Q. How do I clean up my Connecticut College Google account?

Tips for Cleaning up your Google Account

How much space do I have in my Connecticut College Google Account?
Google Workspace storage limits vary depending on your role at the college:
Faculty and Staff - 50GB
Students - 15GB

What happens when I run out of space?
If you go over your storage limit, you won’t be able to change or add any files to Drive. For
students, this can affect your ability to complete assignments, so it is important that you pay
attention to your usage.

How much space am I using?
Your Google storage usage includes Mail, Drive, and Photos. To see how much space you are
currently using, and where it is being used, go to https://drive.google.com/drive/quota.

Which Drive files “count” against my quota?
For most people, the largest amount of space is taken by files stored in Google Drive. But within
Drive, only files that are “owned” by you are counted against your quota. Files that are shared
with you by others, or files available to you through a Shared Drive are not included in your
quota.

What should I do if I go over my storage limit?
If you are over your storage limit, or are close to it, you should take steps to clean up your
account.

1. Clean up large or unnecessary files - The list of files at https://drive.google.com/drive/quota can be sorted by size by clicking on the “Storage Used” header. Look for files that are taking up the most space and delete any of the ones that you no longer need. 
2. Move Files to a Shared Drive - Many of the files that are currently stored in your personal Drive may be better served by being stored in a Shared Drive. Shared Drives can be set up for Departments, Teams, Committees, Clubs or any other similar group within the College. Files stored in a Shared Drive are not “owned” by an individual, which means that they do not count against your personal quota. Storing files in a Shared Drive also means that in the event that an individual leaves the college, access to those files will be retained by the other members of the team. You can request the creation of a Shared Drive by submitting a WebHelpDesk ticket. If you are transitioning files from a shared folder within Drive to a Shared Drive, you will only be able to move files that belong to you into the Shared Drive. If you need assistance moving files for which you are not the owner, please include that in your request and Information Services will be able to help. 
3. Empty the Trash - Google keeps deleted items in the Trash for 30 days before they are permanently deleted. While files are in the Trash, they will still be counted in your storage quota. To clear up space, go to your Trash folders in Drive and Mail and click the links to empty the trash. Please note that when the Trash folder is emptied, the files are completely deleted and cannot be recovered.
4. Clean up Photos - If you have items stored in Google Photos, go to https://photos.google.com/quotamanagement to access some built-in tools to help you clean up your photos. This tool helps you identify photos that you may want to delete, such as blurry photos and screenshots. If you find that you are using a large amount of space in Google Photos, you may find that your phone is automatically backing up to your college Google Photos account. Consider other options for backing up your phone photos such as iCloud or a non-conncoll Google account.

I’ve tried all these things and I am still out of space. What do I do?

In some limited circumstances, Information Services will provide users with additional storage space above the standard quota. Please refer to the Data Storage Policy for details. If you would like to request additional storage, please submit a WebHelpDesk ticket.