Google Workspace: Conversion of Personal Accounts to University Managed Accounts.

Overview

Beginning Fall 2026, the University of Richmond is offering University-managed Google for Education accounts to faculty. As part of this initiative, Google accounts previously created using a @richmond.edu email address must be transitioned to a personal Google account.

If you have been using your university email address to access Google services such as Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Forms, Photos, or other Google products, you may be affected by this change.

This article provides step-by-step instructions for completing the transition process and will:

  • Preserve access to your existing personal Google account and its content.
  • Move your personal Google account to a non-University email address that you choose.
  • Allow you to access your new University-managed Google for Education account using your @richmond.edu email address.
  • Ensure there is no conflict between your personal Google account and your new University-managed account.

Most users will complete the transition in two phases:

  1. Update the email address associated with your existing personal Google account.
  2. Sign in and begin using your new University-managed Google for Education account.

Follow the instructions below to complete the transition.

Details / Instructions

Phase 1: Convert Your Existing Personal Account.

The first time you sign in after your @richmond.edu email address has been enabled for university-managed Google Workspace, Google will detect that your university email address is already associated with a personal Google account.

To allow the University to use your @richmond.edu address for its Google Workspace service, Google will prompt you to update your existing personal account with a different email address.

  1. Sign in using your @richmond.edu email address.
  2. When prompted, select an email address to associate with your existing personal Google account. This can be:
    • An existing non-University email address you already own, or
    • A new Gmail address created during the process.
  3. Click Continue and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the account update.

Note: Your personal Google account, including its files, photos, and other Google data, will remain intact. Only the sign-in email address associated with the personal account will change. Once this step is complete, your @richmond.edu email address will be available for use with your new University-managed Google Workspace account.

Phase 2: Accessing your University-managed Google Workspace.

1) Visit https://google.com (link opens in new window) and click "Sign In" in the top right corner.

2) Enter your University email address and click "Next". 

3) Click "Google Workspace Account" if prompted to choose between the (2) accounts. 

4) Enter your net id & password and click "Login" to authenticate. 

5) Authenticate with Duo (if prompted).

6) Click "I understand" at the bottom of the "Welcome to your new account" confirmation screen.

7) Access Google Apps by clicking the App Launcher (waffle icon) at the top right corner then selecting the application you'd like to use.  

See Also

 

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