Retirees lose access to the following CU Boulder provided Google and Microsoft services after they retire:
- Microsoft Office 365 desktop and mobile applications
- Microsoft Office 365 online applications (e.g., Word, Excel) with the exception of Outlook on the web
- Microsoft 365 file storage (e.g., OneDrive, Sharepoint)
- Google Workspace for Education applications (e.g., Docs, Sheets)
- Google Drive file storage
Retirees are able to send and receive emails from their colorado.edu email account using the Outlook on the web application.
Some retirees are eligible for these services:
Retirees in the following groups are given ongoing access to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace services through CU Boulder after retirement.
- Emeritus faculty; please note, some departments may be delayed in updating the HR system to reflect your emeritus status. If your status is not updated in the HR system, you will not have access to these services.
- Working retirees
- Retirees who are volunteering for the university who/that have been entered into our HR system with an appropriate Person of Interest (POI) type because they need access to these services to perform their volunteer duties.
What you should do if you're about to retire
Download any personal files from your CU Boulder-provided Microsoft OneDrive and Google Drive to store them in an alternate location. We recommend you do this as soon as possible to ensure you have sufficient time to complete this step before you lose access.
- For instructions and tips for downloading your files and storing them in an alternate location, visit OIT's instructions for downloading files from Google Drive or OneDrive.
- If you would like assistance with this process, you can make an appointment with the Buff Techs desktop support technicians.
- OIT cannot recover your files after your account is deleted.
Frequently Asked Questions
General
Why did retirees lose access to CU Boulder's Google services?
In 2021, Google announced that it would end free storage for universities, which significantly reduced the amount of storage CU Boulder could provide to campus users. The remaining storage was allocated to active students, faculty (including emeritus faculty), staff (including working retirees) and those who need access to these tools to perform volunteer duties for the university.
Why does CU Boulder not provide Microsoft services to retirees?
Per the terms of the university's contract with Microsoft, we are only permitted to provide the full suite of Microsoft services to actively affiliated students, faculty and staff. We are not permitted to provide Microsoft services, beyond Outlook on the web, to non-working, non-volunteer faculty and staff retirees.
Will I still have access to use my colorado.edu address?
Yes. As a retiree, you will be able to use your colorado.edu email account through Outlook on the web.
Will I still be able to check my colorado.edu emails using my CU Boulder provided Outlook desktop application?
No. Your CU Boulder provided Outlook desktop application will no longer work. You can access your colorado.edu email using Outlook on the web. Learn more about Outlook on the web.
Will I still be able to check my colorado.edu emails using Gmail?
No. All retiree accounts on Gmail were designated for migration to Microsoft and are accessible by using Microsoft's Outlook on the web. Learn more about Outlook on the web.
Will I be required to use Multi-Factor Authentication with Outlook on the web?
Yes. Learn more about multi-factor authentication (MFA) across Microsoft services.
Can OIT provide retirees with assistance in downloading personal files from CU Boulder Google Drive and/or Microsoft OneDrive and storing them in an alternate location?
Yes. OIT's Buff Techs can assist retirees with saving personal files. We encourage you to schedule an appointment with Buff Techs as soon as possible. We have created dedicated appointments for retirees. The process of relocating files, especially when done over a residential internet connection, can take a considerable amount of time depending on the size of the files you are moving. We encourage you to not wait until the last minute to complete this process as appointments for the Buff Techs may fill up and they may be unavailable to assist you.
What files am I permitted to download from my CU Boulder Google Drive and/or Microsoft OneDrive and store in an alternate location?
Files containing any information which the university considers highly confidential or high impact are prohibited from being moved to personal storage and must remain in your CU Boulder Google Drive and/or Microsoft OneDrive.
Please note, this exclusion does not apply to any data containing your personal information. Personal information can and should be moved to a storage location of your choice (excluding CU Boulder's Google Drive and/or Microsoft OneDrive instance). We encourage you to consider the security of any platform you move your personal information to as you would any platform where you store personal information (such as financial information, health information, or any other information you would want to keep private).
How much time should I allow to download my personal files to an alternate location?
It depends on the number of files you will be downloading. The process of downloading files, especially when done over a residential internet connection, can take a considerable amount of time depending on the size of the files. We encourage you to not wait until the last minute to complete this process.
Google Access
What are my options if I still need access to Google applications and Google Drive?
You'll no longer have access to your CU Boulder Google account, but you can obtain a free personal account from Google directly. Google offers both free and paid options, depending on your needs:
- You can sign up for a free personal Google account to access web and mobile apps and get 15GB of cloud storage.
