UW-Madison Google Workspace - Terms of Use

Welcome to UW-Madison Google Workspace. We are excited to offer you this service, and hope you will find it beneficial in your studies and/or university employment. As you log in for the first time, we want you to be aware of some of the rules and expectations for use. In addition to the computer use terms you agreed to when you activated your NetID, there are some additional rules for use of UW-Madison Google Workspace.

By logging in and using UW-Madison Google Workspace, you agree to adhere to the following usage guidelines:

I. Responsible Use for UW-Madison Computing

Individuals using this, and all other UW-Madison computing services, are required to:

  • Follow the UW-Madison Responsible Use of Information Technology Policy.
  • Protect the privacy and confidentiality of student, patient, employee and other institutional information, as required for example by FERPA (privacy of student information) and HIPAA (privacy of patient information).
  • Comply with all other applicable University policies, State and Federal laws, including for example: copyright law as discussed by the US Copyright Office and UW Madison Copyright Infringement Policy, and the student code of conduct.
  • Protect access credentials. If user credentials are compromised, whether caused by the user or not, the service provider reserves the right to disable the credentials and require the user to obtain new uncompromised credentials.
  • In general, UW-Madison Google Workspace is suitable for sensitive information as long as the appropriate permission controls are in place. You should NOT store restricted data on this service. Please see Data Governance Data Classification for specific data definitions.

II. UW-Madison Google Workspace Use

UW-Madison Google Workspace is available only to UW-Madison students, faculty and staff with an active NetID. Authorized users are subject to the following additional requirements:

  • Google should not be used as a primary data back-up repository or for the storage of data that is not intended for regular access and use. 
  • Do not rely on Google or UW-Madison to back-up your data. UW-Madison is not responsible for lost data.
  • Backup critical files on other storage services. Use https://storage.researchdata.wisc.edu/ to find alternative storage options. 
  • Google should not be used to store personal files or data not related to your employment or coursework at the university.
  • You are responsible for the integrity of your data files. 
  • Comply with campus policies regarding UW-Madison's intellectual property.
  • While you can access many Google Apps with your UW-Madison account, only Google Drive Core Apps are protected by the Google Apps for Education terms of service.
  • Exercise caution when sharing documents with non-UW-Madison users. UW-Madison Google Workspace is covered by the Google Apps for Education terms of service, which states that Google asserts no ownership or use rights; however, non-UW-Madison users may be subject to different Terms of Service. UW-Madison users, therefore, should know: 1) who they are sharing their intellectual property (IP) with and 2) be confident that these users will safeguard the IP.
  • Adhere to UW-Madison policies regarding retention of course-related materials, where appropriate.
  • Remove content before leaving UW-Madison. User accounts will be purged, according to existing campus procedures. Once an account is purged, users and collaborators will no longer have access to content.

    III. Privacy Statement

    UW-Madison respects the legitimate privacy interests of UW-Madison Google Workspace users within appropriate limits for educational, ethical and legal reasons, subject to the following:

    • UW-Madison administrators will monitor UW-Madison Google Workspace for system management and security purposes.
    • If you are employed by the University, any documents you save or publish in UW-Madison Google Workspace may be subject to the Wisconsin Public Records Act. For more information on the Records Management, please go to: http://www.library.wisc.edu/archives/records-management/
    • Any document you save or publish in UW-Madison Google Workspace may be subject to privacy laws, such as FERPA and HIPAA.

    IV. Enforcement

    • User access may be suspended and/or terminated to address potential violations of the usage guidelines, University policies, and/or State or Federal law.
    • If the University receives a credible report that a violation has occurred, or if, in the course of managing the service, discovers evidence of a violation, then the matter will be referred for investigation, University disciplinary action, and/or criminal prosecution.
    • Complaints that specific material violates the law or University policy should be reported to Badger Incident Response Team (BadgIRT).
    • The Usage Guidelines may change without notification. Users should check this document periodically to ensure they remain in compliance.

    V. Links to Related Documents