Important notice: Upcoming one terabyte (1 TB) Google Workspace storage limits
To: All active students, faculty, staff and retirees using Google Workspace for Education
In 2021, Google announced that it would no longer provide free unlimited storage to educational institutions using Google Workspace (opens in new window) . As a result, TMU will be imposing a one terabyte (1 TB) quota on active student, faculty, staff and retirees over the next year.
Learn more about other upcoming changes to Google Workspace storage limits by visiting the Google Workspace storage policy FAQ page (opens in new window) on our website.
1 TB of storage available for students, faculty, staff and retirees
In the coming months, students, faculty, staff, teaching and graduate assistants, and retirees will be limited to 1 TB of Google Workspace storage. As most accounts at TMU are well below the 1 TB limit (1,000 gigabytes (GB)), with only 0.2% of accounts currently over the storage limit, for most of our community members the impact of this change will be minimal.
Prior to the implementation of the new storage quotas, we will be reaching out directly to individuals currently over their storage limit with additional timelines, supports and tips for reducing their storage usage. A 1 TB storage quota will also be imposed on shared drives at this time.
Other changes to account quotas
In addition to the aforementioned quotas, Google Workspace storage quotas and restrictions will be implemented on the following account types:
- Generic, guest and contractor accounts will receive 250 gigabytes (250 GB) of storage;
- All shared drives will be limited to 1 TB of storage and will be accompanied by changes to who can create shared drives; (opens in new window)
- Alumni enrolled in the Gmail for life program (opens in new window) will receive 30 GB of storage; and
- Department accounts (folder ownership accounts) will receive 1 TB of storage. Currently, very few departments exceed this quota and CCS will reach out and work with impacted departments to ensure minimal disruptions.
CCS will be reaching out to account owners and contacts who may be impacted by these changes.
When will storage quotas come into effect?
| Account type | Quota implementation date |
|---|---|
| Google shared drives |
May 23, 2023 |
| Students, staff, teaching and graduate assistants, retirees, generic/guest/contractor accounts, departmental accounts |
October 9, 2023 (Fall Study Week) |
| Faculty and contract lecturers* | February 19, 2024 (Winter Study Week) |
*In recognition of the large volume of files they need to store, faculty and contract lecturers who also have student or staff roles will have their new storage quota come into effect on February 19, 2024.
What to do if your account is near or over the limit
If your account is near or in excess of 1TB, please consult the Google Workspace storage policy FAQ page (opens in new window) on our website for recommendations for reducing your storage usage.
What are the new storage limits for Google shared drives?
Shared drives are shared spaces on Google Drive that allow groups to create files and folders that are accessible to a group of collaborators and are not assigned to a specific owner. Files in shared drives are owned by TMU and not individual members of the drive, allowing collaborators to access all files even if an individual has left TMU. Shared drives should only be used for academic and work purposes and should not include personal files.
As of May 23, 2023, shared drives will be limited to 1 TB of storage and new shared drives can only be created by active employees. Shared drives that do not contain any TMU members or that only contain inactive members will be removed by CCS on June 3, 2023. Members of shared drives over the new quota will be contacted by CCS with strategies for reducing their storage usage.
Learn more about changes to shared drives at TMU by visiting the Google shared drive (opens in new window) page on our website.
Questions?
If you have any questions, please contact the Computing and Communications Services (CCS) Help Desk via the IT Help portal, help@torontomu.ca or 416-979-5000, ext. 556840 (students) or ext. 556806 (employees and retirees).
