Google Apps Offboarding Process

The following information provides Google Apps offboarding recommendations to someone who is leaving UCSC or changing positions. 

Leaving UCSC

Once someone leaves the university and their UCSC account is closed, the UCSC Google Apps (email, calendars, documents, sites, groups) that belong to that person may not be accessible to others. If you are leaving the university, consider doing the following before your end date: 

  • Transfer ownership of Google Drive documents to a supervisor or someone else in your department. This will ensure that documents will remain accessible once your UCSC account is closed. Instructions
  • Add an additional owner(s) to secondary Google Calendars and/or calendar resources that you own. This will ensure that calendars continue to be accessible once your UCSC account is closed. For secondary calendars, make sure to assign the highest level of sharing access, "Make changes AND manage sharing". Instructions
  • Transfer ownership of any GoogleApps-Only Accounts that you are the owner/sponsor of by emailing help@ucsc.edu to create a ticket for your request. Please provide the name and CruzID of the new owner(s).
  • Make sure to transfer any important meetings to another owner in Google Calendar. This will ensure that these meetings remain on the calendar for your guests. Instructions
  • Add an additional owner(s) to any Google Groups and Google Sites that you own. This will ensure that Groups mailing lists and Sites continue to be accessible once your UCSC account is closed. Instructions
  • Download your UCSC Google data (if you care to keep the data) by using Google's export data tool. Instructions
  • Make sure to delete your UCSC Google+ profile page. Instructions

Gaining Ownership Once a Person has left UCSC

Changing Positions

As long as a person's UCSC account remains open, they will continue to have access to your Google documents and calendars you've shared with them unless you change your sharing settings. This includes retirees and emeriti who decide to keep their UCSC account, students who get to keep their UCSC account for 12 months after they graduate, and to employees who are changing positions and transferring to a different department within UCSC.

Make sure to change your Google Drive and Calendar sharing settings if you have shared documents or calendars with someone you no longer wish to have access. You will also want to update your Google Groups members and Google Sites access, and remove email delegation from your personal account and any other Google Apps Only (functional) accounts that you manage. More details and instructions are listed in each section below. 


Google Drive

Sharing Files

Perhaps the most powerful feature of Google Drive is the ability to share and collaborate on a document in real time. When you create a Google document, it is by default Private, meaning only you are able to see it. By clicking on the blue Share button on the top right corner of the page, you can control who has access to your document. You also have the choice to assign viewing or editing privileges. More information about Google Documents permissions

Be aware that editors can, by default, change the sharing settings of your document. If you would prefer that your collaborators edit, but not share your document, note the sentence on the bottom of the Sharing Settings box. It says "Editors will be allowed to add people and change the permissions." You can click the "Change" link after this sentence to change this setting for the document.

Removing Access

If you have shared a document, folder, form, presentation, or spreadsheet with someone who is retiring from the university, graduating, or changing positions and leaving your department, make sure to change your sharing settings if you no longer want that person to have access to your documents in Google Drive. As long as their UCSC account remains open, they will continue to have access to your documents unless you change your sharing settings.

Global Search - Find out who has access to the files you own

You can do a global search in Google Drive to find out if a person has access to your files by doing the following:

Open up Google Drive and type in the search field, to:cruzid@ucsc.edu owner:me
You will replace the cruzid with the person's cruzid (email address). Your search results will include all files that you have shared with that person.

  • Single File - Remove someone's access
  • Multiple Files - Remove someone's access from multiple files:
    • After doing a global search, (to:cruzid@ucsc.edu owner:me) select all the files by highlighting the first file, hold down your keyboard's Shift key, then move the arrow key down until all documents are highlighted. Next, follow these instructions.

Transfer Ownership

Transfer ownership of Google Drive documents to a supervisor or someone else in your department. This will ensure that documents will remain accessible once your UCSC account is closed. Instructions

Create a Google Shared Drive 

Google Shared Drives are shared spaces for teams to store their files in Google Drive and guarantee that every member has the most up-to-date information, even if someone leaves the team. Instructions


Google Calendar

If you have assigned delegates or shared your Google Calendar with someone who is retiring from the university, graduating, or changing positions and leaving your department, make sure to change your sharing settings if you no longer want that person to have access to your Google Calendar, including any secondary or resources calendars. As long as their UCSC account remains open, they will continue to have access to your calendar unless you change your sharing settings. 


Google Groups

If you have added someone to a Google Group you own or manage, who is retiring from the university, graduating, or changing positions and leaving your department, make sure to remove them from your Group if you no longer want that person to be a member. As long as their UCSC account remains open, they will remain a member of your Google Group


Google Sites

If you have shared your Google Site with someone who is retiring from the university, graduating, or changing positions and leaving your department, make sure to change your sharing settings if you no longer want that person to have access to your Google Site. As long as their UCSC account remains open, they will continue to have access to your Site unless you change your sharing settings. 


Remove Email Delegation

If you wish to remove email delegation from your UCSC personal account and any other Google Apps Only (functional) accounts that you manage, follow the instructions at the bottom of this page: Remove Email Delegation