For about 15 years, Google has provided access to a full suite of services with unlimited storage space to PLU and other educational institutions. This, however, is now changing and they will no longer be offering unlimited storage space. An overall cap will be placed on storage for each organization, which is determined by the institution’s size and number of licensed users. As a result, PLU will need to implement individual storage limits for all PLU Google Workspace accounts in order to get the institution down to our allocated amount. Beginning July 1st, 2024, all PLU Google accounts will have the following default limits:

Student Accounts: 20GB
Employee & Retiree Accounts: 50GB
Shared Drives: 100GB

Prior to July 1st, please review your current Google Workspace storage use and delete or transfer files if needed.

• To review how much space you are currently using and delete large or unnecessary files in Google Drive, go to https://drive.google.com/drive/quota.
• If you would like to keep files or folders that are not going to fit in your school account, you can export an archive of your Drive, Gmail, and Photos data with Google Takeout. If you are moving email or Drive files to a personal Gmail account, you can also use the instructions provided at https://kb.plu.edu/gmail-transfer. Once moved or transferred, you will need to delete unneeded files, messages, and attachments and empty your trash for your changes to take effect and get you under the limit.
• Instructions related to removing large batches of messages from your account can be found on Google's Help Center site.

What options do I have to move account data to?

Employees: 

Appropriate, work-related files may be moved to network storage folders on PLU servers such as Netstor or Banserve3 if your particular department has access. Space on these servers is also limited and access to the files will be limited to devices that are connecting from on campus or through the VPN. Please put in a request at helpdesk.plu.edu if you have additional questions about this option.

Students:

Content can be moved to a personal Gmail account using one of the options listed above. Alternatively, additional storage space can be obtained through outside services (Box, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.). You would need to sign up for these accounts separately and your agreement with these vendors would not be associated at all with PLU. Monthly charges may apply, depending on the amount of space you sign up for with these services.

What will happen if I go over the storage limit or if I am unable to get it under the limit before the deadline?

When storage limits are enforced and you exceed your limit, your Google Workspace account is impacted in the following ways:

• Drive - You won’t be able to sync or upload new files. You will not be able to create new files in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, or Forms. Until you reduce the amount of storage you use, neither you nor anyone else can edit or copy your affected files. Syncs stop between your computer's Google Drive folder and My Drive
• Photos - You won’t be able to add more or back up existing photos or videos.
• Google Meet - You will be unable to record new meetings in Google Meet
• Gmail - Your email should not be affected. You will be able to continue sending and receiving email using the affected account.

Am I able to request more space?

Individuals may request additional space by submitting a ticket at helpdesk.plu.edu. These requests will be reviewed by I&TS staff and additional space will be considered as a possible option if no other solution is determined. Accommodations for additional space will not be made for personal content not associated with the university.

---

Need support? Contact helpdesk@plu.edu, (253) 535-7525, or submit a Help Desk ticket.