A step-by-step guide to secure your data, update your digital identity, and prepare for your next chapter.
Overview
Alums have access to MHC Google for one year after graduating. The LITS guide for graduating students has more details about how and when to expect MHC Account access changes. Exchange students and withdrawn students should refer to the MHC Accounts for undergraduate students article for account access change timing instead.
Read on in this article for actions you can take before your Google account closure to secure your data, update your digital identity, and prepare for your next chapter.
In this article
Stay connected...
...to the MHC Alum community
Once you get an invitation to DASH (MHC's Donor and Alum Services Hub), you'll be able to update your contact info and other information in your DASH profile for the Alum Directory.
That will help the Alum Association stay in touch and help other alums connect with you.
...to your broader network
Set up an auto-reply to let your community know your MHC email won't be around forever. Share another email address where they can reach you.
Keep in mind that auto-replies will stop working once your MHC Google account is closed. Set it up early to give it time to work!
...to newsletters and other subscribed email
Search your MHC inbox for newsletters and other mass mail that you receive. For any you want to keep receiving after your MHC Google account closure, resubscribe with a personal email address.
Unlink external accounts from your MHC email
Special notice for International students: Your legal/visa paperwork is tied to your MHC email account. Please contact Jenny Medina in the
McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives to update your email on file to a personal email address.
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Make a list of external accounts that use your MHC email either for logging in or account recovery.
- For example: Online banking accounts (including student loan accounts, PayPal, CashApp, etc), social media (TikTok, Instagram, etc ), streaming (Netflix, Spotify, etc), and other accounts (iCloud/Apple ID, Microsoft, personal Google accounts etc).
- Your password manager could be very helpful in identifying a list of accounts that use your MHC email address for logging in. You might use one of the following password managers: iCloud Keychain, Google Password Manager, LastPass, Bitwarden, etc.
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Change the email on those accounts to a personal email address.
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You may also want to update the email address on your resume.
Save your Google Data
This process can take a while. Start early and take your time.
1. Choose the right Google data migration tool for you
Google provides two tools. Pick the one that fits your destination.
|
Path A: Google Transfer |
Path B: Google Takeout |
| Best For... |
Fast 'Cloud-to-Cloud' syncing.
Graduating seniors with a personal Gmail account ready. |
Full archival backups.
Non-Gmail users or users with massive data. |
| What it Copies... |
ONLY Drive files (that you own) and Gmail. |
Everything (Drive, Mail, Photos, YouTube, Maps, Keep, etc). |
| Where it Goes... |
Directly into a secondary Google Account. |
Downloads as a compressed .zip file to your local computer's hard drive. |
| The Limitations... |
Strictly limited by your personal Gmail's available storage space. |
Requires sufficient space on your physical computer or external hard drive. |
| Time Required... |
Background sync. Can take up to a week. |
Export wait time (hours to days) plus manual download time. |
2. Save your data
Once you've decided which path to take, follow the linked instructions for guidance on saving your data.
Ensure your collaborators will still have what they need!
If your MHC Google account is the owner of:
- Faculty research content
- Student Organization (RSO) content
- Other content that current students, faculty, or staff will need to continue accessing
Then move those files into an MHC Google shared drive with the appropriate permissions so that your collaborators will maintain ongoing access to that content after your account closure.
Files that are already in a Google shared drive do not need to be moved.
Make history!
Alums are encouraged to donate their born-digital materials, including photos, audio/visual recordings, as well as student organization records from their time at the College to Archives and Special Collections. Those kinds of items help build the collection and document the history of students’ experiences while at Mount Holyoke.
More details are available on the Archives’ donation page or contact Deborah Richards, Director of Archives and Special Collections, at richards@mtholyoke.edu for guidance.
Get support
Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need support. You can open a support ticket, email the LITS Technology Help Desk at helpdesk@mtholyoke.edu or call 413-538-2600.
If you're still on campus, you're welcome to drop by the LITS Technology Help Desk in person.