Review and save shared Google and Microsoft files of graduates & retirees
As students graduate and employees leave the university, continuing employees and students should take a moment to review any Google or Microsoft files they may have shared with you. Since retirees and graduates are not entitled to Google and Microsoft storage services through CU Boulder, their files will be deleted according to the schedules in the For those who are graduating or retiring section below.
For continuing employees
Here are the ways to review, clean up and save shared files in Google and how to access files that have been shared with you in Microsoft OneDrive.
Special note about course content in Google & Microsoft
Please note that some instructors who do not have an active appointment may be categorized as unaffiliated in our HR system and may have their files deleted. An example may be an instructor who hasn’t taught a class since last summer. For this reason, we suggest academic departments thoroughly review course content in Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive that has been shared by these instructors and save to a recommended storage solution based on your requirements.
Download and save files
The copying of files in Google Drive could cause your account to quickly exceed your Google Storage quota. Unless the file is a Google-formatted file, we recommend that you download the file and save it to a recommended storage solution. Here is how to download files in Google and how to download files in OneDrive. Please note that campus departments are responsible for identifying files that are subject to the university’s records retention guidelines.
Return of orphaned files
When the accounts of alumni, retirees and non-affiliates are deleted, files owned by you that were stored in the deleted accounts may return to the root level of your own Google Drive. This is something you might need to manage if large files are returned to you and your Google Drive is nearing the 5 gigabyte limit.
For those who are graduating or retiring
Here’s what you need to know to avoid permanently losing files you might need as you leave the university:
- Retirees: When an employee’s status is changed to a retiree status in the campus HR system, retirees are notified that their files will be retained for 30 more days before being deleted. During those 30 days, files owned by a retiree are changed to view-only access so that others can more easily identify these files and make copies before they are deleted.
- Alumni: When a student graduates, they are notified approximately 30 days later that they have 90 days to save their files before they are deleted. During those 90 days, files owned by alumni are changed to view-only access so that others can more easily identify these files and make copies before they are deleted.
Please see the information above about how to Download and save files if there are personal files you wish to keep after leaving the university.
Please note, emeritus faculty and retirees who are working or volunteering for the university are still entitled to CU Boulder’s Google and Microsoft services. The status of their files does not change and the files are not deleted. Learn more about how these changes apply to retirees.
If you have questions about reviewing and saving files in Google or Microsoft, please contact the IT Service Center at oithelp@colorado.edu or 303-735-4357.
