Editor’s note: For those of us who have not yet taken the leap to abandon our umn.edu email and Google Workspace accounts before the December 7 deadline, there are three basic things we need to do to get going—outlined in this article first published in UMRA’s September 2024 newsletter.

On December 7, many of us will lose our UMN email addresses and any files associated with these accounts. If you are in that category, you should have been receiving emails from the UMN Email and Google Workspace Transition Team reminding you of the upcoming deadline and giving instructions on how to deal with it.

If you are emeriti faculty, you will not be losing your University email and Google Workspace account and should not have been receiving the warning emails. 

For the rest of us, there are three basic things we need to do to prepare:

1. Set up a non-UMN email account (if you do not already have one). You can also set up a new UMN alumni account. Note: To enroll in an alumni email account, you will need to provide a non-UMN email address.
2. Give your new email address to UMRA, the University, and all your contacts for email, memberships, and subscriptions.
3. Move any files associated with your umn.edu email and Google Workspace to another place.

The University’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) email transition team has developed an online “Self-Help Guide” that offers information on how to do each of these tasks. Here are some additional tips:

• The OIT self-help guide is a general one for all people leaving the University, not just retirees. To find what you need, scroll down to find the sections on email and moving data.
• You can open a new email account with a number of vendors (e.g., Comcast, iCloud, Outlook, Yahoo). Because your umn.edu email is a Gmail account, getting your own Gmail account is likely to make for the easiest transition. It’s free and relatively easy to create a new Gmail account.
• If you have just a few files in your UMN workspace (Google drive), the easiest way to move them is to download the files to your own device and then upload them to your new account. If you have a lot, you will want to use specialized software to help, such as Google Takeout Transfer or VaultMe. 
• UMRA members only have access to a special video on using VaultMe, and a credit for the cost if you end up with charges.  After you log into retirees.umn.edu you will see it on the right in the Dashboard page:  Watch this video workshop on changes to Email and Google Workspace
• Make sure you give UMRA your new email address! Go to retirees.umn.edu and after logging in, click on the Change Login Email Address button to make the update.
• Give your new email to the UMN.  [Note that you are a retiree in the Comments box of the form.]
• Questions should be directed to [email protected]  They can answer many of your initial questions quickly.
• You can ask advanced questions of OIT by submitting an online form to request help and support.  This takes longer.

—Ron Matross, Membership and Communication Committee chair

Read more: Cyber tips & tricks—changing your U email