Alumni Email Service

What Is It?

The Alumni Email Service allows UC Berkeley graduates to continue using their @berkeley.edu email address after leaving the university.

Who Is It For?

This service is available to UC Berkeley graduates who wish to retain a connection to the campus after completing their studies, and are able to maintain their responsibilities and meet the requirements as outlined in the Alumni Email Service Level Agreement (SLA)

Getting (and Keeping) Access

Every new graduate will be automatically enrolled into the Alumni Email Service. To opt out of this service, fill out this Alumni Email Service Cancellation Form

To maintain consistent access, you must meet the ongoing activity requirement, and abide by the responsibilities and requirements outlined in the Alumni Email Service Level Agreement (SLA). Additionally, you must reduce your overall storage to maintain the ability to send and receive email, and retain access to your files.

1. Meet the Activity Requirement 

As a security precaution, basic measures of activity are tracked on alumni email accounts including login and sending email to ensure accounts are not abandoned. 

Alumni must demonstrate account activity with their @berkeley.edu account at least once every 6 months (180 days) to keep their account active.

Measures of Activity

An account that is in use is considered active. Activity is tied to your account, not to a specific device, so actions on any device where you’re signed in count toward your activity.

  • Preferred activity: Logging in through a web browser with CalNet credentials at least once every 6 months. This is the only method that can be consistently verified over the full activity window.
  • Secondary activity (limited to 30 days): Reading or sending email in Gmail or a supported application. These activities may demonstrate account use but cannot be relied upon to meet the 6-month requirement.
  • Excluded activity: Forwarding email, using auto-reply, or accessing mail through POP clients. These actions do not register as account activity and do not fulfill the requirement.

Inactivity Notifications & Consequences

If your account is not used within 6 months (180 days), it will be deemed inactive, and its contents may be deleted. Before that happens, you will have the opportunity to take action. 

  • After 4 months (120 days) of inactivity, a notification with a reauthentication link will be sent to both your @berkeley.edu and recovery email (if available).
  • After 5 months (150 days) of inactivity, a second notification with a reauthentication link will be sent to both your @berkeley.edu address and recovery email (if available). 
  • After 6 months (180 days) of inactivity, your account will be disabled. Once disabled, you will not be able to regain full access, but you may request temporary access to retrieve information.
  • After 12 months (365 days) of being disabled, the account and all of its contents will be permanently deleted.

2. Reduce Your Storage

To keep your account in good standing, you must occupy no more than 5GB of storage space in your Google Account. If you are over that limit past your grace period, your account information and data may be deleted, and your ability to send and receive emails will be restricted.

  1. Check how much Google storage you’re using

  2. Follow these quick tips for reducing your Berkeley Google storage

  3. Migrate your personal content using Google Takeout, Google Transfer, or Vault Me

  4. Move or transfer file ownership to prevent loss of institutional data

Transferring File Ownership

Before you leave UC Berkeley, you are responsible for making sure campus parties retain access to any important content or data you manage. Follow these guides to ensure you don’t leave faculty and staff partners without valuable institutional information.

  1. Find and transfer ownership of content
  1. Bulk share and transfer ownership of files