We know you may have several questions about this change, so we have compiled some answers to common questions you may have.
Why are these changes happening?
Google no longer offers free unlimited storage to universities. New pricing structures Google introduced in 2021 for universities and colleges would make the University of Arkansas at Little Rock responsible for thousands of dollars in extra charges every year to maintain all alumni accounts at their current usage.
The cost to individually maintain a Google account is significantly lower with most being free or as low as $1.99 per month for an individual. If UA Little Rock were to continue cover this cost for all alumni with email accounts, it would take away essential funding from university priorities.
How exactly does this impact me?
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has three tiers of email accounts for alumni.
- A lifetime alumni member who had lifetime status prior to Sept. 2022, will maintain access to their account but will have storage limitations of 100 gb after the changeover date.
- A lifetime alumni member who joined after Sept. 2022 will no longer have access to a ualr.edu address after the cutoff date.
- An annual alumni member will no longer have access to a ualr.edu email address after the cutoff date.
Are Google services going away for faculty, staff, and current students, too?
No, these services are not going away for faculty, staff, and students. However, faculty, staff, and students will now be subject to storage limitations in their email accounts.
How long do I have to make this change?
The University IT team has requested this change be completed by March 1, however, we will not make any changes before March 31 to give you additional time.
How can I save my data and files? Can I start making changes to my account now?
If you’re comfortable getting started, you can begin moving your stored content now. Here are some resources to help:
- How to duplicate your email and files to a personal Google account
- How to export and download your data to use in another service
- How to download individual files
What individual plans does Google offer?
See Google’s resources to choose a plan that works for you.
What will happen to my email address?
After the account is deactivated, the email account will be retired.
Can funds to preserve services be drawn from money I already provide to UA Little Rock, or sourced from other accounts?
Unfortunately, no. This would take away important funding from other university priorities. Individuals can acquire Google services at a much lower cost than universities. This is a nationwide change, and many universities across the country have been forced to make the same decisions.
I have more questions that aren’t answered here.
We would welcome a conversation to talk more about this. You may contact Kristi Smith at klsmith@ualr.edu to discuss further.
