Alumni Emails

What is happening and when?

Christopher Newport University is removing Google accounts for alumni on Tuesday, December 1st, 2026. After this time, alumni will no longer be able to access their cnu.edu e-mail addresses, CNU Google Drive, and other associated Google services (photos, docs, forms, etc.).

Why is this happening?

For years, Christopher Newport University has proudly provided alumni email accounts to foster a lifelong connection with our graduates. However, due to recent changes in Google Workspace's storage models, alumni accounts now collectively exceed the university’s entire baseline data allocation. The vast majority of this usage is tied to personal cloud storage rather than University communication. Because of these infrastructure constraints, the alumni email program is no longer sustainable. We deeply appreciate your understanding as we reallocate our resources to protect the security and operational needs of the university.

Next Steps and Support

We understand that your university email has been a point of connection, and we want this transition to be as smooth as possible. You have ample time to secure a personal email address, update your external accounts, and migrate your data.

Before the December 1 deadline, please:

• Prevent account lockouts: This is the most important step. If your @cnu.edu address is used for login, password recovery, or two-factor authentication anywhere, such as banking, utilities, healthcare, government, professional, or personal accounts, update those to a personal email now. After December 1, the account cannot be restored, and any access tied to it may be lost permanently.
• Migrate your files: Use Google Takeout (a native Google service) to export your email, documents, and files to a personal Google account or your local device. Note that Takeout copies your data but does not preserve your @cnu.edu address or keep it receiving mail.
• Update external services: Make sure any subscriptions, professional profiles (such as LinkedIn), and personal accounts tied to your @cnu.edu address reflect your new contact information.

The Information Technology Services (ITS) team is ready to help you through this transition. If you have questions or need technical guidance, please contact our Help Desk.