Google Storage Project

In February 2021, Google announced changes to Google Workspace for Education, ending unlimited free storage. UCSC and other UCs secured a two-year extension through strategic negotiations, pushing the campus's adoption of new storage limits to July 1, 2024.

Why is this change happening?

Google’s new model discontinues free, unlimited storage for all educational institutions. Campuses, including ours, must align their usage of Google services with the new storage quota. Because our current overall storage amount exceeds Google’s new limit, we need to reduce storage to maintain uninterrupted service and cost-effectiveness.

• Visit the Google services overview  web page for additional information.

What changes are coming and when?

As a result of Google's change, our campus must reduce our storage footprint used in Google by July 1, 2024 to avoid drastically increased costs. 

Who's affected by the new storage limits?

Storage limits affect all UC Santa Cruz Google accounts. These accounts include faculty (regular, emeritus, lecturers, researchers), staff (academic, administrative, and temporary), students, alumni, and sponsored accounts.

UCSC Alumni should visit the Google Services for Alumni web page to see how these changes impact them. 

What actions should you take?

• Review your storage totals.  Discard inactive, duplicate, or personal content from your UCSC Gmail, Google Drive (My Drive), and Google Photos.
  
• Learn about your allotted storage quota
  
• Learn how to manage your Google storage . Everyone can participate in good data hygiene and help reduce our overall storage footprint.
  
• Transfer or Donate materials to University Archives
  
• Make an informed decision on reducing your storage: Should you keep it?

Resources

UCSC Records & Information Management: understand records retention requirements

• Should you keep it?
• Electronic Messages - What to Keep and for How Long

University Archives: for records of potential historic interest

• Transfer or Donate materials to University Archives

Next Steps

• August - September 2024: ITS will work with individuals who have requested help in bringing their storage into compliance.
• September 1, 2024: Deadline to reduce individual Google storage for all undergraduate students and alumni.
• October 1, 2024: Deadline to reduce individual Google storage for all faculty, graduate students, staff, and sundry account holders.
• July 1, 2025: Deadline for Shared Drive compliance

Stay Informed

• Google Workspace Service Overview
• Google Storage Quotas
• Manage your Google storage
• Google Services for Alumni
• Should you keep it?

Questions?

If you have questions, don't hesitate to contact Information Technology Services (ITS) by opening an online support ticket , by emailing help@ucsc.edu , or by calling (831) 459-4357.