Data GovernanceFramework

1. Scope and Objectives for ULV Data Governance Committee (DGC).

Scope

1. DGC covers all data collected, processed, and stored by the university.
2. DGC policies apply to all university departments and individuals who collect, process, and store data.
3. DGC policies cover all data categories, including student data, employee data, financial data, research data, and other administrative data.

Objectives

1. Establish and Enforce Data Validity Protocols: This objective focuses on establishing and enforcing procedures to ensure the accuracy, completeness, consistency, and reliability of data collected, stored, and used within the institution.  It involves developing protocols for data cleansing, verification, and validation processes.
2. Create Data Transparency: This objective aims to increase the visibility and accessibility of data within the institution.  It involves creating clear and understandable data definitions, documentation, and reporting mechanisms.  By promoting transparency, the committee seeks to build trust and facilitate informed decision-making.
3. Continuous Data Maintenance: This objective focuses on preserving the integrity and usability of data over time.  It includes processes for data backup, archiving, and retention, as well as regular data quality checks and updates.  Effective data maintenance ensures the long-term value of the institution’s data assets.
4. Consistent Data Coordination: This objective seeks to align data-related activities across different departments and systems within the institution.  It involves establishing clear data ownership, data sharing agreements, and data governance structures to promote consistency and efficiency.
5. Create Data Documentation: This objective emphasizes the importance of creating and maintaining comprehensive documentation about data sources, definitions, formats, and usage.  It involves developing metadata standards and guidelines to ensure data understandability and discoverability.  Proper data documentation supports data quality, accessibility, and compliance.

2. Institutional Stakeholders and Respective Responsibilities

1. The President’s Executive Cabinet (PEC) is considered a group of data champions. They approve campuswide DG projects proposed by the data stewards and allocate resources wherever appropriate.
2. Data stewards represent the university data assets and sit on the Data Governance Committee (DGC). They lead their functional areas and act as agents of change.  They are the subject matter experts and oversee the implementation and usage of institutional data standards and tools, ensure compliance, ensure high-quality data standards, and monitor access to their data.
3. