Microsoft License Change for Retirees

Overview

In 2025, UO will stop providing retirees with Microsoft Office 365 services, except for web-based email. 

What's changing?

• UO retirees will lose access to Microsoft software — such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and OneDrive — unless they have another affiliation that grants access.
• Any files in OneDrive will be deleted.

What's not changing?

• Retirees will keep their UO email accounts and can keep using Outlook on the web at uomail.uoregon.edu.
• People with emerit status aren't affected by this change.

Transition timeline 2025

• Starting this summer
  • As faculty and staff retire, the Microsoft access change will take effect will change based on their employee record end date and UO’s Technology Access Timelines.
  • For OAs and classified staff, that loss is immediate. Faculty get more time. Learn more under Recent retirees: Access details below.
• October 21
  • Microsoft access change will take effect for e​​​​​xisting retirees — that is, for people whose employee records had earlier end dates.

Outreach timeline 2025

• May
  • User Support Services (USS) will begin outreach to some retirees with more than 1 GB of data in OneDrive.
  • If anyone else would like early help, please contact your USS support team.
• Spring or early summer
  • Information Services will contact the UO Records Steward and unit head in each retiree's last home department.
• June–October
  • Direct emails will be sent to all retirees at their UO email addresses.
  • In-person tech support appointments will be available. A scheduling link will be provided in June. USS can help retirees move personal files to another storage location and choose a new free service, if desired.
  • Retirees are strongly encouraged to move any faculty portfolio files or other personal files from OneDrive or SharePoint to another location as soon as possible.

Action items for UO departments

• UO offices are responsible for ensuring retirees don’t have files in OneDrive that are required for ongoing departmental operations or to satisfy records retention obligations.
• Please update your unit’s offboarding practices to account for retirees’ impending loss of access to OneDrive.

If you have any questions about records management, please contact your unit’s Records Steward or email records@uoregon.edu.

Why the change?

• The university has been using a free Microsoft A1 license to provide retirees with online versions of the Office apps.
• Microsoft no longer allows us to give A1 licenses to retirees.
• Retirees will shift to a different type of free license (called Exchange Online) that provides only email service and access to Outlook on the web.

Recent retirees: Access details

• If you've recently retired, your access to Microsoft applications may last for a specified period of time after your employment ends. You can review what access you may get beyond your employment end date at Technology Access Timelines.
• If you're entitled to extended access, the retiree license change will apply to you only after extended access has ended.

Sample Access Timelines

Getting Help

• UO employees with questions about records management should contact their unit’s Records Steward or email records@uoregon.edu.
• Retirees and others with questions about this change should submit a ticket at Microsoft Office 365 Support Request, or contact the Technology Service Desk or the USS team that supports their department (or former department).