On November 5, 2025, WashU IT implemented a new storage quota for all WashU Box accounts and began enforcing the existing 1 TB limit for OneDrive for Business accounts, including Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Teams.
This change was to ensure compliance with vendor contract terms and in direct response to evolving usage patterns, thereby mitigating the risks associated with data overages.
WashU’s contract with Box provides all users unlimited active storage—files that are regularly accessed or are likely to be needed in the future. However, nearly 70% of the 12 petabytes (PB) of data currently stored in Box by the university community is classified as inactive, such as backups, operating system files, or archived data retained for reference or long-term preservation. WashU’s contract with Box is not unlimited for inactive data storage, so a corrective action was required to prevent a multi-million-dollar increase in the university’s data storage expenses.
In the current climate where being responsible stewards of our finances is paramount, WashU IT has made the difficult and necessary decision to implement a threshold for all users. Be assured that no data currently stored in Box and OneDrive will be removed or lost as a result of this decision. WashU IT understands this decision may impact researchers in different ways and is committed to implementing it with minimal disruption to ongoing workflow. That is why, as part of this decision, WashU IT has also temporarily increased the storage quota for users who are already over the 1 TB quota by 10% based on their current usage. For example, if a user had been using 10 TB before the change, their quota was increased to 11 TB.
Users expecting to exceed their applied storage quota in the short term may submit a Box quota increase request or a OneDrive quota increase request, providing a justification for the data need. After reviewing the request, WashU IT will either approve the additional storage or collaborate with the user to identify alternative solutions.
In early 2026, WashU IT will proactively engage with all users who still have large amounts of inactive data stored on Box or OneDrive to find a permanent solution that best fits their needs, such as fee-based Box storage or lower-cost options like RIS Archive.
Additionally, WashU IT encourages the entire university community to take steps to reduce our digital footprint by following Box Appropriate Use Guidelines and Best Practices, like deleting non-essential, inactive data from Box or OneDrive.
Resources and Support
WashU IT invites the WashU community to register for one of the webinar sessions below for more information and to address questions and concerns.
After registering, users will receive a confirmation email from a WashU IT AV technician containing information about joining the webinar.
For support during this transition, the Box Quota Change Information page contains useful information to help users:
- View their current storage usage
- Learn about suitable types of data for storage
- Understand what counts towards their storage quota
- Explore alternative storage options
- Minimize their data storage footprint
- Request a quota increase, if necessary
Similarly, the OneDrive for Business page contains resources to help users:
- View their current storage usage
- Learn what happens if they exceed their quota
- Request a quota increase, if necessary
WashU IT is committed to supporting the valuable work of each member of our community. For immediate assistance, please contact the WashU IT Support Desk.