Alumni Email Service - Frequently Asked Questions
Alumni Email Retention Policy
In June 2023, Illinois Wesleyan University made the decision to implement an updated Alumni Email Policy in line with those of other universities to better uphold IWU's priority of maintaining strong cybersecurity and data integrity. While we understand that receiving a school-issued email address for life was a big point of excitement and relief for many Titans upon graduation, rapid advancements in technology and cyberthreats over the past 20 years have required us to reconsider this policy in the interest of doing what's best to protect the information and privacy of all our constituents.
IWU's updated email policy went into effect on June 1, 2023, giving active alumni email accounts a three-year grace period to migrate any data stored. At the end of the three years, the regular policy of the University will apply, and all alumni accounts will be retired. All student accounts beginning with the class of 2023 will be terminated three years after graduation.
Alumni belonging to the classes of 2023 and prior will no longer be able to access their IWU Gmail/Google accounts beginning August 3, 2026.
Once your IWU Gmail/Google account is retired, you will lose access to email, Google
Drive storage, and all other applications and resources associated with your IWU account
(including Banner Self-Service).
To prevent losing important data from Gmail, Google Drive, or Banner Self-Service, IWU IT Services encourages all alumni affected by the 2026 email retirement to secure their data by taking the following steps before July 31:
- Transfer your email and Google Drive data to a new Gmail account using Google Transfer. This is the quickest and simplest way to transfer your data through Google and is
highly recommended for those only interested in backing up documents from Gmail and
Google Drive
- Please note that you will need to log in to Google Transfer using your IWU email and password. Once logged in, you will be asked to provide the personal Gmail address to which you wish to transfer your IWU data
- Download your Google data to your device or external hard drive using Google Takeout. This is a more extensive process of backing up your data that includes materials from
additional Google Suite apps such as Google Calendar, Google Photos, Google Play Books,
and many more. Prior to beginning your data download through Google Takeout, we recommend
all users to:
- Go through your Gmail and Google Drive files and delete any content you are not interested in archiving
- Make sure your device has enough internal or external storage space to house your downloaded data
- Select one data group to download at a time (first Gmail, then Documents, etc.) as this often speeds up the process and produces a more manageable file size
- Print or download a copy of your Unofficial Transcript for future use
- Make sure all social media accounts (such as LinkedIn) linked to your IWU email are
moved to a new email address
- Update your off-campus contact information to stay up to date with alumni news and events
IWU IT Services is committed to making this transition as smooth and stress-free as possible for all those affected by the 2026 alumni email retirement rollout.
For assistance with downloading and securing your email and Google data, please contact the ITS Help Desk by emailing it@iwu.edu or calling (309) 556-3900.
Email FAQs
- What is the purpose of the Email Use and Account Management Policy?
- The purpose of the Email Use and Account Management Policy is to outline guidelines
for email use and management at IWU to ensure the security, confidentiality, and integrity
of IWU's email systems and data.
- The purpose of the Email Use and Account Management Policy is to outline guidelines
for email use and management at IWU to ensure the security, confidentiality, and integrity
of IWU's email systems and data.
- Who does this policy apply to?
- This policy applies to all IWU faculty, staff, students, affiliates, and contractors
who have been granted access to IWU’s email systems.
- This policy applies to all IWU faculty, staff, students, affiliates, and contractors
who have been granted access to IWU’s email systems.
- Can email be used for personal purposes?
- Yes, email can be used for personal purposes as long as it does not interfere with
an individuals duties or violate any University policies.
- Yes, email can be used for personal purposes as long as it does not interfere with
an individuals duties or violate any University policies.
- What happens to current alumni email accounts?
- Active alumni email accounts (as of June 1, 2023) will be granted a three-year grace
period from the approval date of this policy to migrate any data stored. At the end
of the three years (August 2026), the regular policy of the University will apply,
and all alumni accounts will be terminated.
- Active alumni email accounts (as of June 1, 2023) will be granted a three-year grace
period from the approval date of this policy to migrate any data stored. At the end
of the three years (August 2026), the regular policy of the University will apply,
and all alumni accounts will be terminated.
- What happens when my email account is terminated?
- Once your IWU email account is terminated, you will lose access to Gmail, Google Drive
Storage, and all other associated applications (Google Calendar, Google Photos, etc.).
- Once your IWU email account is terminated, you will lose access to Gmail, Google Drive
Storage, and all other associated applications (Google Calendar, Google Photos, etc.).
- Why is this the first time I'm hearing about this?
