Google Workspace: Shared Drive Request Form
To create a UMN Google Shared Drive, you must use the request form.
Appropriate Use of Shared Drives
Shared drives enable seamless continuity of ownership for files that belong to more than one person. No transfer of ownership is required because all shared drive members own all the files stored within. If one person leaves the Shared Drive, all the files stored within remain available to its other members.
Challenge We Want to Solve
If a shared drive is abandoned, its contents continue to add to the University’s total amount of data stored—potentially adding to costs—even though the files are no longer needed and therefore have no value. Shared drives created before the request form was implemented do not provide UMN Google administrators with information about the purpose of the files within shared drives or who should be contacted to make a decision about retention.
Solution: Request Form
The new request form will help shared drive owners to quickly scan shared drives names to understand their contents and will enable UMN IT to follow up to ensure shared drives should be retained. The form will:
- Auto-create shared drive names using information you provide
- Collect owners' contact information
- Collect information about the drive's purpose
Filling out the Form
Drive name components
When files or drives are named using a consistent pattern, or naming convention, they are easier for owners to locate and understand their contents. The shared drive request form will auto-generate shared drive names according to a naming convention using information the requester provides, including:
- Shared drive name - Created by the requestor
- Resource Responsibility Center (RRC) name - Selected from a provided drop-down list.
- Department or team name - Created by the requestor
Example: Project_Files-OITXX-teamname
Owner Contact Information
The information collected by the request form will enable local IT leads to follow up with shared drive owners to determine if files should be retained. This will help reduce costs by eliminating shared drives that are no longer used.
Shared Drives Created Before August 8
Shared drives that were created before September 14, 2023 will be untouched at this time. However, people are encouraged to rename their current shared drives to match the new naming convention.
Questions?
Contact the Google team.
