Leaving the University
Find out how to prepare for leaving the University and and what happens to your IT access.
How to prepare for leaving university
Work through our checklist if you are approaching the end of your studies:
Undergraduate and taught postgraduate students
- Your University Microsoft Office 365 account (including OneDrive) will be deleted, so move any files you wish to keep.
- You may wish to consider a personal OneDrive account.
- You will lose access to your University email @bristol.ac.uk. You can request an alumni mailbox so that emails sent to your student address can be forwarded to your alumnus address. Please note that the Alumni account is a new Outlook account, and older emails on your @bristol.ac.uk will not be copied over unless requested.
- Unsubscribe from mailing lists or update them with your non-University email address.
- Check whether you have used your University email address as a password recovery address and make the necessary changes.
- Transfer ownership of any services that you manage such as mailing lists and websites.
- You will also lose access to any software you have access to because of your student status. This may include Microsoft Office or specialist software.
Postgraduate research students
- Your University Microsoft Office 365 account will be deleted after you leave.
- Take copies of any personal files and emails you want to keep.
- Make sure you are allowed to take copies of anything else, especially material which is classified as confidential - see the University's Data Classification Matrix.
- Return all University-owned hardware and software, including items purchased using research grants, to IT Services.
- Move any files that other people will need to access (emails, documents etc.) to shared storage or transfer them to appropriate individuals.
- Share your non-University email address with relevant people.
- Unsubscribe from mailing lists or update them with your non-University email address.
- Check whether you have used your University email address as a password recovery address and make the necessary changes.
- Transfer ownership of any services that you manage such as mailing lists and websites.
- You will also lose access to any software you have access to because of your student status. This may include Microsoft Office or specialist software.
IT access
When you finish your studies, your end date is your award date if you are successful. If you withdraw from your studies, your end date will be the date your withdrawal is processed. Your account will be closed shortly afterwards.
To prepare for your IT account closing, we will send you email notifications:
- 35 days before your UCard expires
- 14 days before your UCard expires
- 2 weeks before your IT account is closed.
Alumni mailbox
An alumni mailbox provides you with a new email address in the format username@alumni.bristol.ac.uk. It allows you to continue receiving emails sent to your original student email address.
You can request that your student emails are copied over to your alumni mailbox. For data protection reasons, if you have worked for the University, it will not be possible to retain your email history.
You can keep your alumni mailbox for up to 5 years after you graduate, but we will ask you to renew annually to ensure it is still in use.
Currently, alumni mailboxes are not available to postgraduate research students and some shorter courses such as pre-sessional courses.
Building and library account access
Your student building access and library account access will end on the date your UCard expires. You can find this information in Student Info under your Personal Details.
If your programme end date changes, we will update your record so that your access requirements are appropriately extended.
When your UCard expires, you will no longer be able to:
- Enter buildings with UCard access
- Borrow books from the library
If you have any questions about your programme end date, contact your Faculty Office.
Starting a new course
If you are starting a new course at university, most students will lose their Ucard and library access in the interim period. Your access will then be reactivated when you start your new course, but you will need a new Ucard.
You will still have access to your old course emails and OneDrive files.