Information Technology Services

August 26, 2025

Dear Brandeis Community,

We are writing today with an important update to the Google storage policy deadline.  The storage limits that were previously announced will now be implemented on January 12, 2026, during which time additional support is available to facilitate the review process.

The strategic decision to establish storage limits is industry best practice, and is a direct response to the change in Google's policy that results in a significant cost increase to the University. Removing files that are no longer needed also keeps your account organized and reduces institutional risk by ensuring we are not holding on to outdated or unnecessary information. We recognize that this is a significant adjustment for some members of our community and that additional time and assistance to review and manage your email and files will be helpful. Below are listed a variety of resources to help you review and manage your stored email and files. Although implementation of storage limits has been delayed, we encourage you to continue reviewing your files and emails during this period to ensure you are not over your storage limits on January 12. The storage limits for individual Google accounts remain unchanged:

Storage Limits for Individual Google Accounts

• Faculty and Faculty Emeriti: 75GB
• Staff: 25GB
• Academic Affiliates: 10GB
• ​​​​​​​Students: 10GB
• ​​​​​​​Contingent Workers: 1GB

Important Notes

• The new Google storage limits apply only to your individual Brandeis account. Shared Drives, used for collaborative file sharing, are not affected.
• We recommend that research teams move their collaborative data to Shared Drives.
• Your files will not be deleted if you are over your quota.
• If your storage usage exceeds your quota, you will temporarily be unable to create new files in Google Drive until you reduce your consumption below the limit.

How to Prepare

Please review your current Google storage usage by following this link for instructions. 

Detailed information on the difference between Shared Drives and a shared folder can be found on the ITS Google Drive website.

Gmail is a large source of data usage. Review any email attachments (downloading them if needed) as these can take up a significant amount of storage. Your send folder in Gmail may still contain emails you’ve previously deleted; review the folder and delete old emails. You can also download important emails to your hard drive as PDFs. Review how to search your email by file size, date, keyword, subject, and sender to review by specific terms. To help you manage and transition your data, ITS will be offering several resources and training opportunities in areas that include setting up of shared drives, transferring file ownership, reducing storage levels, and organizing and reducing the size of your Gmail account. 

• New Google Storage Website: Our new website is the best place for comprehensive guidance. There, you'll find information on best practices, upcoming training dates, and answers to frequently asked questions. 
• Interactive In-Person Classes: We will be holding interactive classes to guide you through these changes. Dates and times will be announced soon.
• ITS Helpdesk “Health Checks”:  Department administrators can schedule one-on-one sessions with the ITS Helpdesk to discuss best practices for setting up shared drives, transferring file ownership, and reducing storage levels.

Assistance

We understand you may have questions about these changes. 

• For inquiries about this policy, please reach out to storagepolicy@brandeis.edu. 
• For technical support related requests or for assistance with how to use shared drives, etc, please email help@brandeis.edu.

We appreciate your cooperation during this transition.
 

Sincerely,

Carol Fierke,
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Stew Uretsky,
Executive Vice President Finance & Administration

June 27, 2025

Dear Brandeis Community,

Effective September 30, 2025, Brandeis will implement new storage limits for individual Google accounts, including Gmail, Drive, and Photos. While most accounts are currently well below these new limits, this strategic decision is a direct response to a significant change in Google's policy: the University will begin incurring substantial charges for storage quotas starting October 1, 2025. This proactive step ensures we can effectively manage our storage resources and uphold our commitment to fiscal responsibility, aligning Brandeis with similar storage quotas already in place at most of our peer institutions.

This decision was made after a thorough review of our cloud storage usage by University leadership, in collaboration with the IT Advisory Committee (ITAC) and the Academic Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC). This process involved exploring various options and their associated costs. After careful consideration, we have approved the following quotas:

New Storage Limits for Individual Google Accounts

• Faculty: 75GB
• Staff: 25GB
• Academic Affiliates: 10GB
• Students: 10GB
• Contingent Workers: 1GB

Important Notes

• These Google storage limits apply only to individual Brandeis accounts and do not affect Shared Drives used for collaborative file sharing.
• Research teams should plan for moving their data to Shared Drives for continued collaborative file sharing.
• Your files will not be deleted if you are over your quota.
• If your storage usage exceeds your quota, you will temporarily be unable to create new files in Google Drive until you reduce your consumption below the limit.

Please review your current Google storage usage by following these instructions. Detailed information on the difference between Shared Drives and a shared folder can be found on the ITS Google Drive website. ITS will host a series of one hour drop-in sessions in July, August and September to assist members of the Brandeis community with any questions about setting up Shared Drives, transferring file ownership, and reviewing your current storage levels. These sessions will be held via Zoom on the following dates:

• Tuesday, July 15, 3 - 4 p.m.
• Thursday, July 17, 9 - 10 a.m.
• Monday, August 4, 1 - 2 p.m.
• Wednesday, August 6, 11 a.m. - noon
• Monday, September 8, 11 a.m. - noon
• Thursday, September 11, 3 - 4 p.m.

These sessions will also be posted on the ITS Google Drive webpage.

We understand you may have questions about these changes. For specific inquiries regarding your quotas, please email storagepolicy@brandeis.edu.

Your cooperation in this transition is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Carol Fierke
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Stew Uretsky
Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration

July 24, 2025

If you are looking for technical help regarding your Google storage (such as how to delete emails, create shared drives, or find your storage levels), please contact the Technology Help Desk (help@brandeis.edu or 781-736-HELP).

If you have questions regarding the updated storage policy, please email storagepolicy@brandeis.edu. You will receive a response within 3 business days.