Since the original partnership, SUNY Oswego has been enjoying the unlimited storage Google has provided to higher education institutions at no cost. Users have been archiving emails in Gmail, creating, communicating and collaborating in Google Drive, and storing photos in the Photos app without too much concern about space. In 2021, Google re-evaluated the unlimited storage use across their qualifying customers, and has since announced they would be ending unlimited storage.
Implementation of Google storage limits
With Google’s revised storage, all higher education institutions are allocated a specific amount of space to be enforced in November 2024. SUNY Oswego has an allocated 238 terabytes (TB) for our domain.
Google changed its offering to promote a fair distribution of storage resources across institutions. Likewise, while SUNY Oswego’s current domain usage is under our allocated amount (193 TB), the university needs to plan for future growth and ensure space is used equitably.
Therefore, effective Feb. 17, 2025, each user will have a storage limit (quota) as outlined below.
Affiliation | Storage Quota | Applied to |
|---|---|---|
Faculty and Staff | 50 GB | Gmail, Drive, Photos |
Students | 15 GB | Gmail, Drive, Photos |
Department* | 5 GB | Gmail, Drive, Photos |
Clubs, Organizations* | 1 GB | Gmail, Drive, Photos |
Alumni, Retirees** | 15 GB | Gmail only |
*It is recommended department, club, and organization accounts utilize a shared drive for document sharing.
**Alumni and retirees will no longer be able to store files and web pages in Drive, Photos, and Sites. A separate communication will be sent to those groups to assist in moving existing files.
What about shared drives?
There will also be a separate 25 GB quota applied to shared drives listed under “Shared Drives” in the Google Drive left navigation. Shared Drives are intended to be collaborative resources shared with multiple people. If a shared drive is no longer needed or files within a drive are no longer needed, please consult with the collaborators before deleting.
What do I need to do?
To prepare for the change, you can do the following prior to Feb. 17:
- Determine your usage.
- Free up space, looking for emails and files taking up the most space.
- Empty your trash as Google retains emails and files in the trash for 30 days which still count towards your quota.
What happens if I don’t get my storage under the quota limit?
If your account is not under the respective quota by the deadline, you will be unable to create or modify files in Drive, Photos and Classroom.
Where can I get more information?
The following resources are available for more information:
If you have any questions about the policy or need assistance checking or reducing your storage, please contact the Campus Technology Services Help Desk.
-- Submitted by Campus Technology Services