Retiree Account Changes

GVSU Retirees keep access to their GVSU email address indefinitely. Your email address and password will remain the same.

You can continue to receive support for this account though Grand Valley IT and our contact information is on our website: https://services.gvsu.edu/TDClient/60/Portal/Home/

Any data stored on a retiree's GVSU private network drive will be deleted when the retiree is moved to the .RETIREE container. As stated previously, the date of the container move will be in the email the retiree receives. Retirees should make arrangements to save any necessary data as soon as possible to a separate non-GVSU owned device or storage device.

GVSU provided Microsoft Office 365 (O365) personal/home subscription will be discontinued 30 days after a retiree's official retirement date.

• O365 is a suite of applications that includes Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneDrive, among others.
• Microsoft offers a 30-day grace period if O365 is already installed on a personal computer or mobile device.
• O365 will continue to function as normal and generate warning messages during the grace period.
• There is no grace period for the web-based O365 Apps.
• If a retiree has saved any files to Microsoft OneDrive and they do not plan to purchase a personal subscription to O365, they should save a copy of any necessary data from OneDrive to their personal computer before the end of the 30-day grace period or that data may be lost.

We apologize for any inconvenience that losing Microsoft Office 365 access may cause and wish to list some document editing options for the transition:

• Retirees may purchase Microsoft Office 365 for a monthly or annual fee.
  • Retirees should create a personal Microsoft account before purchasing a license. Here is the link with instructions from Microsoft on how to create a personal Microsoft account. 
• Retirees may use Google Docs – create a Google account to get access to Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, which are similar to Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. If a retiree has had a faculty/staff GVSU Gmail account created for them, they will be able to continue to use the Gmail account and Google Drive account normally.
• Retirees may use WPS Office Suite, which is compatible with Microsoft Office documents.

The GVSU Zoom license on a retiree's account will also be discontinued, and their Zoom account will no longer work. If a retiree would like to continue to use Zoom, they should create a personal Zoom account. A retiree creating a personal Zoom account should use a non-GVSU affiliated account, such as a @gmail.com or @outlook.com account. Creating a personal Zoom account with a @gvsu.edu address or a @mail.gvsu.edu address will not work and will cause licensing issues.

Retiree's should plan to make arrangements to return their computer to GVSU IT, and save any data on the hard drive to a personal device. The same applies to any GVSU owned computer accessories like computer mice, keyboards, chargers, etc. Once Retirees are moved to the .RETIREE container, they will no longer be able to sign into their GVSU department computer.

Employees at the AVP/Assistant Dean level or other employees with special circumstances may have the option to retain their equipment upon retirement, subject to the approval of their Executive VP or the Provost. The approval must be in email form and must CC vpit@gvsu.edu, it@gvsu.edu, and security@gvsu.edu. If approval is granted, this equipment is subject to the following restrictions:

• The laptop remains the property of GVSU, and retirees must sign an agreement acknowledging that they understand and agree to the terms and conditions outlined in this policy.
• GVSU reserves the right to transfer ownership of the equipment to the retiree or request its return at any time, depending on the circumstances, operational needs, or policy changes.