Information Technology Graduation Checklist

Overview

 

Congratulations, Seniors!

Soon you’ll be graduating from Pitt and starting a new career. Now is a good time to take a few moments to wrap up some important technology items before you go.

 

Detail

✓ University Computing Account

Your Pitt student account will transition to an alumni account after you graduate. The transition to an alumni account will provide you with access to a few things including accessing your email, connecting to WiFi on campus, and accessing your Peoplesoft information. You can keep your Alumni account as long as you like, provided you log in at least once every 180 days to keep it active. Inactive accounts pose a security risk and will be deactivated.

Important
If you worked at the University within 4 months (120 days) of graduating, there is a chance your account may not auto-convert. If this happens, you will receive an email from us letting you know so check your email! In these cases you'll want to reach out to the Responsibility Center Administrator for the department you worked for to ask for your account to either be converted, or an Alumni account created. You can also reach out to the Technology Help Desk with any questions!

 

✓ Pitt Email (Outlook)

You will retain access to your Pitt Email (Outlook) mailbox after you graduate, and you can keep your Pitt Email (Outlook) mailbox as long as you like, providing you log in to your Alumni account at least once every 180 days. This means you can continue to send and receive email messages at your @pitt.edu email address and any email aliases that you created while you were a student.

 

✓ Most software expires upon graduation

Keep in mind that most of the software titles that you obtained as a Pitt student will expire upon graduation. Other downloaded programs and services may still be valid, or can be transitioned to a private, individual account. Visit the Software page for details on any software provided by Pitt IT.

 

✓ Have files on Pitt's Cloud Storage (Microsoft OneDrive)?

Be sure to transfer any files that you have in your Pitt cloud storage accounts (Microsoft OneDrive) to a personal account, or to an external storage device. It's easy to do.​ 

  • If you don’t already have a personal Microsoft Live account go to https://onedrive.live.com and create a new account. Be sure to use an email address different than your @pitt.edu email address. 
  • Download the files from your Pitt OneDrive account to your computer, and then upload them to your new personal OneDrive account. 
  • Current pricing for personal accounts offer 5GB of storage for free and 50GB for just $1.99 per month (pricing subject to change).

 

✓ Update your Canvas Account

Your Canvas account will be disabled when you are no longer a registered student. You can download all your course assignments or the course content from your classes to review later. You may also want to update your Canvas notifications, especially if you remain affiliated with Pitt and are part of any non-course Canvas-based “organizations”, so you don't keep getting regular updates.

 

Keep LastPass Business by linking your Personal account

Keep using Pitt Password Manager (LastPass) personal accounts: your passwords should be hard to guess and unique for every account. LastPass makes it easy to generate, recall, and auto-fill your passwords, while only having to remember one Master Password. After graduation, you will lose access to your Pitt owned LastPass Business account, and any Pitt data saved within it. Any linked Personal accounts will transition to a LastPass Free account upon graduation, with the same Master Password. You can upgrade your Personal account to a Premium account subscription if you choose.

 

✓ Stay safe with good computing practices

  • Be sure you have the most recent versions of any software installed on your computer or devices. Staying current with updates ensures that you’ll have the latest security patches and code fixes to resolve potential problems.
  • Beware of phishing emails, along with other scams and malware. Review our Safe Computing tips.

 

✓ Prepare to enter the workforce - helpful playlist at LinkedIn Learning

Be sure to view this LinkedIn Learning playlist that covers some frequently viewed courses by University students preparing to enter the workforce. If your LinkedIn profile was connected to your LinkedIn Learning account, it will continue to show your LinkedIn Learning courses, even after your free access to LinkedIn Learning ends. Take some courses to assist in your job search or to boost your resume while you still can! As an Alumni you'll have access to LinkedIn through Pitt one semester pass graduation.

 

Speaking of LinkedIn, connect your LinkedIn Account to your Pitt License

Connect your LinkedIn.com profile to your LinkedIn Learning Pitt license so you can keep your learning history. 

 

✓ Update your Zoom account

You will not have access to your Pitt Zoom account after graduation. You may want to sign up for a free, personal account to use the service in the future. If you want to save any meeting recordings that you have stored in the cloud, you may want to download them from Panopto or Zoom

 

✓ Access your student records

You will continue to have access to the PeopleSoft/HighPoint CX in order to view your grades, or request a transcript or enrollment verification online. 

 

✓ If you did research work, check to see if you should transfer your
    LabArchives notes to someone

As mentioned in the LabArchives FAQ found in this article

  • The disposition of electronic lab notebooks of research staff departing the University falls under the same Guidelines for Research Data Management as other types of research data. If you are leaving the University, you will need to transfer ownership of all your notebooks to another University account for recordkeeping purposes. Departing staff can use the PDF or offline notebook export functions to create portable copies of lab notebooks, if permitted.
  • How do I transfer ownership from a notebook I manage to someone else?
    • Notebook owners can transfer ownership by clicking the three-line Menu options icon, Notebook Settings,  then User Management.

 

✓ Remember to keep in touch!

You can always visit this site for the latest technology news. Like us on Facebook,  follow us on Instagram and X, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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Related Articles (3)

Beginning with spring 2015 graduates, graduating students can keep their Pitt Email (Outlook) mailbox, including all of the contents, for as long as they like. As an alumnus, you will also have access to a variety of other IT services.
Unused Alumni computing accounts present a security risk. Beginning July 10, 2024, individuals who have not used their Alumni account in 180 days will receive an email explaining that their account will be deactivated in 28 days.
Answers to frequently asked questions about Alumni accounts.