TO: All Employees, All Students
FR: Monir Ahmed, Vice President for Administration and Finance/CFO, and Karen Moranski, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Microsoft has introduced a new platform for its applications called Microsoft 365, and it is advantageous to our students and our campus data security to make a campus-level move to that new platform this spring, so we can take advantage of the benefits.
We want to let you know that, as part of this transition, some Sonoma State users may receive notifications from Microsoft informing them that Office is no longer supported. While the current Office Application Suite is being replaced at Sonoma State, the university is maintaining services and support for Microsoft Office applications through the new version, Microsoft 365.
Full migration to Microsoft 365 is expected to be completed by the end of March. The upgrade will bring new and improved benefits to campus, including:
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Complimentary access for all SSU students
Current students will no longer need to purchase their own Microsoft Office licenses and will be able to enjoy access to the full suite of Microsoft Office applications as a part of their enrollment at SSU. (Instructions on how students can access their Microsoft licensing will be shared once the migration is complete)
- Improved security
Microsoft 365 improves data protection, security, and management tools, and is compliant with laws and regulations for data security.
- Additional collaboration opportunities
At full migration to Microsoft 365, faculty and staff will enjoy integrated access to the CSU’s SharePoint and be able to more easily share files with the Chancellor’s Office and other campuses using Microsoft 365. (More information on how faculty and staff can access SharePoint, as well as how new users can access a Microsoft license, will be provided in the coming weeks.)
Users who have elected to store files in OneDrive should transfer their data to Google Drive prior to March 1, 2024. The migration to the new platform does not include the transfer of files from OneDrive. At this time, Google Drive is the only campus-supported cloud storage solution. If you need help transferring OneDrive files to Google Drive, please contact the IT Help Desk.
While we expect the change to the new Microsoft 365 version to be seamless for most users, some may be prompted to update their licensing information depending on how their Microsoft Office software is configured. If this occurs, please contact the IT Help Desk at 707-664-4357 or at it.helpdesk@sonoma.edu for support. For general information on Microsoft 365, visit the Microsoft website.