Student Email Accounts
Updated Email Policy: In July 2022, Google announced a change to its storage policy for Google Workspace for Education. Where previously, Education partners were granted unlimited storage across Gmail, Google Drive, and Photos, Google will begin implementing storage limits on these accounts. As such, Georgia Southern, along with other Google Education partners, will be required to implement storage limitations on student, faculty, and staff accounts. The information below reflects this new policy.
Google & MyGS Services for Students
Georgia Southern provides all students with access to G Suite, Google’s suite of applications, which includes Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar, as well as the MyGS portal, which includes WINGS and other services. Keep reading to learn more about these services.
Student Account Lifecycle
Students have access to Georgia Southern’s Google and MyGS environments as long as they are eligible to enroll in classes. Access to these accounts begins when a student is accepted and continues for 3 calendar years after a student is last enrolled.
Once students are no longer eligible to enroll, accounts are terminated and former students are no longer able to access Google and MyGS resources. However, if a student reapplies to Georgia Southern, they will be granted a new account upon readmission.
Students who have graduated or who are approaching the end of their enrollment eligibility are encouraged to take steps to download and/or save resources that they may need access to after their account has been deleted. Below are resources students can use in order to make this transition as smooth as possible:
Google Takeout
This service allows you to export data from Google services, such as Gmail, Google Drive, YouTube, and more. If you’re a student who is approaching the end of your enrollment eligibility (three years after you were last enrolled), use this service to export your data before your account is terminated. Visit Google Takeout >
Transcripts
If you’re nearing the end of your enrollment eligibility and think you may need some unofficial transcripts, you can download these in WINGS before your account is terminated. If you are no longer eligible to enroll or need to request an official transcript, please visit the Registrar’s Office Transcript page >
Enrollment Certifications
An Enrollment Certification may be another document you’d like to access under the “Services” tile in the MyGeorgiaSouthern portal before your MyGS account expires. Former students who would like to request enrollment certifications can find directions on the Registrar’s Office Forms for Students page >
IRS Form 1098-T: Tuition Statement
Prior to the expiration of your MyGS account, you can access your 1098-T information in WINGS via the MyGS portal. To obtain copies of this document after your account has been terminated, please follow the directions on the Bursar’s Office 1098-T FAQ page >
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Students who no longer have access to the MyGeorgiaSouthern portal still have the ability to update their FERPA contacts. For more information, please visit the Registrar’s Office FERPA Information Page >
Appropriate Use Policy
While setting up their MyGeorgiaSouthern accounts, all students acknowledge and accept the Information Technology Appropriate Use Policy, which can be accessed here.
A particularly important excerpt from the Appropriate Use Policy has been included below, which details information about who has authorization to Georgia Southern accounts.
Please note that it is against University policy for anyone besides students to access student accounts, including MyGeorgiaSouthern, Folio, and email accounts.
The Appropriate Use Policy dictates that:
- Misrepresenting a person’s identity or relationship to the University when obtaining access privileges or using technology is prohibited.
- Use of any university information technology resource is restricted to those having proper authorization to use that particular resource. It is a violation of the law and university policy to assist in, encourage, or conceal from authorities any unauthorized use, or attempted unauthorized use, of any of the University’s computers or network facilities.
- Passwords to any information technology resource shall only be issued to authorized users. Password recipients are responsible for the protection of their access credentials (passwords) and shall not distribute them to other users.
- Only those persons with proper authorization shall modify or reconfigure any university information technology resource or network facility.
Multi-Factor Authentication
Duo is Georgia Southern’s two factor authentication service, which all students are required to enroll in. While passwords help protect and secure data, it is still possible for hackers and cyber criminals to gain access to accounts and sensitive data. By requiring a second identity verification factor, two factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your accounts and helps protect you and the University.
Last updated: 2/20/2023