We’ll be letting you know your specific migration timeline when additional planning details and resources are finalized. Our current goal is to migrate all student accounts from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 by the beginning of the Fall 2027 semester. You’ll receive multiple notices before your account is migrated, with additional information and resources for your migration.

Yes. Once migrated into Microsoft 365, all emails in your NAU Gmail inbox will be transferred into your Microsoft Outlook inbox.

Your Google Drive files will be transferred from Google Drive into Microsoft OneDrive. However, only your individual files that you own will be migrated. This means that files and folders shared with you but owned by somebody else (including Drive shortcuts) will not be migrated. We recommend reviewing your files and sharing permissions once your migration is complete.

During the migration, Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are typically converted into Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. Some formatting and features may not transfer exactly 1:1, and items such as Google Docs comments or version history may not transfer. Contact us if you’re curious about a specific feature or file type.

Some proprietary Google features and items may not transfer fully, including;

• Comments and suggestions in Google Docs
• Google Forms and form responses
• Google Sites
• Third-party add-ons

We encourage users to review personal content stored across Google platforms on their NAU account and plan accordingly.

For accounts created using your NAU Gmail Account, you’ll need to change your login email for third-party services to a personal email address in order to prevent access loss.

No. The automatic migration outlined on this page is for student Google accounts only. For faculty and staff, NAU Gmail and Google Drive data are not automatically migrated by default. Faculty and staff can request their content to be migrated by contacting the ITS Service Desk.

We recommend that you update the email on third-party services for any accounts created with an NAU Gmail address to a personal email address to prevent access loss.

Similar to individual content, departmental Google Shared Drives are not automatically migrated by default. Departments may request migration of Shared Drive data to Microsoft SharePoint with the following conditions:

• One user must be designated as the owner for the SharePoint site.
• The designated owner is responsible for sharing and resharing access with participants.
• Departments should review the structure and permissions of the SharePoint site once migrated.

Microsoft 365 provides several tools that can be used to collaborate with students, including;

• Microsoft Teams for chat, announcements, channels, meetings, and sharing class resources and documents.
• OneDrive and SharePoint to share files or folders with the right permissions, like view and edit access.
• Coauthoring in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint allows for real-time editing and feedback.
• Microsoft Forms allows for surveys, quick forms, and simple quizzes.

Google Forms and form responses are not automatically migrated. Departments should plan to rebuild active forms in Microsoft Forms for simple use cases, or in Qualtrics for more complex surveys or university research and official data collection. We recommend exporting any Google Form responses that you need to retain, and the ITS Service Desk is available for assistance in planning your transition to an alternative platform.

Yes, we’ve created an email forwarding tool that allows users to forward all incoming messages to their NAU Gmail address to a personal email account once their Google account is deactivated.

To enroll in email forwarding for your NAU Google Account, log in to id.nau.edu and navigate to the ‘Email Management’ tab. From here, you’ll be able to enter the personal email address you’d like messages sent to your NAU Gmail account forwarded to.

It’s important to note that this forwarding feature will be receive‑only, so you will not be able to send messages from your NAU address once it is deactivated, and your Google account and storage will still be removed as planned.

If you’re unable to log into your NAU Google Account, contact the ITS Service Desk for assistance. As part of our security measures, you may be asked to verify your identity.

We recommend that you change your email in third-party services for any accounts created with an NAU Gmail address to a personal email address in order to prevent access loss.

After these changes go into effect, your NAU student email in Microsoft 365 will be retained for one year after graduation. After one year, your email access will be removed, and any data on your account will be deleted.

Accounts for individuals who are not currently active (enrolled) students or employees will be closed on August 4, 2026.  This also includes most alumni and former students.  After August 4, 2026, access to Gmail, Drive, Photos, and other Google services will be discontinued.

Before leaving NAU, you should;

1. Download personal files using Google Takeout.
2. Move important content to a personal email or cloud account.
3. Update external services that use your NAU email address.
4. Save contacts you want to keep.
5. Download a copy of your unofficial transcript from LOUIE for your records.
6. Update your personal contact information in LOUIE.

Yes. If you have 15 GB of data or less, we recommend using Google Takeout Transfer to move your email and files directly to another Gmail account. This is often the simplest option because your data is transferred automatically without needing to download and re-upload it.

If you have more than 15 GB of data, or if you want to save a copy of your data locally, you can use Google Takeout to download your content before your account is retired.

Yes, we’ve created an email forwarding tool that allows users to forward all incoming messages to their NAU Gmail address to a personal email account once their Google account is deactivated.

To enroll in email forwarding for your NAU Google Account, log in to id.nau.edu and navigate to the ‘Email Management’ tab. From here, you’ll be able to enter the personal email address you’d like messages sent to your NAU Gmail account forwarded to.

It’s important to note that this forwarding feature will be receive‑only, so you will not be able to send messages from your NAU address once it is deactivated, and your Google account and storage will still be removed as planned.

You can use Google’s tool, Google Takeout, which allows you to export your email, Drive files, photos, and more. We recommend downloading personal or high-value content before your migration date. Google Takeout also has a feature to transfer data up to 25 GB from your NAU Google Account to a personal account.

Open Google Takeout ›

To create a personal Gmail account, sign up for a new Google account (a personal @gmail.com address), then set a password and add a recovery phone number or email.

Key differences between a personal Gmail account and your NAU Google account include:

• Management: Your NAU account is managed by NAU; a personal Gmail account is managed by you.
• Access after you leave: Personal Gmail accounts are not tied to your student status.
• Personal Gmail: Google may require you to purchase additional storage for large amounts of data.
• Support: Until Google is phased out completely, NAU ITS supports NAU Google accounts; Google supports personal Gmail accounts.

If you are saving personal files, set up your personal Gmail account early and move/export your data before your account’s deletion date.

Use Google Takeout Transfer to copy your Drive files to a personal @gmail.com account.

• Make sure your personal account has 100GB+ of free storage (you may need to buy more).
• Run the transfer and wait for it to finish (large transfers can take hours to days).
• Verify your most important folders/files in the personal account.
• Re-share any files as needed—sharing permissions may not be carried over.

You should plan to move or download any files you want to keep from your NAU Google Drive before your account closure date. We’ll be reaching out to you with your individual timeline based on your current affiliation with the university.