How do I access my UW-Madison Google Workspace account?

See: UW-Madison Google Workspace - Log in

Why should I use a UW-Madison Google Workspace Account?

UW-Madison Google Workspace is a protected space allowing users to share content and collaborate with others inside and outside of the university. You can use your @wisc.edu address and NetID to access both the Google Workspace suite as well as the additional consumer application Google Workspace has made available.

What is my account name?

Your UW-Madison Google Workspace account uses your NetID as your account name (netid@wisc.edu).  Your other email addresses are also added to your account such that people who look you up by another address (e.g. first.last@wisc.edu) will find your one account.

How do I share a file using UW-Madison Google Drive?

See: UW-Madison Google Workspace - Share Files and Folders in Google Drive

What is the difference between a personal Google Workspace account and a UW-Madison Google Workspace Account?

See: UW-Madison Google Workspace - UW-Madison Google Workspace Accounts vs. Personal Google Accounts

What are the implications of sharing content with members who do not have a UW-Madison Google Workspace Account?

While sharing content with individuals outside of the university does not remove the protections of the UW-Madison Terms of Service, non-UW-Madison users may be subject to their own Terms of Service. Therefore, UW-Madison users should be confident that these users will safeguard their intellectual property.

Are there storage limits?

Yes. Starting June 1, 2023, a storage quota will be applied to UW-Madison Google Workspace accounts. Learn more about this change at https://it.wisc.edu/about/it-project-portfolio/reshaping-the-google-workspace-service/.

The default storage quota for personal My Drives and Shared Drives is 25 GB.

Where is the data stored (UW or Google Workspace servers)?

Data within Google Workspace services is stored on Google Workspace's servers.  More information about how Google Workspace stores data is here: UW-Madison Google Workspace - Terms of Service/Use and Privacy Policy

Is the data backed up and can it be restored?

DoIT has the ability to attempt recovery on accidentally deleted files for only Google Drive.  Please contact the Help Desk if you need data restored.  There is not guarantee that data will be able to be restored.

Otherwise, Google Workspace does not back up user data. It is up to the individual using Google Workspace services to back up their own data.

Will Google Workspace access my data?

The license agreement with Google Workspace forbids unauthorized access to data stored on Google Workspace's servers. However, if this is still a concern, we don't recommend storing data within the Google Workspace service.

What happens to my UW-Madison Google Workspace account when I leave the University?

When you are no longer affiliated with UW-Madison, your access to UW-Madison Google Workspace will also end. It is up to the individual user to make sure that they have moved all data that needs to be preserved away from their UW-Madison Google Workspace account.

For information on preserving personal data, please see: UW-Madison Google Workspace - Preserve your data

For information on preserving university data, please see: UW-Madison Google Workspace - Preserve organizational data

Why use a UW-Madison Google Workspace service?

Google Workspace has made available a suite of applications for students, faculty and staff of higher education institutions. Many institutions have adopted Google Workspace for their ease of use and collaboration features. The Google Workspace suite includes common applications like Drive and Sites. Higher education Google Workspace also gives access to a broad range of consumer applications like YouTube.

Why did UW-Madison sign a license agreement with Google Workspace?

UW-Madison negotiated a terms of service agreement with Google Workspace to protect University intellectual property and individual privacy rights. Many students and staff were already using Google Workspace with a personal account, which does not provide the level of protection that the university agreement does.

Which Google Workspace services and applications are included in a UW-Madison Google Workspace Account?

A UW-Madison Google Workspace Account will have access to Google Drive (includes Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, and Sites), Groups, Calendar, and Contacts.

Additionally, Google Workspace provides access to its consumer applications like YouTube through your UW-Madison account. You can view the list of consumer applications that are provided as a convenience to you, but please understand they NOT covered under the UW-Madison agreement.  See: UW-Madison Google Workspace - Consumer and Unavailable Applications (non-core)

Why are only some of Google Workspace's service and applications included in a UW-Madison Google Workspace account?

Google Workspace applications and services are made available after a review by members of the campus community to determine their value and appropriateness for the university environment. Some applications like Gmail are currently unavailable due to policy and technical reasons.

Members of the campus community can make a request to include additional apps by opening a ticket with the Help Desk. The app will be reviewed by the Google Workspace team when two or more requests have been submitted.

Why isn't Gmail included?

Gmail is not being implemented at this time. As a result of the Administrative Excellence Email and Calendaring Consolidation project, the campus has decided to adopt Microsoft Office 365 as its email and calendaring solution.

Does a UW-Madison Google Workspace account meet the requirements to host restricted information or sensitive information?

       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.

UW-Madison is offering a suite of applications through our service, which are not covered under our Google Workspace for Higher Education license. What does it mean to me to use these applications for University business?

Google Workspace does offer additional applications through the UW-Madison Google Workspace Service. These applications are personal and unique; however, they are not covered under the Google Workspace for Education terms of service. Each of these applications has its own Google Workspace Terms of Services. Be aware that you (the user), not the University, are accepting these terms.

A list of Google Workspace Consumer Applications available to UW-Madison users can be found at UW-Madison Google Workspace - Consumer and Unavailable Applications (non-core).

The Terms of Service of these Google Workspace commercial applications can be found at here. Because these Google Workspace commercial applications are not covered by the Google Workspace for Education terms of service:

• UW-Madison cannot assure users of these Google Workspace commercial applications where the data is stored
• Users will be subject to the jurisdiction in the courts of California in any legal proceedings
• Representation by UW-Madison Legal Services cannot be assumed

Guidelines for use of non-UW-Madison applications can be found at: Non-UW-Madison Applications and Services Guidelines