Changes to Google Workspace accounts from March

15 February 2023

We are preparing to delete UIS managed Google Workspace accounts for users that have left the University to maintain system performance and security and reclaim file space ahead of Google introducing file space quotas.

When a user leaves the University, their account is flagged as cancelled in Lookup and their Google Workspace account is suspended. Currently, their My Drive files and folders remain accessible to people they've been shared with.

From March, we will:

• withdraw sharing permissions for My Drive files and folders 6 months from the user’s cancellation date in Lookup
• permanently delete the files and folders 2 years from the Lookup cancellation date. 

In September, following the removal of sharing permissions, we will permanently delete accounts cancelled more than 2 years ago to address the initial backlog.

How will this affect you?

Files or folders previously shared with you by these users will become unavailable when sharing permissions are removed. They can be recovered temporarily by emailing the UIS Service Desk with the file URL and the original owner’s name. Once restored, you will need to save a copy of the file to a shared folder. 

When we delete the user's My Drive contents the files and folders will not be recoverable.
 
Files added to shared drives will not be affected. These files are owned collectively by the team. 

Audit shared files to mitigate any loss

1.    You can find files and folders shared with you in Google Drive by selecting “Shared with me” from the left-hand menu. You will see the: 

• name and type of the file or folder shared with you 
• who the file or folder was shared by – this is the owner
• shared date

2.    You should make a copy or download the file or folder if the owner has left the University to your My Drive. You can check a file owner’s status in Lookup. 

3.    If team access to the file is required it should be copied to a shared drive.

Learn more about Google Workspace. 

Read guidance on what classifications of data can be stored on Google Drive.

For further assistance, email the Service Desk.