Author: Mattingly, Ashley

Upcoming Changes to Student Google Accounts

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Dear UConn Students,

We are writing with information about your transition to Microsoft 365. If you are graduating in May 2024 or leaving the University, please disregard this message; you will receive a separate notification about changes to IT services.

Reason for Change
Information Technology Services communicated this past year that the University was discontinuing their relationship with Google and would be moving everyone to Microsoft 365. This decision was driven by changes to our contract with Google. They no longer offer free and unlimited storage to higher education institutions, and the cost to retain the services, even with drastic cuts to storage amounts, was significant.

Transition Process
ITS will move your email and files in Google Drive to Microsoft 365 for you. This will happen after the Spring 2024 semester ends. Due to the large volume of data, we are moving students in batches, which means not everyone is moving at the same time.

Your transition will have two phases.

  1. Preparation: Starting in April, we will begin making a copy of your files and messages. Your past email messages will go into Microsoft Outlook. A copy of your Google Drive files will go into a folder in OneDrive. We will ask you to ignore these copies. You may continue to access, create, and edit files in Google during this phase.
  2. Final Migration: Sometime after the semester ends, you’ll receive a message from us telling you that we are finalizing your migration. At this point, your Google Drive data will be in Microsoft OneDrive and your email delivered to Microsoft Outlook. You should start using Microsoft 365, and we will provide you with training information.

Migration Limitations
Unfortunately, not all files or features in Google Workspace will transfer to Microsoft 365. Links to other UConn Google Drive files will break and need to be recreated. You will also need to “re-share” documents. View this guide on what will and will not migrate for more information.

We know that this is a substantial change for you, and we will support you through the process. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the Technology Support Center at techsupport.uconn.edu or techsupport@uconn.edu.