University of Michigan announces new Google storage limits for community members

File image of Google.com as viewed through a Chrome web browser (Canva, Hillary Fox)

ANN ARBOR – Do you have a University of Michigan Google account?

You may soon notice a change in how much data you can store. In 2021, Google decided to do away with unlimited storage, since the model is considered unsustainable for businesses.

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This affects Google Workspace for Education domains as well, and all institutions using the plan have undergone changes.

The new storage limits for U-M Google accounts took effect on Monday, Jan. 16. All current affiliates at the university will receive 250 gigabytes of storage, according to a release, while U-M retirees and alumni will receive 15 GB to use across their accounts. These services include Mail, Google Drive and Photos.

According to a release, less than 3% of all faculty, students and staff are expected to be directly affected by the new storage limits, while less than 10% of retirees and alumni will be impacted.

Active affiliates will be given at least one year to adhere to their storage limit. Retirees and alumni will have to get within their storage limit by Aug. 1.

The new storage limits decision was made by Information and Technology Services in partnerships with campus advisory groups and Michigan IT community leadership, according to a release.

“ITS is here to serve you and will ensure that you are supported as we all work together to make these changes,” vice president for information technology and chief information officer Ravi Pendse said in a statement. “I am grateful for your understanding and partnership as we transition to a more sustainable Google storage model for the university community.”