Retiree Account Instructions and FAQs

Yes, retired employees can keep their SUNY Oswego email, but must renew it each year.  Be alert for email communications related to the renewal during the fall semester of each year, and please follow the instructions in the email to keep your account. 

Files in Google should be reviewed and either saved (if personal data), deleted, or ownership transferred. See the next question for assistance.

Due to Google's policy change on unlimited storage, the unlimited storage offering for educational institutions has ended. As a result, the entire SUNY Oswego domain, including retiree accounts, will eventually have a quota applied to Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. We do not yet have an exact date for when this update will take place, but we will be in communication with any additional information as soon as possible.  

To prepare for this change, it is recommended that you begin reviewing and organizing data inside your Oswego account, and identify alternative solutions for data you identify you need to keep. Please review the following sections to clean up and organize your emails and files.

To clean up emails and files, you can follow the steps below.  This will help free up space for the entire SUNY Oswego domain. 

1. Review Your Data Usage
   1. Check your data usage.
   2. Review the Managing Your Google Storage Quota article for instructions and tips on how to clean up emails and files.
2. Transfer Shared Data
   1. Once you've reviewed your account, determine if any remaining files should be transferred to another owner so they can be maintained by others after your retirement. You should not transfer ownership to a non-SUNY Oswego account.
3. Download Personal Data
   1. If you'd like to move remaining files to an alternative storage solution, the following options are available:
      1. Transfer your personal files/sites to a personal Gmail account (gmail.com) (request this through CTS)
      2. Download the personal files to your computer or external storage (make sure university-related files are not downloaded).
4. Turn off Google Drive Sync
   1. Navigate to the computer section of your Google Drive.
   2. If you have files here, you will need to open the Google Drive app on your computer.
   3. Select the Settings icon
   4. Open Preferences
   5. Find the Sync Options or another Settings icon, depending on your version
   6. Disable automatic sync or disable the SUNY Oswego account.
   7. Open the computer section of drive.google.com on a browser
   8. Click the 3 dots for each computer sync file and click Move to Trash
5. Delete the remaining university files
   1. Open Google Drive and Google Photos once successfully transferred, including from the trash folder.
   2. Click on items you want to delete. To select all items, click on one item, then select CTRL + A on your keyboard.
   3. Right-click on selected items and choose Move to Trash.
   4. Here is detailed information about deleting files.
6. Empty your trash (trash is saved for 30 days)
   1. Navigate to your trash folders for Google Drive and Google Photos.
   2. At the top right, click Empty trash, then Delete forever.
7. Verify your data usage
   1. Verify they are reduced with the following specifications:
      1. Photos should be reduced to zero
      2. Drive use should be reduced to zero

Unfortunately, due to software licensing contracts, retirees are unable to continue using campus-licensed software.

Academic employees should turn in their computer equipment to CTS.  You may contact CTS to determine how best to do this or return it to the Help Desk.  Please make sure you have saved any files you want to keep.

Non-academic employees whose department paid for their device should turn their computer into their department, but also email CTS so a ticket can be created to reimage it. Please make sure you have saved any files you want to keep.

1. Sync files with OneDrive for your SUNY Oswego account and your personal OneDrive to your computer. 
2. Copy, transfer or import files to your personal OneDrive.
3. Complete downloads/transfers of any other Microsoft 365 data.
4. After completing the data transfer, uninstall the Microsoft 365 applications associated with your SUNY Oswego subscription from your Windows or macOS device. Install Microsoft Office using your new personal subscription or one-time purchase. Sign in with your personal Microsoft account to activate it or access the free web version on your web browser at office.com.
   1. Uninstall Office from a PC (microsoft.com)
   2. Uninstall Office for Mac (microsoft.com)

You are advised to transfer files across accounts or profiles. Be sure to download any assets before leaving SUNY Oswego to prevent data loss.

If you were collaborating with a department or group, transfer ownership/membership as needed for documents, folders, and Shared Drives, such as with Google Shared Drives and Microsoft Shared OneDrive files. Anyone who is still a member of that shared drive will retain their access to the files and folders within it, according to the permissions they were granted (e.g., Viewer, Commenter, Contributor, Content Manager, Manager). While others will likely still have access, your specific access will be revoked when your university account is closed. You will no longer be able to view, edit, or otherwise interact with the files in those shared drives, including documents you created. See Google Support pages and Microsoft Support pages for how to manage shared content and drives.

Incorrect Password: You may change your known password at oswego.edu/account-tools. For those unable to sign into Account Tools use the Forgot Your Password option. Contact the CTS Help Desk for further assistance.

NEW Multi-Factor Authentication Method: Use a trusted device to sign into oswego.edu/mail or the Gmail app to make the updated changes and add backup methods. When signing in, use the "Sign in Another Way" option to select from the methods you set up. See oswego.edu/cts/mfa for setup instructions. If you cannot sign in with any MFA method, contact the CTS Help Desk for further assistance.

Google announced a new model for Google Workspace for Education that will end unlimited storage for SUNY Oswego accounts. Google changed its offering to ensure fair distribution of the storage resources across institutions. Likewise, to maintain a storage level at an acceptable threshold and allow for future growth, the Alumni quota of 15 GB with Gmail only will be applied.

Due to Microsoft 365 Education licensing requirements, graduating students will lose access to web services and data. 

Retirees are encouraged to join the Oswego Emeriti Association to stay connected with the SUNY Oswego community and remain engaged in campus life after retirement. Established in 1989, the association is composed of retired professional staff members and governed by an executive committee of elected and appointed representatives who work closely with the Office of University Development and Alumni Engagement. Through the association, retirees can participate in programs, annual meetings, and special events; receive and contribute to the Emeriti Newsletter; and support projects such as the Memorial Book Project honoring former colleagues.

For more information or to get involved, contact Shelley Love (315-312-5558 | shelley.love@oswego.edu), or Emeriti Newsletter Editor David Hill (david.hill@oswego.edu). Additional details are available on the Oswego Emeriti Association website.

 Review transcript order information from the Registrar's website: oswego.edu/registrar/transcripts. Your campus ID# and myOswego login are not required.