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Information Technology

Account Deactivation & Removal Procedures

We remove UMass Amherst IT Accounts from our systems when the person responsible for the account has left the University. We recognize that certain groups on campus may need to use UMass Amherst IT services, especially email, for a period of time after they have officially left the University. See below for information on when we deactivate accounts by University affiliation.

University Affiliation

Account Removal Date

Students

Students have access to UMass email for 1 year after graduating or leaving the University

Instructors

1 year after separation

Employees

30 days after separation

Retirees

30 days after retirement, unless the IT Account is renewed at retirement time every 2 years thereafter. Retirees will receive an email with renewal instructions before their accounts are deactivated.

Courtesy Accounts (NENS)

30 days after account expiration

Occasionally, accounts will be removed for a cause, e.g., in response to violations of the IT Acceptable Use Policy. We also encourage clients to request the removal of accounts which they no longer need. Accounts removed by request of the client (owner) or for any other cause are normally taken off the system within a day.

Account Removal Process

We use the following process for removing accounts in cases where clients have left the University.

  • After the person has left the University, we select their account(s) for deactivation. We send an email to the account holder's University email address to inform them that their account will be removed.
  • About 2 weeks later, if the responsible person still appears to have left the University (is no longer associated with the University according to our official University database, SPIRE), we deactivate the account.
  • About 3 weeks later, the content from the flagged accounts is removed. After the normal monthly backup procedures have made copies of all the files on the system, we remove the flagged accounts from our systems.
  • NetIDs are set aside for 2 years in case clients return to the University.

Clients are welcome to communicate with the Help Center (413-545-9400) to resolve misunderstandings or correct errors.