Update, February 2024: The deadline has been extended to March 6, 2024. Please see the sidebar of this article in the IT News.

This information was sent in an email to Miami faculty and staff in December 2023. It has been reprinted here as a reminder. Thank you!

As Miami moves closer to our Google Workspace deadline of July 2024, IT Services will be communicating more frequently about changes taking place within your Google Drive.

First up: Files belonging to former students that have been shared with you are going away!

As Miami works to address storage constraints, we have many Google Drive accounts that will be going away as we decommission the Lifetime Email service. These accounts include those of former students. Starting in February, Google Drive files that belong to former student accounts pending deletion will no longer be accessible to you.

Important: The files have not yet been deleted. These files will be removed permanently on April 8, 2024.

If you have access to a file that someone else created, and that person is no longer affiliated with Miami, you will no longer have access after Feb. 8. This includes alumni who graduated more than 180 days ago and former students who left the university more than 180 days ago. (Students who graduated in December 2023 will have access to their accounts until June 12, 2024 – 180 days after their graduation.)

What do I do if a file I need will be removed from my Drive?

If you need the file, please do one of these things before Feb. 8:

1. Make a copy of the file or folder by following the instructions in this Google support article: Create, view, or download a file.
2. Contact the owner of the document and ask them to transfer ownership to you. They may use these instructions: Make someone else the owner of your file. (Please note: Files can only be transferred between accounts that share a domain, i.e., only MiamiOH email accounts.)

After February 8, you may find that you no longer have access to a file you need (that you did not identify previously). If this happens, please contact the owner of the document and ask them to transfer ownership to you. They may use these instructions: Make someone else the owner of your file. And please remember: The original owners will only have access until April 8, 2024.

How do I find files shared with me?

Follow the instructions in this Google support article: Find files shared with you in Drive.

Please visit the IT Services website for full context about the limitations of Miami’s Google Drive space.