5/6/22

This FAQ will answer commonly asked questions about the Google Storage Changes announcement. There are still many questions that we do not have answers to just yet but we will update this page as more information becomes available.

1. What are the Google changes Google is imposing on The New School?

Previously, Google Workspace for Education was a free service provided to qualified education institutions. It offered unlimited storage and access to their various offerings including Gmail and Drive (Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.) as well as other Google services. As of 2021, Google has announced that it will be implementing a storage limit on all higher education institutions. 

Google is expecting The New School to reduce our storage well under two-thirds of the amount we are currently using.

2. How much storage is The New School currently using?

As an institution, we currently utilize over 900 terabytes of storage at Google. The majority of our storage is contained in Google Drive as you can see in the chart below. 

3. Why can’t The New School pay for more storage?

As of now, Google has not provided a way to purchase additional storage and has stated that this is not something they will be looking to offer for some time. We have already committed to paying for the Education Plus model that maximizes as much storage we are allotted based on our full-time student enrollment (FTE). 

4. Why is Google imposing storage limitations on The New School? 

To learn more about why Google is imposing storage limits, please read their announcement.

5. When is Google imposing these changes?

Google originally stated they will be imposing these changes on higher education institutions starting July 2022.

Information Technology has been working with Google regarding their new storage limits and were recently provided a December 2022 deadline extension. We’re now working to extend the deadline to July 2024 as we try to fully understand these changes and determine the exact parameters of the transition. 

6. What do the new Google storage limitations mean for me?

These new changes placed on The New School by Google will have a significant impact on our New School community. While we are working with Google to determine the extent of the impact we do know there are collective changes that will need to be made. 

Overall, this is a cultural shift about storage in general. While there are other options for storage at the university, there are limits and prices on these options as well. As a university, we will have to be mindful of what and how we are storing files and data.  

IT has begun limiting Google services to those who are not currently affiliated or enrolled in The New School. This means those who are not currently enrolled or working at the university will only have limited access to certain services like Gmail or will not have any Google service access at all. Below we have indicated how different roles will be impacted by this change.

Students currently enrolled in the university

Students currently enrolled in the university will continue to have access to Google services, however, unlimited access to Google storage will no longer be available. As we receive more details from Google and coordinate with key university constituents and the student senate, we will inform all students about specific storage limits for students.

Staff currently working at the university

Staff currently working in the university will continue to have access to Google services, however, unlimited access to Google storage will no longer be available. As we receive more details from Google and coordinate with key university constituents and the staff senate, we will inform all staff about specific storage limits for staff.

Faculty currently working at the university

Faculty currently teaching in the university will continue to have access to Google services, however, unlimited access to Google storage will no longer be available. As we receive more details from Google and coordinate with key university constituents and the faculty senate, we will inform all faculty about specific storage limits for faculty.

Alumni

Alumni will continue to have access to Gmail following our policy that the account must be logged into at least once every six months. 

One-time 2022 Extension for Alumni

Because this is a new development and we recognize the impact this will have on many of our alumni, we are providing a one time extension of Google services for all alumni and those individuals who are graduating in May 2022 until November 1, 2022. 

We urge you to take the steps necessary to migrate your files now. Depending on the number of files you have stored in your Google Drive account, migration of these files can often take weeks and/or months. Please prepare as soon as possible in order to avoid losing any files on November 1.  

7. How will I be communicated with regarding these Google changes?

We are making every attempt possible to inform people about access restrictions well in advance of access removal. Email communications are being sent to the associated New School accounts informing them that access will be removed. 

8. What do I do if I lost access to Google services when I wasn’t supposed to?

If you think you’ve lost access to Google services and you were not supposed to, please contact IT Central at itcentral@newschool.edu.  

9. What Google apps are affected by the new storage limits?

Google is limiting storage for the entire university which will impact Gmail, Drive, Shared Drives, Photos, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Drawings, and Jamboard files. Each of these Google apps consumes Google storage in some capacity. 

Currently, Drive is the number one app with the most storage utilized across the university with Gmail coming in second.

10. Will Google shared drives have limits placed on them?

Yes, eventually Google shared drives will have storage limits placed on them, however, at this moment we do have information on the specifics.

11. How can I start helping reduce my storage?

Check out what can I do to prepare section?

12. Where do I put my stuff now that I don’t have unlimited Google storage?

While we are still working to determine how to move forward with conversations regarding storage at the university overall, there is currently an option available for all students, faculty, and staff currently enrolled or working at the university. 

As an additional storage option, Office 365 provides 100GB of online storage for New School OneDrive users.

13. How can I transfer or save my files from my New School Google account?

You can transfer or move your files by following the instructions below:

  1. To download and save files to a hard drive, go to https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2423534

  2. To move your files to a personal Gmail account, go to https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/6386856

14. What if I do not have enough personal storage to move my files to a personal Google account?

In order to successfully transfer data from your New School account to a personal Google account, you must have enough storage space available in your personal account. Go to https://drive.google.com/drive/quota while signed in to your New School account to see how much space you will need. 

Once you do that, you can either purchase additional storage with a Google One plan or you can manually download your data to a hard drive.

15. Have more questions?

Please contact IT Central at itcentral@newschool.edu