Graduating this semester? Read this for information on your IT services
Guidance on what happens with your email, software purchases, and other services as you transition to an alum
From: Division of Information Technology
Congratulations to the Spring class of 2024! As a new Virginia Tech graduate, it is important to be informed of changes to your IT services, including email, cloud storage, and software.
Email and cloud storage
New graduates will still have access to Exchange Online, Microsoft 365 Online, and Google Drive services for approximately one year after completing their degree. You can expect a notification email as the conclusion of your licenses for Exchange Online, Microsoft 365, and Google Drive services approaches.
After this period, your email service will transition from Exchange Online to Gmail, with a 5 gigabyte (GB) mailbox. Take note that as an alum you will only receive Gmail service; the mailbox will be empty (your student email will not be migrated), and no storage or other apps are available.
You should take this time to prepare for this change:
- Transfer your data from your Virginia Tech Google account to a personal Google account or external drive.
- Use Google Takeout to download your Drive data to your computer. You can then move it to the location of your choice.
- Forward or download any important messages within Exchange Online to a different account as these will not be migrated for you.
If you were employed by a Virginia Tech department while you were a student, talk to your supervisor about what to do with any files that you made for that department in Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 as part of your job.
Software
The Microsoft 365 undergraduate software bundle expires (along with your Exchange Online vt.edu email) approximately one year after graduation. Other major-specific software bundles will expire approximately 30 days after graduation. Graduating students don’t need to take any specific action to ensure that this happens. However, we do recommend uninstalling software for which licenses have expired, just so those licenses are not taking up space on your computer.
If you have been accepted to a graduate program at Virginia Tech for the summer or fall 2024 term and have registered for classes, you will continue to have access to your software as long as you remain enrolled. If your graduate program requires additional software, you must purchase it when you begin your program.
Access to other online services
Your Virginia Tech username and password/passphrase will stay active after graduation. You can continue to use these to log into HokieSPA and Canvas. Keep in mind that passphrases will still expire and need to be changed annually.
University Libraries provides alumni with access to a curated selection of databases. Alumni can log in via the Alumni Library Portal Sign In service using their VT username, password, and two-factor authentication to access licensed resources.
Once again, congratulations on finishing your degree! If you need personalized assistance or have questions about IT services at Virginia Tech — as a student or an alum — please contact 4Help at 4help.vt.edu or call the help desk at (540) 231-4357.