Messaging for ArcGIS Online users leaving the university (students, faculty, staff)

GeriMiller · ‎06-10-2020

Education Colleagues:

There are different approaches for off-boarding ArcGIS Online users (students graduating, faculty and staff retiring or leaving the institution).

We often get asked for advice on how best to off-board and what to communicate.

I am taking the liberty to share an example from a fellow institution, University of Michigan, on their practice. Thank you Peter Knoop. Below is the current text of an email they send to everyone in the ArcGIS Online organization a few weeks before the end of each semester. Feel free to think of similar approaches for your institution.

*Note that the links in the email referring to an FAQ (Google Doc) that will not work outside of the University of Michigan. The relevant sections are excerpted and pasted at the bottom.

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You are receiving this email because you used ArcGIS Online, StoryMaps, GeoPlanner, or some other part of the Esri ArcGIS platform at the University of Michigan during the past year.

Who is this message for?

Graduating students or those otherwise leaving the University of Michigan.

What is this message about?

After graduating or leaving the University, you will no longer be able to login; however, your content will not be immediately deleted. (Access for students not enrolled over Spring/Summer but returning in the Fall will continue as usual.)

What do I need to do?

If you want to maintain access to ArcGIS and your content, like Web Maps and StoryMaps, then you need to transfer the content from your U-M ArcGIS Online account to another ArcGIS Online location.

You have several options:

Transfer to another U-M user -- If you own content that you created in collaboration with others at U-M, and they are still dependent on it (and they are still eligible to use ArcGIS), then you should transfer the ownership of that content to them. For instance, if you created a StoryMap or Web Map for a faculty member to use in their research or teaching, then you should have ownership of those items transferred to them. (More info in FAQ.)
Transfer to an ArcGIS for Personal Use subscription -- This is a fully functional environment, just like you have been using at U-M, but just for you. You can transfer your content here, and continue to work on it and share it with others, such as potential employers to highlight your skills. It is also a great environment with which to continue developing and expanding your GIS skills, and includes free access to most of Esri’s training materials. It is for professional development purposes and cannot be used in for-profit activities. The cost is $100 per year. (More info in FAQ.)
Transfer to another ArcGIS Online organization -- If you will be heading off to a job or enrolling elsewhere, and your new organization has their own ArcGIS Online subscription, you could transfer your content to their organization, if they permit this. (More info in FAQ.)
Delete your content -- You can delete any content you no longer need. Your content will not be stored indefinitely after you leave the University, and eventually will be deleted. (More info in FAQ.)

If you need help determining what to do with your content, assistance with the various transfer options, or have other questions about ArcGIS, please feel free to contact us at xxx@umich.edu <your GIS support email>.

You may also find the answers you need in our FAQ.

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Subset of questions from the FAQ...

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What does our Esri Education Institution License permit me to use the Esri ArcGIS Platform for?

The general terms of the Esri Education Institution License cover functionally unlimited use for university-related academic purposes (teaching and research). Use for university-related administrative purposes is covered as well, but under slightly more restrictive terms (please contact xxx@umich.edu <your GIS support email> for more details.)

Our license covers nearly all products included in the Esri ArcGIS platform. It also covers installation on personally owned devices, as long as you are using it for university-related business, including self-education.

Additional information on permitted use can be found in the Rubric for Determining Permitted Uses under the Esri Education Institution License Program.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding licensing, for any component of the Esri ArcGIS platform, please contact xxx@umich.edu <your GIS support email>.

After I graduate or leave, when will I lose the ability to login?

Graduating students typically lose access a couple weeks after graduation.

Your access is tied to your role at the University of Michigan. As long as you have at least one role as an active student, staff, faculty, or sponsored affiliate, then your University of Michigan account will remain authorized to use ArcGIS.

You can check your role(s) by looking yourself up in MCommunity.

What if I can no longer login but need help with managing my content?

Please contact xxx@umich.edu <your GIS support email>for assistance.

What can I do if I have graduated or left U-M but still need to work in ArcGIS on a U-M project?

Ask a U-M faculty or staff member collaborating with you on the project to sponsor you for access. They can request MCommunity Sponsorship for your uniqname at no cost.

You may only use your access to ArcGIS as a Sponsored Affiliate for the purposes of working on U-M projects.

Can I still access my content after I leave?

You will still be able to access content, if you shared that content publicly with Everyone, even after you can no longer login.

You will not be able to access content whose sharing is limited to private or with a group.

Can group members access my shared content after I leave?

Yes, if you shared content with a group, then other members of the group will still be able to access that content as they were before, as long as they remain active members of the University.

Can I still access my publicly shared content after I leave?

Yes, anyone can access publicly shared content without having to login.

Can I still use ArcGIS Pro or ArcGIS Desktop after I leave?

Not through U-M. You can obtain your own ArcGIS for Personal Use organization for professional development purposes, and it includes licensing for Pro and Desktop, as well as other ArcGIS components.

How do I transfer ownership of content to another U-M user?

Please use the ArcGIS Online Ownership Transfer Request form to indicate what content needs to be transferred, and to whom it should be transferred. You can organize your content in a folder in ArcGIS Online to simplify identifying what content needs to be transferred.

How do I obtain an ArcGIS for Personal Use subscription?

See the ArcGIS for Personal Use website for details.

How do I transfer content to my ArcGIS for Personal Use subscription?

If you need assistance transferring content to a Personal Use organization, please contact xxx@umich.edu <your GIS support email>.

Most ArcGIS Online content can be transferred using ArcGIS Online Assistant, however, one notable exception is ArcGIS StoryMaps. For assistance with content that cannot be transferred via ArcGIS Online Assistant, please contact xxx@umich.edu <your GIS support email>.

How do I transfer content to another ArcGIS Online Organization?

If you need assistance transferring content to another ArcGIS Online organization, please contact xxx@umich.edu <your GIS support email>. You may also need to contact the administrators of the destination organization.

Most ArcGIS Online content can be transferred using ArcGIS Online Assistant, however, one notable exception is ArcGIS StoryMaps. For assistance with content that cannot be transferred via ArcGIS Online Assistant, please contact xxx@umich.edu <your GIS support email>.

What happens to my Content if I do nothing?

The content you have stored in ArcGIS Online, such as Web Maps, StoryMaps, Feature Layers, etc., will not be deleted immediately when you leave the University.

While we cannot guarantee your content will kept at all after you leave the University, our plan is to only delete content when:

Content owner has not logged in during the last 2-years and no one has viewed the content in the last 3-years.
Content owner has not logged in during the last 3-years and no one has viewed the content in the last 2-years.
Content owner has not logged in during the last 4-years and no one has viewed the content in the last 1-year.
Content owner has not logged in during the last 5-years.