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Google Shared Drives vs My Drive
When creating, storing, or collaborating on institutional documents, operational records, and department files in Google Workspace, all Saint Joseph's University records must be stored in a Google Shared Drive rather than your personal My Drive.
Files saved in your personal My Drive are tied to your individual account lifecycle. In contrast, files stored in a Shared Drive belong collectively to the department, team, or university unit, ensuring continuous operational continuity and preventing unintended data loss.
Critical Risk: Account Deprovisioning & Data Retention Policies
In accordance with university data governance and offboarding schedules, when faculty, staff, or student workers separate from Saint Joseph's University, their individual accounts are scheduled for deprovisioning and permanent deletion.
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Permanent Purging of My Drive: Once a user account is deleted under standard retention timelines, every file owned by that user in My Drive is permanently purged from Google Workspace.
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Broken Links & Lost Department Access: Sharing a file from My Drive with colleagues or department distribution lists does not protect it. As soon as the owner's account is permanently deleted, the file vanishes for all collaborators. After the retention window closes, these records cannot be recovered.
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Institutional Protection via Shared Drives: Shared Drive content is owned by the organization rather than an individual. When employees leave the university, Shared Drive files, folder hierarchies, and active collaborator permissions remain completely untouched and accessible.
Comparison: Shared Drive vs. My Drive
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Feature
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Google Shared Drive (Recommended)
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Google My Drive (Personal / Draft Use Only)
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File Ownership
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Owned collectively by the department/unit
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Owned strictly by the individual user
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When Account Leaves SJU
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Files remain preserved, safe, and accessible
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Files are permanently deleted with the account
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Intended Use
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SOPs, operational files, budgets, official records, collaborative deliverables
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Rough personal drafts, professional development materials, transient notes
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Access Management
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Centrally administered by assigned Shared Drive Managers
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Managed piecemeal on a file-by-file basis by the single owner
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Risk of Data Loss
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Minimal / Controlled
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High (Tied to employment/enrollment status)
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Where Should You Save Your Files?
Save to a Google Shared Drive
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Department policies, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and committee minutes
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Budget sheets, purchasing receipts, requisitions, and vendor agreements
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Curriculum materials, shared syllabi, course templates, and accreditation records
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Project plans, deliverables, team assets, and ongoing collaborative documentation
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Any business record required by more than one person to conduct university operations
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Research and institutional data related to grants and publications
Keep in Personal My Drive
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Individual working drafts not yet ready for department circulation
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Personal professional development records, CVs, resumes, or performance reflection notes
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Short-lived, disposable scratchpads and non-institutional files
How to Move Existing Files to a Shared Drive
If you currently have university or department documents residing in your personal My Drive, migrate them using these steps:
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Navigate to Google Drive in your web browser using your university credentials.
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In the left-hand navigation pane, select My Drive and locate the files or folders to migrate.
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Drag and drop the items into the intended department Shared Drive (or right-click the item, choose Organize, and select Move).
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A confirmation prompt will notify you that ownership of the items is transferring to the Shared Drive. Click Move to confirm.