Documentation - Accounts
Account Closure, Eligibility & Information
Your eligibility is not governed by NSIT.
Please be aware that NSIT collects data from various entities on campus to determine who is and is not eligible for closure, then acts on that data. We only grant and revoke the access as required. The closure process is designed to close those accounts we do not have current eligibility information for. You must contact your department to correct your records if you believe you should retain your account.
Below, you'll find a graphical time line, a more detailed written timeline, and information about what to do if you have problems. Note that certain categories of individuals may retain services after their accounts go through this process. Information about these categories is included below.
For information about migrating your email and other things you may want to do during this process, see the Account Transition Preparation document.
Closure - the Basics
Here's a basic chart showing the closure process, from day one to day 365. This process will stop immediately and any lost privileges will be restored if the individual returns to an eligible status.
At any time after day 45 and before day 365, you may invoke a one week (7 day) Amnesty period. During this period, all access to accounts and data is restored. At the end of this Amnesty period, all data is erased and all accounts are closed.
For more detail, here's a written timeline:
- Day 1: Individual falls out of eligibility. NSIT notices and marks the account for closure. Note that students of the University generally receive a two quarter grace period before their account enters our closure process.
- Day 3: First notice of impending closure is sent to the account holder. At this time, the account is formally on track for closure. In order to ensure that account holders become aware of their imminent loss of service, and to not rely solely on email notification, some services are closed early in the process. These may include: wireless and VPN access; University proxy service for off-campus access to licensed Library resources; technical support through the NSIT Support Line except for matters relating to this closure process; and access to class resources via Chalk. These services will close one week after the first notice. Account holders are also notified that their remaining account services, including: email storage; Webshare access; and all computing on NSIT computers (harper, computing labs, computing classrooms, web kiosks, etc...) will close 42 days after the first notice.
- Day 10: The first group of services, as mentioned above, close.
- Days 10 → 38: During this time, NSIT will send weekly notices about the impending closure to all accountholders.
- Days 38 → 44: During this time, NSIT will send out daily notices about the impending closure to all accountholders.
- Day 45: The second group of services, as mentioned above, are closed: email storage; Webshare access; and all computing on NSIT computers (harper, computing labs, computing classrooms, web kiosks, etc...).
- Day 45 → 365: During this period, the user can re-enable his or her access for a one-time 7-day "Amnesty" period. This is a safety measure to ensure that all account holders have had adequate time to retrieve any files or email they may have forgotten to get before accounts were locked.
- Day 365 or 7 Days after the election of Amnesty: Either one year later or end of the Amnesty period, whichever comes first, accounts and all data will be permanently and irreversibly purged from our systems. If an individual returns to active status at the University after this time, he or she will reclaim the same CNetID, but all files and email will have been removed.
Finally, the official closure policy document can be found here.
How do I begin my Amnesty period?
You may request amnesty by visiting here.
I'm still eligible. How do I stop the closure?
Please be aware that NSIT collects data from various entities on campus to determine who is and is not eligible for closure, then acts on that data. Your eligibility is not governed by NSIT. We only grant and revoke the access as required.
If you believe you shouldn't be in the closure process, but you continue to receive warnings, you should contact your department. Your department may then confirm your details with the proper office on campus. These offices may include the Registrar, University Human Resources, or the Provost's Office. Contacting NSIT about your closure will not cause your account to be reopened. NSIT does not grant temporary extensions to accounts in closure for any reason.
I've notified the proper individuals about my eligibility. Now what?
Once the proper steps have been taken and NSIT receives updated information about your eligibility, you will receive an email noting that your account transition process has been stopped. Upon receipt of that email, any services locked by the closure process will be restored and your account will once again be fully active. Be aware that offices move at different speeds. If you receive additional closure notifications, you should check with the proper individuals again.
Who keeps what?
Three categories of individuals will retain some services. Alumni may not pay to retain proxy access, email accounts, and other services.
University Alumni
University of Chicago alumni retain access to the services listed below:
- Campus wireless network
- Email forwarding for cnetid@uchicago.edu
- Online transcript access
Booth School of Business Alumni
Closure of your CNet account by NSIT does not influence your Email4Life account. The Email4Life account system is not managed by NSIT.
Booth School of Business alumni retain a number of services through the school itself. If you are an alum of the Booth school, please see the Booth's alumni information and alumni resources pages.
Former Students
Former students will retain online transcript access.
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Last updated: 10/29/09