Retirees, both Faculty and Staff, retain lifetime access to their U of M Google accounts as long as they access them at least once every 3 months.  “Google Account End of Life Policies,” http://it.umn.edu/google-account-end-life-policies, states:  “The retiree will retain lifetime access to the account.”

In an email exchange with Peter Moore, who is OIT’s Service Director, Identity Management Services, he responded to my questions:

“Apparently there is no official HR "policy" on account retention for retirees. The guideline that we've [OIT] been following for years is that retirees get to keep their accounts as long as they stay active (i.e. they check their email or login every so often). I'm told that originally this only applied to retired faculty and was later expanded to include all staff. If someone was told otherwise in the past they should try again. And if someone hasn't been "active" they should call Technology Help and ask for the account to be reinstated.”

The University Administrative Policy, https://policy.umn.edu/hr/emeriti, which elaborates on the basic Regents Policy, defines faculty privileges as:

UNIVERSITY SERVICES AND PRIVILEGES

Faculty members who are granted emeritus/emerita status (all tenured and tenure-track faculty who retired in good standing) are entitled to the following services and privileges provided to regular faculty:

1. E-mail accounts (including internet access);
2. Library privileges;
3. Listing in the University directory and mail service;
4. Faculty discounts for computer hardware and software, recreation facilities, athletic events, and other performances and exhibitions;
5. Continued parking privileges at faculty rates-subject to space limitations when the next best alternative space should be offered;
6. Permission to audit graduate or undergraduate level courses, subject to the instructor's approval and relevant University policies and procedures;
7. Access to health and dental insurance coverage at the faculty member's own expense according to University retiree policy;
8. Participation in academic processions (graduations, convocations and the like) in a position of honor; and
9. The right to represent the University at academic ceremonies of other institutions upon appointment by the president.

These policies also appear to also apply to retired P&A employees (although I have not been able to find a specific policy so stating).  However they do not apply to the other job classifications: civil service and bargaining unit.  But OIT policy as explained by Peter Moore does include civil service (staff) retirees.  That means your login at @umn.edu, plus your University Gmail account plus other online Google services.  If you don’t use your login once every 90 days, it will be set to inactive. 

If you do not have yours now you may have it restored by calling technology Help at 612-301-4357.

—David Naumann, Board Member and co-Webmaster
                [email protected]