- You can purchase a Google One plan to access additional features and get additional cloud storage.
If you decide to obtain a personal account, be sure to move any CU Boulder Google Drive files you want to keep to your new non-CU Boulder Google Drive before you lose access.
Can I continue to use "Sign in with Google" to log in to other sites with my CU Boulder credentials?
No. Once your Google account is deactivated, you'll no longer be able to use "Sign in with Google." Before that happens, log in to your Google account and follow this link to check which apps and services are linked to your account.
Please note: If you are signed in to a personal Google account in your browser, you may need to switch accounts to view the accounts linked to your CU Boulder Google account rather than your personal one.
How do I transfer files from my CU Boulder Google account to a personal Google account?
Google's transfer service allows to you to move Gmail emails, documents you own and, in some circumstances, documents in your Shared with me folder to a personal Google account. Please follow Google's file transfer instructions carefully.
I've shared files in my Google Drive with others at CU Boulder. Will they also lose access to those files when my account is deleted?
Yes. When your Google Drive files are deleted, any users with whom they were shared will also permanently lose access to them.
To make someone else the owner of a file or folder, follow Google's instructions to transfer ownership.
Microsoft Access
What are my options if I still need to access Microsoft Office 365 applications and OneDrive?
You'll no longer have access to your CU Boulder Microsoft 365 account, but you can obtain a free personal account from Microsoft directly. Microsoft offers both free and paid options, depending on your needs:
- You can sign up for a free personal Microsoft 365 account to access web and mobile apps for free and get 5GB of cloud storage.
- You can purchase a personal or family plan to access Microsoft 365 desktop applications and get additional cloud storage.
If you decide to obtain a personal account, be sure to move any CU Boulder files you want to keep to your new non-CU Boulder OneDrive before you lose access.
What if I shared files in my Microsoft OneDrive with others at the university? Will they also lose access to my files?
Yes. If you'd like to transfer folders in OneDrive to a CU Boulder faculty or staff, follow these instructions:
- Open a web browser and navigate to your OneDrive e file library.
- Right-click on the file or folder you wish to transfer.
- Click Manage Access.
- Find the new owner's name and confirm they have Can edit access. If they don't, click on their name and update their access accordingly.
- Ask the new editor to find your file/folder under their own OneDrive file library's Shared tab.
- Ask the new editor to download your file(s), which will create a new copy that they own.
- To complete the process, they can re-upload your file(s) to a new folder in their own OneDrive account and share with others as needed.
How do I transfer ownership of a shared file to someone else?
To transfer ownership to someone with whom you've already shared the file or folder:
- Open a web browser and navigate to your OneDrive file library.
- Right-click on the file or folder you wish to transfer.
- Click Manage Access.
- Find the new owner's name and confirm they have Can edit access. If they don't, click on their name and update their access accordingly.
- Ask the new editor to find your file/folder under their own OneDrive file library's Shared tab.
- Ask the new editor to download your file(s), which will create a new copy that they own.
- To complete the process, they can re-upload your file(s) to a new folder in their own OneDrive account and share with others as needed.
Account Eligibility Changes
I have not retired yet but I anticipate that I will soon. What can I expect with regard to my access to CU Boulder Microsoft and Google services when I retire?
All individuals retiring from CU Boulder will retain access to Google and Microsoft services for a minimum of 90 days following the effective date of their retirement from CU Boulder.
Once the 90 days has expired, if the retiree does not fall into one of the exception categories, the retiree should expect to lose all access to CU Boulder provided Microsoft and Google services except Microsoft Outlook on the web, which can be used for sending and receiving emails from the retiree's colorado.edu account.
What will happen to the files I have stored in my Google Drive and/or Microsoft OneDrive?
Your files will be permanently deleted.
If you have personal documents in your CU Boulder Google Drive and/or Microsoft OneDrive that you would like to retain access to after your retirement it is critical that you download files within 90 days of retirement to store them in an alternate location, such as a personal Google or OneDrive account, or a personal external hard drive. OIT will not be able to assist you with recovering any personal files that you have not downloaded and stored in an alternative location after your account is deleted.
Please see the following FAQ for information about alternate storage options: What are my options if I still need to access Microsoft Office 365 applications and OneDrive? Also, see our FAQs addressing Google Drive shared files and Microsoft OneDrive shared files access.
Need Assistance?
Get help with these changes by scheduling an appointment with the Buff Techs desktop support service. In addition, the IT Service Center is available to answer questions at oithelp@colorado.edu or 303-735-4357.
