Overview
Access to U-M Box is determined by a person’s affiliation with U-M. As their affiliations change, so can their access to U-M Box. For example, students become alumni and faculty become retirees. This document explains what access people have in U-M Box depending on those affiliations and what steps to take if their affiliations change.
People who lose all U-M affiliations
- Faculty and staff members leaving the university who are not alumni or retirees.
- Students leaving the university before eligibility for Alumni status.
- Sponsored affiliates with no other affiliation.
Note: If your sponsorship has expired in error, contact the ITS Service Center.
Ways to transition files before you lose your affiliations:
- Move folders containing U-M data into a folder owned by a Shared Account.
- Download personal files you still need.
- Change ownership of folders containing personal data to a personal Box account - for accounts under 10GB and with no files over 250MB.
Alumni and retirees who lose all other U-M affiliations
The U-M Box account will be limited to 50GB of files and remain in U-M Box. If you have over 50GB of content stored in your U-M Box account when your status changes to alumni or retiree, you will not lose any data already stored in your U-M Box account. However, you will not be able to upload new data until you have removed enough data to be under 50GB. If your U-M Box account is 50GB or less, you will not need to take any action. The account remains free of charge.
Note:
- Storage used is located in Account Settings.
- Accounts for those who lost U-M affiliations before January 14, 2017 are treated differently.
These U-M Box accounts continue to login using Single Sign On with uniqname and UMICH password.
Emeritus/Emerita Faculty
U-M Box accounts will remain intact and will not be converted for emeritus/emerita faculty who retain all standard computing services for life. For details, see 19.K Emeritus/Emerita Status in the U-M Faculty Handbook.
Data Continuity
Use Shared Accounts
To ensure that team members continue to have access to team files, even if team members change, use a Shared Account. Files and folders owned by a shared account are not linked to specific individuals and access is easily managed.
Departments and Organizations
Access to important files could be lost when people leave the university. By following these recommended roll-off procedures, you retain access to shared files, folders and accounts.
Be Proactive
- Store U-M data in a shared account.
- Monitor file permissions and remove access when no longer needed.
- Follow sensitive data storage guidelines.
Cooperative Departures
The person leaving U-M should follow this two-step roll-off procedure:
- Change the ownership of folders they own containing U-M data to a U-M Box shared account.
- Remove their access to shared files, folders and accounts.
Uncooperative Departures
Involve the ITS User Advocate as soon as possible.
With User Advocate involvement, U-M Box Administrators can assist in:
- Preserving the contents of an account
- Moving U-M Box files and folders from one account to another
- Inactivate the U-M Box account access sooner than the automated process
Note: Download university data from the person’s account if time is critical.
Only for Alumni and retirees who lost all other U-M affiliations before January 14, 2017
The U-M Box account was automatically converted to a personal Box account with a 50GB quota. The converted account is available at Box using an external Box password. If you no longer have access to U-M Box, set up an external Box password at Box. If you still have access to U-M Box, log in to set an external password.
Note: If you use U-M Box apps, you may have already set an external password for them.
- Log in to U-M Box with your uniqname and UMICH password.
- Select Account Settings from the drop-down list next to the account name in the upper right hand corner.
- In the Create External Password section, click Edit password and enter a password different from your UMICH password.
Once you have access to the converted account, support is provided by Box instead of the ITS Service Center.
Features that stay the same:
- Content of the Box account is retained.
- The converted account is free.
- Box Sync is available.
Note: log out and back in with the external password.
- Files are available from mobile devices.
- Access to collaboration folders and documents is retained.
- Access to shared accounts is retained, unless you are removed from the account.
- Expiration dates set on a file by file basis are retain.
Features that change:
- Version history is not available.
- File Sharing permission levels are limited to view and edit.
- Document password protection is not available.
- File locking, file access statistics and full text search are not available.
- Upload file size is limited to 250MB
Note: existing files greater than 250MB remain available.
For an additional cost , you can upgrade your converted account from 50GB to 100GB of storage and 5GB upload file size limit.
Returning to the University
If your U-M Box account was converted to a personal Box account, you should receive an email when you return to U-M with instructions for accepting the invitation to join U-M Box.
Note: When you login to accept the invitation you will see this prompt from Box:
You have been requested to join the University of Michigan Enterprise Network: Accept or Reject. Note: By accepting, you will be giving the enterprise access to your Box account. We recommend creating a personal account for any personal files you have stored on Box.
Important: The prompt comes from Box. U-M does not access private user data without direct permission, in compliance with all SPGs regarding privacy, including SPG 601.11.
Once you have accepted the invitation to join the University of Michigan Enterprise, your account will be converted to a fully functioning U-M Box account, including unlimited storage.