Careers + Opportunities

Alumni Google Account FAQ

Information on upcoming changes to your Alumni Google account.

On January 24, 2023, RISD announced that we will no longer offer alumni a full suite of Google Workspace applications and storage. This announcement, made to all alumni via the monthly alumni newsletter, was followed by direct communications to alumni who currently have @alumni.risd.edu Google Accounts. This change will go into effect on June 30, 2023.

This change is in response to Google Workspace for Education's updated policies, which will no longer offer unlimited storage. This change is impacting many colleges and universities across the country, and like many of these institutions, RISD needed to make the difficult decision to suspend providing Google Workspace for Education to our alumni. This decision was not taken lightly and is due to an unsustainable cost which will only increase year over year.

The annual cost in 2023 to RISD to support file storage for alumni will approximately be $50,000 to $70,000 and will continue to increase over time. These costs include the fees paid to Google and RISD technical staff support.

Google’s changes to their policies went into effect July 2022. To provide time for RISD to explore all avenues before coming to a decision, RISD was able to arrange for our alumni to have an extension. RISD alumni have until June 30, 2023 to arrange for other storage options and to set up their email forwarding.

When does this change go into effect?

The changes to Google’s policies went into effect in July 2022. However, RISD was able to arrange for our alumni to have an extension. Alumni who currently have an @alumni.risd.edu account will need to transfer any saved files and set up forwarding for their account by June 30, 2023.

Do I have an alumni account?

If you graduated between June 2008 and June 2022, ITS automatically rolled your RISD student account into a @alumni.risd.edu account. Alumni who graduated before 2008 have been allowed to request an alumni account if they would like one.

Why didn’t I receive any notification of this change?

We are actively spreading the word to all alumni with alumni Google accounts. If we do not have updated contact information for you or you have previously unsubscribed or requested to receive no email from RISD, we may not be able to reach you. Please take a moment to update your contact information so that we can contact you with important information and ensure you receive all follow-up communications regarding this change.

Are alumni no longer being offered RISD emails?

RISD will still offer alumni email accounts (username@alumni.risd.edu); however, they are forwarding only, and you will need to provide an email address for us to forward your emails.

What are some of the ways this change impacts me as an alumni?

Will services linked to my RISD alumni email account be affected?
Yes. Services that require you to sign in with your RISD alumni email address and RISD password will be affected. IT recommends updating any service you may have registered with your RISD alumni email address to another personal email address to avoid any disruption in service.

This includes any service where you use the "Sign in with Google" function using your RISD Alumni account.

Will alumni still be able to access Artworks as usual?
Yes. Alumni will maintain their RISD active directory (AD) username and password to access Artworks.

Will alumni still be able to access their RISD alumni email account?
No. Alumni will not be able to access their Alumni email account (email or drive content) after June 30, 2023.

May I utilize the “Send Mail As” feature with my @alumni.risd.edu?
No. This is not possible.

TAKE ACTION! Ensure you don’t lose access to your files

What should I do about the files I currently have stored?

If you have files saved to your account you must transfer them to another storage option. Files include any Google Docs, Folders, emails and attachments, appointments on your calendar, your contacts, image, design or video files, anything saved in your google drive or your email.

Google has several options for storage if you wish to continue with another Google account.

Google Individual Plans*
Google One
Basic (100 GB Storage) $1.99/ month
Standard (200 GB Storage) $2.99/ month
Premium (1 TB Storage) $9.99/ month
*Google offers a 17% discount if you choose to pay annually rather than monthly.

Google Workspace Plans
Individual Account $9.99/ month

Google Business Accounts (300 users max)
Starter (30 GB) $6.00 / month / user
Standard (2 TB Pooled Storage) $12.00/ month / user
Plus (5 TB Pooled Storage) $18.00/ month / user

Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, and iCloud are also commonly used options for storage.

Need help? See more information below or contact ITS at: servicedesk@risd.edu or call 401 454-6106, 8 am–5 pm (Monday–Friday).

How do I set up email forwarding?

Set up forwarding for your alumni email address through this form or by following the steps shared by Google Support.

You do not have to create a new email account. You can choose to have your alumni email forwarded to another personal email that you already have.

If you want or need to create a new account, it does not have to be a Google/Gmail account. You can use any email provider that you choose. There are many options out there.

Some of the most common email options are:
Google/Gmail
Yahoo
Outlook
Mail.com

Your cable or internet provider may also provide email and cloud storage options.

Set up email forwarding

What is the best way to move my saved files to another storage option?

There are several ways to move your files from your alumni account to another storage option. Be sure the destination storage location has ample storage capacity for all your files.

Downloading your files

Download copies of your files to your computer or external hard drive (which is always an excellent backup option for essential files!). Then you can upload these files to another cloud storage option from your computer.
Sharing your files with a different personal Gmail/Google account and then make copies of the documents to save on your personal drive.
Google Support offers tips and information for downloading your data. This information may not be suitable for all users, but it is worth exploring what is available.

Once you have moved your files to a new storage option, don’t forget to fill out this form to set up email forwarding from your alumni account.

Transferring your files

Google’s transfer option is an easy way to copy content (email & drive) from one Google account to another (non-RISD) Google account.

Per Google, “the copy process usually happens within a few hours, but it can take up to a week. Copied files might appear in batches on your Google Account during the copy process. When your files are finished copying, you'll get an email at your Gmail address.”

Quick start steps:
1. Sign in to your RISD Alumni account
2. Click on your profile picture
3. Select manage your account
4.Click on transfer option and follow the prompts to execute the transfer

Google provides detailed instructions on this process

Should you choose the transfer option (transfer email/drive content) to another personal gmail account, IT recommends you immediately set up your forwarding email so you do not have to repeat these steps again later.

How do I move my saved contacts?

The easiest way to move your contacts is to download them from your google account and import them into a different account.

Can I get access to my files after the deadline?

No. All files stored in your account must be transferred to a new storage option by June 30, 2023.

How long do I have until I lose access to my saved files?

Files saved in your alumni account must be transferred by June 30, 2023. Your files will be irretrievable after December 31, 2023.

I need help. Who can I contact?

RISD ITS is available to assist alumni with account access and provide resources related to moving content. Contact ITS at servicedesk@risd.edu or call 401 454-6106, 8 am–5 pm (Monday–Friday).