Google has recently imposed strict limits on digital storage available to colleges and universities–including CCA–using Google Workspace for things like email and digital file storage. As such, we are implementing several changes related to Google Workspace account access and imposing some limitations on individual account storage. Please find more details below.

Alumni Google account deactivation

CCA's priority is to provide current students, faculty, and staff with sufficient storage. In support of this effort, CCA will unfortunately no longer be able to provide digital storage to most alumni, effective on January 1, 2024.

Email opt-in for alumni who actively use their CCA Google account

We understand that many alumni actively use their CCA Google accounts. These alumni have been offered the opportunity to retain access to their Gmail indefinitely, with the following restrictions and guidelines:

• Opt-in-eligible alumni must respond to the opt-in form by the September 1, 2023 deadline to indicate interest
• Account will have a 5GB storage limit
• Alumni retaining their CCA Gmail must enroll in Duo Multi-Factor Authentication
• To retain your account, you must sign in to your email at least once per year
• CCA tech support for alumni email will be limited

We have already reached out to those who qualify for email retention with several messages, which include the required steps and deadlines for retaining their Google email accounts. Please check your CCA email inbox for these and additional messages in the coming months.

All alumni will retain their CCA logins

Please note that all alumni will still retain access to their CCA login for other systems, including the Portal, the CCA Accounts management site, and for accessing Library systems.

Preparing for account deactivation and/or storage limitations

All alumni should prepare for account deactivation and/or new storage limits by following relevant steps in our Prepare Your Google Account for Deactivation guide, which includes options for exporting any files you wish to retain from your CCA Google account.

A note for alumni who are auditing classes

Graduated students who are currently auditing classes are entitled to Google Workspace accounts with the same access and file storage provisioned for undergraduate and graduate students (see details below). Should you choose to audit courses after your Google account has been deactivated, your account will be reactivated while you remain an active student.

Once an alumnus discontinues study, their CCA Google account will be deactivated. Those alumni entitled to retain their CCA Gmail will not have their accounts deactivated, but they will lose access to the file storage provisioned to current students.

Starting with the Spring 2023 graduating class, CCA is no longer able to offer graduates the opportunity to retain their CCA Google accounts as alumni. Upcoming and recent graduates should follow the Technical Offboarding for Departing Students guide to best prepare for system access and data changes such as this.

New storage limits for individual Google accounts

Current undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff will now have a 500GB limit on individual storage for their CCA Google accounts, and students in the Pre-College program will have a 15GB limit. These new caps will take effect some time in early 2024 to give any individuals currently over their designated limit ample time to prepare.

Preparing for new individual storage limits

See Manage Your Google Account Storage & Files to prepare for new account storage limits. Make sure to follow outlined best practices, including exporting any personal files from your CCA Google account.

Implications of being at or over your storage cap

Once individual storage caps take effect, you will not be able to send/receive email or upload/create files if your CCA Google account storage is at or exceeds the imposed limit. Access to these functions will only resume once your account storage is under the cap. You will see warning messages to this effect in Gmail, Drive, and Photos if your account storage exceeds 80% of the limit.

Storage limits are subject to change

CCA will continue to offer current students, faculty, and staff the most generous storage allotments possible, but as Google's recent policy changes demonstrate, digital storage allocation remains subject to change. Please do your part by reducing your digital storage footprint when possible. Doing so will help ensure that your fellow students, faculty, and staff continue to be able to create free from interruptions.