What Happens When I Graduate or Leave UCSB to my GitHub?

Owned by Marc Miller
Last updated: Mar 08, 2024 by Marc Miller
3 min read
github.ucsb.edu run by the College of Engineering for Engineering Students was replaced in 2020 with a different version of Github run by Enterprise Technology Services (ETS/ITS) and open to all UCSB students.  Please see https://github.com/ucsb/github-guide
Please note that you are creating/using a personal Github account and then linking it to the UCSB Github through single sign in (SSO)

This means that you can take your GitHub repos with you when you graduate or leave UCSB, but you need to plan ahead so you don't lock yourself out of your account when SSO stops working post graduation or leaving UCSB.

All accounts at UCSB have expiration dates, nothing lasts forever.

If you are already locked out of your GitHub, CoE/ECI cannot help you since we no longer run the service, please contact ETS/ITS https://www.it.ucsb.edu/help-support/it-services-catalog

What Happens when my CoE/ECI Account Expires?

A better question post 2020 is what happens when your UCSBnetID expires? Most GitHub repositories have long since migrated to using UCSBnetIDs and SSO to sign in, so CoE/ECI account expiration will have no affect.

github.ucsb.edu run by the College of Engineering for Engineering Students was replaced in 2020 with a different version of Github run by Enterprise Technology Services (ETS) and open to all UCSB students.  Please see https://github.com/ucsb/github-guide

When your UCSBnetID account expires you will no longer be able to login to the web interface of github.ucsb.edu nor will you be able to push changes to repos.

Eventually the repos you own will be deleted.

If you are the owner of an Organization in the UCSB GitHub and your account is expiring, make sure to transfer ownership of the Organization to one of your team members.

All that will remain is your free personal account (https://help.github.com/en/articles/types-of-github-accounts#personal-user-accounts) at GitHub.com that is not associated with UCSB. 

How do I unlink my Personal GitHub Account from an Organization?

  1. Be sure to transfer or copy all repos you wish to keep out of the UCSB Github to your personal account before your UCSBnetID expires. 
  2. Be sure you have a password you know set on your personal github account before unlinking it from SSO (top right >> settings >> passwords and authorization).
  3. Be sure to turn off DUO MFA before you unlink your account from SSO (top right >> settings >> passwords and authorization).
  4. Then unlink your personal account from the UCSB GitHub by clicking the leave button next to UCSB logo (top right >> settings >> organizations). 
    1. https://docs.github.com/en/account-and-profile/setting-up-and-managing-your-personal-account-on-github/managing-your-membership-in-organizations/removing-yourself-from-an-organization
  5. Once unlinked its then possible to link your github account to some other method for authentication and turn MFA back on.
    1. Users switching between accounts at UCSB my need to submit an issue at https://github.com/ucsb/github-guide or ticket to ITS/ETS to revoke the SSO link, however for most users, simply leaving the UCSB GitHub organization should be enough to separate your personal GitHub and make sure its still usable even if you can no longer use SSO with your UCSBnetID.


Can I Continue to use UCSB Github After I Graduate if I am Still Actively Collaborating with People at UCSB?

Please note that graduation does not always mean the end of your UCSBnetID or association with the University of California Santa Barbara, otherwise post-docs would not exist

Unfortunately, due to the GitHub License stipulated in Can I use GitHub on github.ucsb.edu? and https://github.com/ucsb/github-guide/blob/master/README.md only active UCSB student, faculty, or staff that works directly in support of students’ education is eligible for a GitHub account.

Due to the licensing requirements for GitHub, we can only offer the service to active Student, Faculty or Staff members.

If you are not one of the above, you will need permission from a UCSB Department member, under their sponsorship, a guest/affiliate UCSBnetID can be made through the Identity Annex. 

It is highly recommended that you transfer or copy your github repos to a personal one prior to leaving.

Once a UCSBnetID account has been deactivated, all access to your UCSB Github repo is terminated.

Please refer to https://enterprise.github.com/help/articles/moving-a-repository-from-github-com-to-github-enterprise  on migrating your repos.