Data Governance Policy Review
Lori Harris
submitted February 29, 2008
Preface
Lori Harris is a PhD candidate at UNLV who reviewed our data policies and compared them with data policies from other institutions. Her work is part of a student internship with Institutional Analysis and Planning.
Introduction
I examined UNLV’s four data governance policies in relationship to similar policies at other universities. Data governance, as a specific policy with defined regulations, is a fairly new concept to higher education and the policies vary depending on whether information technology or institutional research is the primary administrator. Data governance operates effectively on a clearly identified structure where data responsibilities are assigned and data users are informed on the various access procedures.
Data Governance
UNLV’s data governance structure is well defined and specifies the expectations of each officer and their role in providing appropriate access to university data. Comparison data governance structures varied from executive officers retaining the largest amount of responsibility and delegating duties as deemed appropriate to two tier governance structures consisting of separate general and computerized structures. The preciseness of the data governance policy regarding responsibilities appears to greatly enhance the institution’s data purpose.
The majority of institutions, including UNLV, greatly rely on data stewards to ensure appropriate access is granted and maintained. There is a university wide implication that data stewards are primarily contributing to data governance in a manner which is required in their university employment position; however, the policies rely on a mass amount of obligations from the data stewards in relation to other roles. I question the practicality of applying a great amount of responsibilities to the data stewards, even if one assumes it is a matter of ensuring proper compliance with existing duties.
Data Access
UNLV’s data access is extremely progressive in relation to other universities; UNLV’s access policy is to provide appropriate access and protect data via security measures. The inclusion of “provide appropriate access” implies that the institution is not rendering all university data as secure and expects the data to be utilized for beneficial research. Comparable institutions either apply the same policy or fail to provide an access policy which implies a focus on security of data not access. An increasing number of institutions have incorporated into their data access policies a detailed coding system which allows a data user to immediately know the level of access they are permitted to use or whether they need to seek a data steward’s approval or denial of additional access.
Data Usage
Universities’, including UNLV, data usage policies are generally standard and focus on a privacy expectation and the consequences of noncompliance. The main difference between UNLV’s data usage policy in relation to other universities is the exclusion of a training provision. A limited number of institutions outline the mandatory training that data users will receive prior to accessing data; the training is provided by data stewards.
Data Integrity
The data integrity policies for most institutions are customary, if included. UNLV’s policy focuses on recognition that data is a valuable resource while other universities specify the necessity of accessible, meaningful, and timely data. The data integrity policy is a summarization of the university’s stance on data.
Conclusion
UNLV’s data governance policies are progressive for a relatively new institution and represent a research focus institution which aspires to share data through appropriate access. The use of data stewards, as a primary contributor in data governance is comparable to other universities. However, the practicality of receiving the desired participation of data stewards needs accountability or incentive measures.