Introduction
Google Workspace (GW) and Microsoft 365 (M365) services are provided to students at Virginia Tech. The following article contains
- Overview of services
- How to access the services
- How to find training on the services
- Where to find information on the cost of services
- Eligibility Requirements
- What happens after eligibility is lost
- What if they have multiple relationships with Virginia Tech
- What to do if they cannot access their services
Explanation
Table of Contents
Overview
Students receive the following in Microsoft 365.
Services |
Storage |
NOTICE! Student M365 storage will |
Email and Calendar |
100 GB |
|
OneDrive |
5 TB |
1Additional storage cannot be allocated by the department
Additional Microsoft 365 apps include:
|
|
|
Students receive the following in Google Workspace.
Services |
Storage |
Google Drive |
5 GB2 |
2Additional storage cannot be allocated
Additional Google Workspace apps include:
|
|
|
Access
- VT email and calendar can be accessed on the web at outlook.office.com or by downloading the Outlook desktop application.
- The Microsoft 365 services listed above can be accessed or downloaded at my.office365.vt.edu.
- The Google Workspace services listed above can be accessed at www.google.com.
- Departmental Teams, Sites, or M365 Groups can be requested at Departmental Team, SharePoint Site, or M365 Group. Only faculty and staff can request, but students, retirees, alumni, and external guests can be invited to join.
Training
- LinkedIn Learning via OneCampus (requires signing in with their Virginia Tech username and password)
- Division of IT Knowledge Base articles
- TLOS’s (Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies) Professional Development Network (PDN)
Cost
GW is provided at no cost to the student. M365 cost information can be found at Student Software Bundles.
Eligibility
When students are admitted to the university, they get access to these services. For most students, this period of eligibility spans from the time they are admitted, to approximately one year after they leave the university. From a technical standpoint, they can keep using the student services as long as they have one of the following affiliations. More information about affiliations can be found in the article, Understanding Virginia Tech Affiliations. A student can view their affiliations within Virginia Tech’s IT Account Manager.
- VT-STUDENT-NEW-ADMIT
- VT-STUDENT-ENROLLED
- VT-STUDENT-RECENT
- VT-STUDENT-FUTURE
- VT-STUDENT-WAGE
Loss of Eligibility
This section describes how services will be terminated, or deprovisioned, after an individual is no longer a student at Virginia Tech once we fully transition to this process. The steps below assume that the student has no other affiliation with the university such as alumni, employee, or retiree (GW or M365) (i.e., the student has never been employed at the university and left without graduating). In the case of multiple affiliations, they will obtain or retain services based on those affiliations (See Understanding Storage and Services for Google and Microsoft Based on Constituent Groups for more information). To understand the specific services for those affiliations, please visit the articles for alumni, employee, or retiree (GW or M365).
Students and departments must make sure that any business or research related files are provided to the appropriate departmental personnel along with management or ownership of collaborative spaces. In addition, they must export any personal emails or files they want to keep to another location before their services stop. Data and email migration services are not provided.
- Students will retain their student service level until they are no longer taking classes AND two consecutive major semesters have passed with a 60-day notification period.
- They will begin to receive notifications during a final 60-day notification period.
- Notifications will happen on the 60-, 30-, 15-, and 1-day intervals.
- This is the final opportunity to export data.
- Once this notification period has elapsed, their Google and Microsoft accounts will be suspended. The former student will lose
- All GW and M365 services
- Any emails or files stored within these services
- Any file permissions associated with the account
- Any Team or Group memberships
- Any Google Play purchases and YouTube data associated with the account
- Ability to use their Virginia Tech Google account for any third-party authentication.
- Their accounts will be deleted 15 days later. Once an account is deleted, it will not be re-enabled, and deleted data will be unrecoverable.
Students need to make sure that they export any emails or files they want to keep to another location before their services stop. These articles can help export data.
- Exporting Email
- Migrating files out of My Drive using Google Takeout
- Transferring Files from OneDrive
Eligibility with Multiple Affiliations
If a student has multiple relationships with the university in addition to student, such as employee, alum, or retiree (GW or M365), they may be entitled to additional services or retention of services after loss of student eligibility. Visit our Knowledge Base article called Understanding Storage and Services for Google and Microsoft Based on Constituent Groups for more details.
Even if eligible for the Gmail service, students are required to use Exchange Online, they cannot set a forward to @g.mail.vt.edu, and they will be restricted from sending and receiving in Gmail.
Troubleshooting
If a student loses access to GW or M365 services and believes this to be in error, there are steps that they can take.
- Verify they have one of the affiliations listed above (affiliations can also be viewed in the IT Account Manager). If they do not see this affiliation, we suggest they reach out to the Registrar's office.
- Check their M365 license in MyCAT. If you do not have a valid license, we suggest they contact their departmental IT.
- If their affiliations are correct and they have a valid license, contact 4Help.