The University announced that current students will not be required to switch from Google accounts to Office 365 in the spring in an email sent Wednesday by Dana German, associate vice president and deputy chief information officer.
“These changes incorporate your feedback while still making meaningful progress toward U.Va.’s goal of a shared communication and collaboration platform for all members of our university community,” German said.
The University first announced that all students would transition from the Google workspace to Office 365 in October after Google announced a new pricing model that would be accompanied by significant fees — other reasons for the switch included easing learning and communication between faculty and staff, as faculty currently use Office 365 and do not have Google accounts.
Students quickly expressed anger with the decision and created a petition to keep Google, which garnered roughly 5,500 signatures. During a special legislative session Nov. 3, Student Council’s representative body denounced the decision for the University to move students to Office 365.
Wednesday’s email clarified that students who matriculate to the University will receive Office 365 accounts, but current students will have the option to opt-in to the transition or keep their current Google accounts. All students currently have access to Office 365 apps, including OneNote, OneDrive and Teams.
Current students will be able to make the switch to Office 365 beginning this summer. Students who choose to maintain their Google account will be able to continue using their Google account once they have left the University.
After the summer of 2025, all students still at the University and with a Google account will be given an Office 365 email — students will retain access to Google Drive and associated apps, but emails will be routed to the Office 365 account. Feedback on these changes and any concerns can be submitted through a link on the University’s Information and Technology Services website.
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