Effective November 5: Box and OneDrive Storage Quota Changes to Promote Sustainable Digital Footprint

On November 5, 2025, WashU IT will be implementing a 1TB storage quota on all WashU Box accounts and begin enforcing the current 1TB quota for OneDrive accounts, which include SharePoint and Teams.

This change is to help reduce the university’s digital footprint, support responsible data stewardship, and ensure compliance with vendor contract terms, minimizing the risk of additional costs associated with data overages.

What to Expect

No immediate action is required at this time. However, WashU IT encourages everyone to join the WashU Community in taking steps to reduce our collective digital footprint by following Box Appropriate Use Guidelines and Best Practices.

Users who currently store more than 1TB of data will receive a temporary 10% increase above their current usage to ensure there is no disruption to their work. For example, if a user is currently using 10 TB today, the user’s quota will be set to 11 TB.

In early 2026, WashU IT will connect directly with users exceeding the quota to collaborate on a tailored long-term storage solution that fits their needs.

If the temporary storage quota increase is insufficient, users may request an additional storage quota increase by completing the Box request form or the OneDrive request form.

Please note that quota increases may eventually incur a financial cost per user or department, which will be discussed on a case-by-case with users upon reviewing their request.

Resources and Support

Visit the Box FAQs for answers to common questions about the change. Additionally, the Box Quota Change Information page contains 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 questions or assistance, please contact the WashU IT Support Desk.