Graduation signifies a monumental achievement in a student's life, but it also brings significant changes to access to essential digital resources. At Indiana University (IU), students' computing accounts—including email, Microsoft 365, and Adobe Creative Cloud—are disabled after two consecutive terms of non-enrollment. Thirty days later, all associated data is permanently deleted. (news.iu.edu)

Understanding the Deactivation Policy

IU's policy states that if a student is not enrolled for two consecutive terms (fall, spring, and summer are each considered one term), their computing accounts are disabled. After 30 days of inactivity, these accounts and all associated data are deleted. (news.iu.edu)

Data at Risk

The following data is at risk of deletion:

  • Email (Exchange/Outlook): Messages, contacts, and calendar items.
  • Microsoft 365 (OneDrive, SharePoint): Personal documents, class projects, and group files.
  • Adobe Creative Cloud: Design work, creative assets, and shared projects.
Steps to Protect Your Data
  1. Microsoft 365 Data:
  • OneDrive and SharePoint: Download all personal and academic files to a personal storage device or cloud service. Transfer ownership of shared files to current IU users to maintain access. (kb.iu.edu)
  • Email and Calendar (Outlook/Exchange): Use Outlook's export functionality to save emails and calendar items to a personal account.
  1. Adobe Creative Cloud:
  • Download Projects: Save all critical project files, libraries, and assets to a personal storage location.
  • Transfer Assets: Use Adobe's official process to migrate projects from the IU enterprise account to your personal Adobe ID, where supported. (news.iu.edu)
  1. Third-Party and Legacy Services:
  • Google at IU: Move data from Google at IU My Drive to a personal Google account or other storage solutions. (kb.iu.edu)
  • Other Services: Review and transfer data from other IU services you may have used.
Additional Considerations
  • Backup Solutions: Utilize reputable cloud storage services or external hard drives to create redundant backups of your data.
  • Ownership Transfers: For shared files, ensure that ownership is transferred to current IU users to maintain access.
  • Early Preparation: Begin the data migration process well before your expected graduation or departure to ensure all data is preserved.
Conclusion

The transition out of Indiana University is marked by a swift and irreversible change to your digital life. By proactively managing your data and following the steps outlined above, you can ensure that your academic and creative work remains accessible after your IU account is deactivated.