Alumni Google Accounts

PLNU Google accounts expire one year after graduation or withdrawal, along with other university technology accounts.

What will I be losing access to?
Any Google-offered service for which you use your PLNU-provided email account (username@pointloma.edu) for logging in, such as Gmail, YouTube, or Google Drive.

If I have set up my PLNU account to forward email to another account, will that continue to work when my email account is removed?
Unfortunately, due to Google’s change in licensing terms, all PLNU Alumni email accounts will ultimately be deleted completely from Google. Email forwarding will stop once the accounts have been deleted.

Why will PLNU no longer provide Alumni Google accounts?
In the past, Google offered its service for free to PLNU Alumni and former students.  Starting in 2022, Google discontinued the capability for PLNU to continue to offer this service.  We recognize that this may be frustrating to those that wish to continue to use their Alumni account, and are ready to provide support for a smooth transition.

The University communicated that I could keep this for “life,” why is this changing?
PLNU’s intention was to provide this service for life, however, Google discontinued PLNU's capability to offer this service in 2022.  Google does still offer personal accounts for free.  

When will I lose access to my account? / How long do I have to move to another account?
Google accounts will expire one year after graduation or withdrawal, along with other university technology accounts. You have until that day to log in and download your data. We recommend starting the transfer process sooner than this as historically it can take up to 7 days to complete.

Can I keep access beyond the one-year expiration date?
PLNU will not be able to provide account access beyond the expiration date.

How do I backup or move the data from my PLNU Google account?
Google provides the following solutions for downloading or transferring your data.

How long does it take for Google to transfer my data?
Most data transfers are completed within 24 hours.  However, if you have a large amount of data in your account, it could take up to one week for the full data transfer to complete.  Because of this, please be sure to plan ahead.

I want to download my data, but I’m not sure how to access my old account. What should I do?
If you forgot your password for your account, you can reset it by following the instructions here. If you are unable to reset your password or don't remember your username, you will need to contact the PLNU Solution Center at (619) 849-2222 or help@pointloma.edu for assistance. The Solution Center hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8 am-4:30 pm during the Summer Semester, and 7 am-6 pm for Fall and Spring.

I am a returning student, do I still get a PLNU Gmail account?
If you are planning on re-enrolling at PLNU before the one-year expiration date, once you have finished the enrollment process, your account will no longer be subject to closure, and will remain active while you are an active student at PLNU.  If you re-enroll at PLNU after the one-year expiration date, a new account will be created for you with the same email address.

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