Changes Coming to UA Google Storage
The News: In the coming months, UA will be making changes to our Google Workspace storage policy. The changes will help us address increasing Google Workspace storage costs, optimize our digital storage solutions, and ensure storage sustainability moving forward. All colleges and universities nationwide who use Google Workspace are having to make similar changes.  
The Details: The storage landscape is changing at UA. In 2021, Google announced a new model for Google Workspace for Education (GWE) and an end to unlimited storage. UA has been able to delay full implementation of those limits to December 2025.
- UA’s existing storage far exceeds Google’s new limits, and maintaining current levels of usage would incur significant cost increases.
- Over the coming months, OIT will be working with University stakeholders across the system to reduce our storage footprint, including developing new storage policies and limits. 
Zoom Out: New strategies will improve how and where we store our digital assets and maximize resources. As we move towards these goals together, UA’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) along with IT teams at UAA, UAF, and UAS will provide the information and support to navigate this change.
Likely forthcoming actions include:
- Limiting usage of some Google tools like Google Photos
- Developing additional tools to help the universities to manage their own allocations
- Retaining inactive employee and student data for limited time periods
- Developing retention policies