Summary
Solano Community College assigns Microsoft 365 access based on employee group and job-related need. Full-time employees, part-time and adjunct employees, and retirees receive different Microsoft 365 features because they are assigned different licenses.
Use this when: You need to confirm the mailbox size, OneDrive storage, app access, or Copilot availability that applies to an employee group.
Audience: Full-time employees, part-time and adjunct employees, and retirees.
Applies to: Microsoft 365 licenses assigned to College accounts, including email, OneDrive, Microsoft 365 apps, and Copilot features.
Quick reference
Microsoft 365 access by employee group
| Employee group |
Typical license |
Mailbox |
OneDrive |
Apps and Copilot |
| Full-time employees, including full-time faculty and classified professionals |
Microsoft 365 A3 for faculty and staff |
100 GB |
1 TB |
Web and desktop Microsoft 365 apps, plus Copilot Chat features |
| Part-time and adjunct employees |
Office 365 A1 for faculty |
50 GB |
100 GB |
Web Microsoft 365 apps only, plus Copilot Chat features when available and enabled by the College |
| Retirees |
Exchange Online Plan 1 for alumni |
50 GB |
Not included |
Not included |
What each group receives
Full-time employees
Full-time employees, including full-time faculty and classified professionals, are typically assigned a Microsoft 365 A3 for faculty and staff license, which includes:
- A 100 GB College email mailbox
- 1 TB of OneDrive storage
- Web versions of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, and other Microsoft 365 apps
- Desktop Microsoft 365 apps on up to five supported devices, including District-owned or personal Windows PCs and Macs
- Microsoft 365 mobile apps on up to five (5) smartphones or tablets
- Copilot Chat features
Part-time and adjunct employees
Part-time and adjunct employees are typically assigned an Office 365 A1 for faculty license, which includes:
- A 50 GB College email mailbox
- 100 GB of OneDrive storage
- Web versions of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, and other Microsoft 365 apps
- Copilot Chat features when available and enabled by the College
This license does not include installation of the desktop Microsoft 365 apps. If you need a desktop app for a work task, use a shared campus workstation where the desktop apps are available.
Retirees
Retirees are typically assigned an Exchange Online Plan 1 for alumni license, which includes:
- College email only
- A 50 GB mailbox
This license does not include Microsoft 365 apps, OneDrive, or Copilot features.
Frequently asked questions
Why is access different for full-time and adjunct employees?
Under Microsoft’s 2024 education licensing and storage changes, low-cost and no-cost licenses such as A1 are limited to web apps and smaller storage quotas, while paid licenses such as A3 include desktop apps and larger storage. Because A3 licenses cost more, assigning them to every employee would be cost prohibitive for the College, so A3 is reserved for full-time roles and A1 is used for part-time and adjunct roles.
What if I used to have the desktop apps as an adjunct employee?
Microsoft retired some older education offers, such as Office 365 A1 Plus, and changed how storage and installation rights work for low-cost education licenses. If your account was moved to an A1 faculty license, your installed desktop apps may become inactive, and you may need to use the web versions or a shared campus workstation.
Why is the College not enabling the full Microsoft 365 Copilot upgrade?
The full Microsoft 365 Copilot experience is a separate per-user paid add-on to an existing Microsoft 365 license. Under Microsoft’s current education pricing, purchasing and assigning this upgrade for all employees would be cost prohibitive for the College.
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