- IWU began communicating about the updated policy in May 2023 with a series of emails and texts. At that time, all alumni had three years to migrate their data before the retirement date in August 2026. The Office of Advancement included footnotes in the Campus Weekly messages to alumni throughout 2025 and 2026, and began communicating again through direct email notifications in May 2026.
- Will this affect my ability to participate in alumni groups / councils / committees?
- No. For the majority of councils and groups, Alumni Engagement will send communications to the most recently updated email address on your record. There are special circumstances in which you need an @iwu.edu email to access a delegate account. Please reach out to iwualum@iwu.edu to see if you qualify for an extension under those circumstances.
- I use my IWU email for many personal accounts and heavily rely on having access to
it. How can I possibly update every account?
- You always have the option to update your email contact with accounts such as social media, utilities, banking, etc. We recommend starting a list of all known accounts tied to your @iwu.edu address and tracking whether you’ve successfully switched primary email addresses. You may need to reach out to help centers for particular accounts if switching contact info is not easily accessible. If you don’t think you can accomplish switching over every account before the August 3, 2026 deadline, please contact the ITS Help Desk to request a brief extension of your IWU account access to ensure you are given enough time to switch emails.
- Can exceptions be made to this policy?
- All exceptions to this policy must be approved by the University President or designee.
- All exceptions to this policy must be approved by the University President or designee.
- How can alumni update their information?
- Alumni can update their information using the Update My Info form. The form allows alumni to update their contact information, career updates, and other personal details. It is essential for alumni to keep their information up to date to ensure they receive important updates and alumni-related news from the University.
- How long will email accounts be active for faculty, staff, and students?
- Email accounts will be terminated at the end of employment for faculty and staff unless
they are granted emeritus status from the President or Provost. All student accounts
will be terminated three years after graduation.
- Email accounts will be terminated at the end of employment for faculty and staff unless
they are granted emeritus status from the President or Provost. All student accounts
will be terminated three years after graduation.
- What is the scope of email use at Illinois Wesleyan University?
- IWU’s email systems are for official university business and communications only.
Personal use is permitted as long as it does not interfere with an individual’s duties
or violate any University policies. Users are prohibited from using email for any
illegal or unethical purposes.
- IWU’s email systems are for official university business and communications only.
Personal use is permitted as long as it does not interfere with an individual’s duties
or violate any University policies. Users are prohibited from using email for any
illegal or unethical purposes.
- What kind of language should be used in email communication?
- Email communication should be professional, respectful, and free from discriminatory
or harassing language.
- Email communication should be professional, respectful, and free from discriminatory
or harassing language.
- Who is responsible for managing email accounts issued by Illinois Wesleyan University?
- Users are responsible for managing their own email accounts and ensuring that they
comply with this policy.
- Users are responsible for managing their own email accounts and ensuring that they
comply with this policy.
- What measures should be taken to ensure the security and confidentiality of emails?
- Users must take appropriate measures to ensure the security and confidentiality of
their emails. Passwords must be kept confidential and not shared with anyone. Emails
containing sensitive or confidential information must be encrypted or otherwise protected
to prevent unauthorized access.
- Users must take appropriate measures to ensure the security and confidentiality of
their emails. Passwords must be kept confidential and not shared with anyone. Emails
containing sensitive or confidential information must be encrypted or otherwise protected
to prevent unauthorized access.
- What are the guidelines for accessing email accounts for faculty, staff, students,
affiliates, and contractors?
- Access to email accounts will be managed according to guidelines that differ depending
on the constituency. Inactive accounts will be disabled after a certain period of
inactivity, and email forwarding is not permitted for faculty, staff, students, affiliates,
or contractors.
- Access to email accounts will be managed according to guidelines that differ depending
on the constituency. Inactive accounts will be disabled after a certain period of
inactivity, and email forwarding is not permitted for faculty, staff, students, affiliates,
or contractors.
- Does Illinois Wesleyan University reserve the right to access email accounts?
- IWU reserves the right to access email accounts if there is a legitimate business
need, or if required by law.
- IWU reserves the right to access email accounts if there is a legitimate business
need, or if required by law.
- Who has decision-making authority to access email accounts?
- Authorized leaders for each constituency have decision-making authority to access
email accounts. If they are unable to perform this duty, a designee of the University
President will assume decision authority.
- Authorized leaders for each constituency have decision-making authority to access
email accounts. If they are unable to perform this duty, a designee of the University
President will assume decision authority.
- What legal and regulatory requirements does Illinois Wesleyan University comply with?
- IWU complies with the Illinois Information Security Act (IL 815) and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) requirements to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of University data.