yJanuaThe MyMedia team is introducing a new cleanup process to support better long-term data stewardship at the University of Toronto. As part of this work, videos uploaded by student accounts that no longer have an active UTORid will be reviewed and removed.
What is happening and why?
MyMedia will begin reviewing and removing videos that were uploaded by student accounts that are no longer active in UTORauth. These videos will first be made private and later deleted if they are not transferred to a staff, faculty, or shared account.
This change supports improved information-management practices across the university. MyMedia currently stores nearly 400,000 videos, some dating back to 2009. To reduce the retention of data that is no longer required and ensure long-term sustainability, approximately 75,000 videos uploaded by inactive student accounts have been identified for this cleanup process.
Many of these videos (e.g., lab demonstrations, TA-created content, training materials, or student project work) may still be in use in some courses. The cleanup timeline is intended to give instructors and units an opportunity to transfer ownership where needed.
Timeline
- January 5, 2026: All videos owned by inactive student accounts will be made private. They will remain in the system but will not be accessible to anyone.
- Until July 1, 2026: Instructors and units may request ownership transfers for videos that are still needed.
- July 1, 2026: Any videos that have not been transferred will be deleted permanently.
Recommendations for instructors and teaching teams
If your current or past courses use videos originally uploaded by students (including TAs) to MyMedia:
- Review any student-owned videos still in use and request an ownership transfer by emailing mymedia@library.utoronto.ca.
- If, after January 5, 2026, you discover a video you need has already been made private, contact help.desk@utoronto.ca for support.
Use a shared account to maintain access to MyMedia videos.
To avoid MyMedia access issue in future terms, consider using a shared MyMedia course account. A shared account keeps all course-related videos accessible from year to year, regardless of who created or uploaded them.
For instructions on how to request a shared MyMedia account, please refer to our guide: How can I request a MyMedia account for my course?
Need help selecting a hosting platform for your videos? Take a look at our guide: Compare and select your videohosting/streaming service.
For additional assistance, please contact the EdTech Office or book a consultation.