Box FAQs

Who gets a Box account?

Box accounts are created for the following groups:

Faculty - All William & Mary faculty will be given a Box account. Current emeritus faculty can request Box accounts.
Staff - All W&M staff will be given a Box account.
Affiliates - Current affiliates of the university with an @wm.edu email addresses will be given a Box account. New affiliates that will have an @wm.edu email account may request to have a Box account. During the annual renewal process, affiliates must request to maintain access to their Box accounts.

Note about Students - As W&M students are already provided unlimited data storage on Google Drive via G Suite, students will not be issued Box accounts. If a student needs a Box account for collaboration purposes, they may sign-up for a free Box account at box.com and they will receive 10GB of data storage space.

What happens when I leave W&M?

When leaving the university, Box accounts are inactivated based on the following criteria:

Faculty - 10 months after the end of the last term the instructor had a teaching assignment. Emeritus faculty can request to maintain their Box account.
Staff - Based on the employee's termination date.
Affiliates - Based on length of time that the affiliate status granted, or up to one year (unless renewed).

Sometimes I see a different login screen. What should I do?

As you use Box, you may bump into the generic Box login screen (pictured). You will usually find this when using Box apps (like Box Sync) or when connecting to the Box app on your mobile device. Click on Single Sign On or Sign In with Your Company Credentials to proceed.

What types of files can I view using Box?

Most commonly used file types can be used in Box, including Microsoft Office files, video files, image files, presentations, etc.

Can I get W&M Box files remotely?

You can access your W&M Box files from anywhere with a web browser and Internet connection.

Will Box work on my mobile device?

Box will work on iOS, Android, Windows and Blackberry (with Active Sync) smart phones. Download the "Box" applications from your devices' app store. Click Use Company Credentials to login with your W&M Username and password.

What is the maximum file size I can upload to my W&M Box account?

Maximum file size for upload is 5 GB.

Are all files and data safe using Box?

Box adheres to the highest industry standards for security at every level and commits extensive resources to the design, implementation, monitoring, and maintenance of its security infrastructure, including:

Data encryption
Administrative auditing
Password policy enforcement and AD/LDAP integration
Role-based access controls
Password and time based file sharing

Learn more about Box Security.

Also, visit our W&M Securing Box Files and Folders webpage with setting recommendations and policies for Box.

Which role should I give to my folder collaborators?

The default role on folder collaborations is "Editor". This is actually a fairly high level of access to your folder. We recommend that you give the least amount of access necessary to do what needs to be done. The chart to the right shows common tasks in Box and the level of access needed to accomplish them.

Are my files backed up on W&M Box?

Yes. If you accidentally delete a file, you have 14 days to recover. See Using the Trash to Restore Files and Folders for more details.

What types of data are appropriate for my Box account?

As Box is FERPA certified, most everything related to university business is acceptable.

The following are NOT acceptable:

Credit Card Numbers
HIPAA-covered data (as W&M is not a health care provider, we are generally not subject to HIPAA regulations)

What type of files can be viewed in Box's Content Previewer?

View files of many types, including documents, pdfs, images and audio/video. For a full list, see Box support's What file extension types can be viewed by Box's Content Preview?

What forms of advanced search does Box support?

The Box search field supports the following:

["phrase search"] – finds the exact phrase
[word word] -- finds files that contain both these words, in any order.
[full OR text] -- finds files that contain either of these two (or more) words
[this -that] -- finds files with "this" but not "that"
[air*] -- finds "air", "airplane", "airplanes," etc.

I have an email alias that I'd like to use with Box.

If you'd like to add your email alias to your Box account, sign-in to Box and go to Account Settings. In the Account section, find the Login and Email Addresses field. Click on Add more emails and enter the email address you wish to add. Click Save. Then go to your email account to confirm the addition by opening the message that was mailed to you from Box and clicking the green button included in the body of the message.

Questions? Contact the Technology Support Center (TSC)
757-221-4357 (HELP) | [[support]] | Jones 201, Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm