning experience could be created within a computer system that would be as effective as traditional education. Hiltz (1986) taught two sections of a class; one traditional and one on-line. Students taking the on-line class didn't feel inhibited about taking part in discussions over the E-mail system, and felt that the system provided good access to their instructors (Hiltz,1986). Graduate students were more negative about the course than the undergraduates, a fact Hiltz (1986) attributes to the greater presence of undergraduates on campus where terminal access is more convenient. This study focuses upon describing and assessing variables that predict student use of E-mail. Its purpose is to study non-curricular E-mail use patterns among students before implementing a college of communication-wide E-mail system. …