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Changes to Your Alumni Email Account

Audience: This page was intended for existing Pepperdine Alumni Email account holders who had previously stored or transferred content to their Alumni account Google Drive or Google Photos. Original notifications were sent on March 15, April 16, May 14, and June 11, 2022 to the email address that each alumni member last indicated as their best contact information. In early 2023, a final notice was sent to all available email addresses on file to alumni who did not receive or open the prior notices.

Final Deadline Was April 7, 2023

All Alumni Google Drive Data Permanently Deleted

As of May 25, 2023, all Google Drive data for "@alumnimail.pepperdine.edu" alumni email accounts has been permanently deleted. Although Google Drive and Photos are no longer available, Pepperdine alumni may continue to use their Alumni Gmail-only account to remain connected with peers and the University.

Prior Extension Details

In early 2023, we reached out to alumni members who never opened our original email notices in spring/summer 2022. We attempted to reach them at all available email addresses on file. We communicated the following final courtesy extension deadlines and recommendations:

  • Requests: We strongly recommended that they submit requests by Friday, March 31, 2023, to allow enough time to start the transfer and download process.
  • Download or Transfer: Alumni were invited to complete the Google Takeout process no later than Friday, April 7, 2023, to download or transfer their data.
  • Permanent Deletion: We warned alumni that all Pepperdine Alumni Google Drive and Photos data would be permanently purged starting on Friday, April 14, 2023. We reminded them that there would be no extensions or recovery possible after this date.

Again, all data has now been permanently deleted. 

Frequently Asked Questions

  Has the Pepperdine Alumni Email program changed?

Yes. New and current Alumni continue to enjoy an @alumnimail.pepperdine.edu Gmail account to stay connected with student colleagues, potential employers, and the University. However, Google announced that it eliminated unlimited storage for education. This change impacted all educational institutions, from K-12 to higher education, including Pepperdine. Due to this change in Google storage policy, the Alumni Email program is now Gmail-only.  Effective July 1, 2022, additional Google Workspace tools like Google Drive or Photos are no longer available to alumni accounts. Also, dormant alumni email accounts will be deleted after one year of inactivity.

  How were existing Pepperdine Alumni Email account holders notified?

(Original Sends) Pepperdine University contacted alumni with an existing Pepperdine University Alumni Email account, sending a series of notices to the contact email addresses last indicated as the best/preferred contact information. The notices included a link to this web page and emphasized the June 15, 2022 deadline. June 15 was when alumni should have reviewed and downloaded any Google Drive or Google Photos content; July 1 was when all Drive/Photos data were deleted from the alumni email domain.

(Additional Sends) We reviewed our multiple campaigns and detected that some alumni never opened any of our messages. To be sure that they received the notice, we contacted them in March 2023 about the final deadline to download or transfer their data before it was permanently purged on April 14, 2023.

  Am I required to keep my Pepperdine Alumni Email account active?

Yes. Alumni can enjoy their @alumnimail.pepperdine.edu account if the account remains active. Dormant accounts may become targets to hackers and place alumni information and University resources at risk. For this reason, Alumni Email accounts will be suspended and then deleted after one year of inactivity. Once an account has been deleted, it will be irrecoverable. So, we encourage our Alumni to check and use their accounts on a regular basis.

  What did I need to do before June 15, 2022 (or April 7, 2023)?

Please see the What You Need to Do and Other Considerations section above.

(Original Send) We set the deadline of June 15, 2022 to allow everyone enough time to evaluate their content and initiate the download process before access to Google Drive and Photos was removed. Google Takeout could take up to a week to process large download requests, so planning was important in retaining content. After July 1, 2022, access or the ability to download any Google Drive or Google Photos content was eliminated.

(Final Notice) April 7, 2023 was the final deadline to download or transfer any Google Drive or Photos data from your Pepperdine alumni account.

  How can I see how much content I had stored in my Pepperdine Alumni Email account?

(Original Send) Log into your Pepperdine Alumni Email account at gmail.com. Once you are logged into your Pepperdine Alumni email account, visit https://www.google.com/settings/storage. You will be presented with an overview of the amount of Email, Google Drive, and Google Photos storage you are using.

(Final Send) Contact Tech Central at 310.506.4357 and request access to your Pepperdine Alumni Google Drive and Photos data. After permissions have been sent, follow the instructions listed above.

  What happened if I took no action?

If you decided that the content was no longer relevant or needed, you did not need to take action. On July 1, 2022, your access to Google Drive and Google Photos content was removed, and the content was deleted permanently.

If you continued to use your Pepperdine Alumni Email account, you retained access to your @alumnimail.pepperdine.edu email address. After one year of inactivity, however, dormant Alumni Email accounts will be deleted. See "Will I be required to keep my Pepperdine Alumni Email account active?" above for more information.

  Can I get an extension?

We're very sorry, but all Pepperdine Alumni email Google Drive and Photos data were permanently deleted starting Friday, April 14, 2023. Google's policy changes require this action so that Pepperdine Alumni Email users could continue to use their email service.

  I forgot my Pepperdine Alumni Email password. Can I reset it?

Password resets are through the Google Account Recovery process. When you signed up for your Pepperdine Alumni Email account, you provided a recovery phone number and email address. Please follow Google's instructions: "How to recover your Google Account or Gmail."

 

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