Student Email Migration: Everything You Need to Know

This is your complete guide to the student email migration from Gmail to Microsoft Outlook happening on Thursday, July 16, 2026.

This is your central guide for the migration from Gmail to Microsoft Outlook. On Thursday, July 16, 2026, North Central University will officially move all student email and data to the Microsoft 365 platform.

Quick Summary

• Migration Date: Thursday, July 16, 2026

• Your Email Address: Stays exactly the same (first.last@mail.northcentral.edu).

• What You Need to Do: Most of the move is automatic. You only need to manually export your contacts and calendar.

• Gmail Access: Ends at midnight on Wednesday, July 15.

 

In this article

• What's Happening
• Benefits of the Change (Why)
• Transition Timeline
• What's Being Migrated
• What You Need to Do & When
• What's Different: Gmail Vs Outlook
• New Features
• Student Employee: Special Considerations
• Common Questions
• Getting Help

 

What's Happening

North Central University is migrating student email from Gmail to Microsoft Outlook. On Thursday, July 16, 2026, Gmail access will end and your email will be accessible through Outlook.

Your email address stays the same: first.last@mail.northcentral.edu

What we're migrating:

• All your email (automatic)
• All your Google Drive files (automatic)

What you need to handle:

• Exporting your calendar (optional but recommended)
• Exporting your contacts (to import later)

 

Benefits of using Microsoft as the University-wide platform

There are many benefits to having everyone use the same systems. Here are just a few:

• Better Spam Protection: The move to Outlook for all faculty, staff, and students will keep NCU email out of students’ Gmail spam folders.
• Integrated Calendaring: Scheduling appointments will be easier when everyone uses the same system.
• Access Microsoft Apps Anywhere: Microsoft 365 includes a robust collection of applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, essential for daily operations.
• Cloud Storage: OneDrive will provide secure cloud storage with seamless synchronization across devices.
• Advanced Security: Microsoft’s advanced security features, including Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) and Data Loss Prevention (DLP), enhance our email and data protection.
• Streamlined Workflows: With all tools under one umbrella, workflows become more efficient and less fragmented.
• Improved Collaboration: Teams can collaborate more effectively using integrated tools like Teams and SharePoint.
• Consistent User Experience: A unified platform ensures a consistent experience across all devices and applications.

Transition Timeline

Phase 1: Preparation (Now – July 15)

Gmail and Drive will continue to work normally. We recommend cleaning up your inbox and Drive storage now to ensure a faster migration.

Phase 2: The Cutover (July 15 - July 16)

Access to your university Gmail account will end at midnight on Wednesday, July 15. IT will perform the final data sync overnight.

Phase 3: Go-Live (July 16)

On Thursday morning, you will begin using Outlook for all university communication.

 

What's Being Migrated

Email (Automatic - You Don't Need to Do Anything)

✅ All your Gmail messages - Every email will be copied to Outlook
✅ Gmail labels - Become Outlook folders
✅ Starred messages - Preserved in Outlook
✅ Archive - All archived email migrated

❌ Gmail filters - You'll recreate these as Outlook rules
❌ Email signature - You'll create a new one in Outlook

NOTE: If you have multiple levels of folders (folders within folders within folders), it’s possible that your migrated folder structure may not exactly resemble the structure in Gmail. Also, from time-to-time, some calendar events, personalized filters and rules do not correctly migrate from Gmail to Microsoft Outlook.

Google Drive Files (Automatic - You Don't Need to Do Anything)

✅ All your Drive files - Migrated to OneDrive starting July 16
✅ Folder structure - Preserved
✅ File permissions - You'll manage sharing in OneDrive after migration

Migration timing: Files migrate over ~24 - ~72 hours starting July 16. Don't panic if they're not all there immediately.

Calendar (Uncertain - We Recommend Backup)

⚠️ Google Calendar - Calendar migration can be unpredictable. We recommend exporting your calendar as a backup before July 16.

📘 Guide: Exporting Your Google Calendar (Recommended)

Contacts (Manual - You Need to Export/Import)

⚠️ Google Contacts - You'll need to export from Google and import into Outlook after migration.

 

What You Need to Do

Before July 16

Required:

• Know your NCU password (you'll need it to log into Outlook)
• Bookmark outlook.office.com

Recommended:

• Export your Google Calendar as backup
• Export your contacts
• Review device setup guides at it.northcentral.edu

Optional:

• Clean up your Google Drive (we're migrating everything, but less clutter is better)

On July 16 (Migration Day)

1. Login to your Microsoft 365/Outlook Inbox with your  NCU credentials
2. Send yourself a test email
3. Set up the Outlook App on your phone
4. Set up Outlook on your computer (optional)

What's Different: Gmail vs Outlook

New Features You'll Get

• Recall Email Unsend messages even after they've been sent (actually works, unlike Gmail's undo)
• Schedule Send Write emails now, send them later at a scheduled time
• Focused Inbox Important messages automatically separated from other mail
• Better Search Find emails and files across your entire account with powerful search
• Teams Integration Video calls, chat, file sharing, and collaboration in one place
• Full Office Suite Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote - full desktop versions, not just web

Student Employees: Special Considerations

If you have a student employee account (formatted like jdsmith@northcentral.edu), that account is NOT changing. Your employee email is already on Microsoft 365 and nothing is changing about this account.

Only your student email (first.last@mail.northcentral.edu) is migrating from Gmail to Outlook on July 16.

After migration:

• You'll have two separate Outlook mailboxes
• You can switch between them in Outlook
• Both work the same way

 

Common Questions

"Will there be downtime?"
No. Gmail stops at midnight, Outlook starts immediately. No gap.

"What if I'm not on campus that day?"
The migration happens automatically. You can access Outlook from anywhere with internet.

"What if my mailbox looks empty?"
It shouldn't - we migrated your email beforehand. Use search or check Archive. If issues persist, contact IT Service Desk.

"Can I still use Gmail?"
No. After midnight July 16, Gmail no longer works for @mail.northcentral.edu addresses.

Getting Help

If you encounter issues during the transition, please refer to our specialized knowledge base articles or contact the Service Desk.

• IT Service Desk: 612.343.4170

• In-Person Support: Miller Hall, 2nd Floor (Extended hours on July 16)