Understanding License Changes

When transitioning from active faculty to emeritus status, your Microsoft license changes from an A5 license to an A1 license. This change affects several services and capabilities, as outlined below. This guide specifically outlines changes for faculty transitioning to Emeritus status. Changes for staff and non-emeritus faculty may differ.

PLEASE NOTE: All existing system access, including VPN, shared drives, and applications listed on the SIUE System Access Request - How to Request Access to University Systems, will be revoked during the retirement transition.

Key Differences Between A5 and A1 Licenses

• A5 license (active faculty): Full Microsoft 365 suite with desktop application installation rights
• A1 license (emeritus faculty): Web-based application access only, reduced storage, fewer advanced features

Email Access

As emeritus faculty, you will retain access to your university email account with the following changes:

• Storage capacity will be reduced from 100GB to 50GB compared to your current allocation
• Some advanced features available in A5 will no longer be accessible
• Web access to email remains available through portal.office.com

Important: If your email storage currently exceeds 50GB, you may experience disruption to your email service until auto-archiving reduces your storage to the allotted limit.

Recommendation: Before retirement, archive or remove unnecessary emails to stay within new storage limits.

OneDrive Storage

Your OneDrive access will continue with emeritus status but with decreased storage capacity:

• Storage will be reduced from 5TB to 1TB
• Files remain accessible through portal.office.com > OneDrive
• Sharing capabilities remain functional but with some limitations

Important: If you currently use more than the emeritus allocation, you should transfer or back up files before your transition date.

It's important to consider files you may have shared with colleagues or your department from your OneDrive. Before your transition, please transfer ownership or ensure continued access to any files that are still needed by others. This will prevent disruption to departmental workflows.

Microsoft Office Applications

The most significant change affects how you'll access Microsoft Office applications:

• A1 license does not include installable Office products
• Access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other applications will be through web interface only
• To access these applications, go to portal.office.com and select the application from the app launcher
• With the A1 license, access to some specialized Microsoft 365 applications, such as Bookings, may be removed

For detailed guidance on using the online versions of Office applications, see our related article: "Microsoft 365 (Retiree Access) - Transitioning to Online Applications"

Alternative Options for Desktop Applications

If you require desktop versions of Microsoft Office applications, consider:

• Personal purchase of Microsoft 365 subscription
• One-time purchase of Microsoft Office Home edition
• Free alternatives such as LibreOffice or Google Workspace

Shared Drives and Network Resources

Access to departmental shared drives and network resources is determined by your department's policies:

• Upon retirement, access to departmental shared drives is typically removed
• If continued access is required, your department supervisor must submit a formal request to the networking team
• If your department provides a campus computer or laptop, you may maintain access to departmental shares with proper approval
• Access permissions are managed at the departmental level
• Contact your department chair to confirm specific arrangements

Remote Desktop Access

To request Remote Desktop access as emeritus faculty:

1. Obtain formal approval from your department supervisor
2. Submit the approved request to the networking team
3. Once approved, shared drives can be configured through WinAdmin
4. Access shared drives via your Remote Desktop connection

Note: The specific process for submitting supervisor-approved Remote Desktop requests can be found SIUE VPN - Remote Access Options and Selection Guide

SharePoint Access

Similar to Remote Desktop and Shared Drives, SharePoint access depends on departmental policies:

• Access to department SharePoint sites is not automatically revoked upon retirement
• Site owners control permissions and can maintain your access
• Contact specific SharePoint site owners to ensure continued access

Timeline for Changes

Please be aware that there may be a slight delay between your last day of employment and the formal recognition of your emeritus status in our systems. This can impact the timing of license and access changes.  We also process these changes based on the volume of requests received and your official retirement date. Therefore, it's crucial to submit any necessary access or data transfer requests as early as possible.
 
We strongly recommend completing all data transfers and backups before your official retirement date to avoid any potential delays or disruptions, including those caused by the processing time for emeritus status.

Managing Shared Files

If your department uses files that are shared from your individual OneDrive, ITS suggests moving those files to a department Teams team or shared drive:

1. Use the Move To command from OneDrive to move files and folders to Teams
2. This ensures access is managed by Owners of the team, not tied to your account
3. Department files will remain accessible to colleagues after your transition

This step is particularly important as your OneDrive storage will be reduced with the A1 license, and department files should be stored in department-controlled locations.

Adobe Creative Cloud Access

In addition to changes in Microsoft 365 licensing, access to Adobe Creative Cloud applications will also cease upon your transition to emeritus status. If your university business or research requires continued access to Adobe Creative Cloud, please contact the ITS Help Desk for information on available options.

Preparation Checklist

Before transitioning to emeritus status:

1. Back up important files from OneDrive to a personal storage device
2. Move department-related shared files from OneDrive to Teams or shared drives
3. Transfer ownership or ensure continued access to any shared files on your OneDrive that your department requires
4. Clean up email by archiving or deleting unnecessary messages to get below the 50GB limit
5. Identify which SharePoint sites you need continued access to and contact site owners
6. Coordinate with your department about shared drive access
7. Consider personal options for desktop Microsoft applications if needed

Need Additional Support?

This guide aims to provide useful information, but as technology changes, interfaces or steps might vary. Please use the Comment button to let us know if anything differs from your experience. Your feedback helps us keep this information accurate. Thank you!