Following the successful early migration of over 600 UCR staff to R’Mail, UC Riverside is now preparing to transition all remaining staff to Google’s email and calendaring services by Fall 2025.
As the Provost stated in her fall campus update, “By Fall 2025, all of us will move to Google. This effort aligns with the campus IT strategic goal of consolidating resources to leverage robust, common platforms in support of our academic and research missions.”
Using a single, shared platform for calendars and meetings will create a consistent experience across campus and create opportunities for improved communication, collaboration, and productivity.
In October, Information Technology Solutions’ (ITS) R’Mail Services team hosted a Brunch and Learn for the UCR Staff Assembly. They shared what folks can expect from the transition process and the support that will be provided to campus users as more organizational units move to R’Mail. You can watch the recording of the Brunch and Learn event online, which includes a Q&A session with the R’Mail Services team.
Starting in January 2025, ITS will host a monthly Welcome to R’Mail session that is open to anyone currently using Outlook (Microsoft Office 365) for email and calendaring. The first session will be held on January 6, 2025 at 3:00 pm (click here to join). The regular meeting will take place every first Wednesday of the month at 3:00 pm.
Attendees will learn about the migration process and be provided with support resources, as well as have the opportunity to ask the R’Mail Services team questions or raise concerns. UCR staff who are scheduled to move to R’Mail or are simply interested in learning the migration process are invited to join the interactive discussion.
Please visit its.ucr.edu/rmail (UCR login required) for project information and resources, including on-demand training. More information about the Welcome to R’Mail session will be added to the webpage in the coming weeks.
The early opt-in period has ended, with the last group of participants expected to transition by December 2024. In preparation for the campus-wide rollout of R’Mail in 2025, ITS is continuing conversations with campus leaders to schedule transition dates. ORG leaders are welcome to reach out to the R’Mail Services team at rmailservices@ucr.edu at any time to schedule a consultation and their unit’s migration. To help ensure seamless experience for staff, ORG units are asked to migrate all unit staff at the same time.
It is important to note that the desktop version of Microsoft productivity tools such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint will continue to remain available to those with paid Microsoft licenses. SharePoint and OneDrive will also remain available even without a paid license. Typically, Microsoft licenses are procured through one’s departmental finance and administrative officer (FAO). Historical email and calendar data in Outlook will remain intact and accessible via the Outlook web browser for at least three years.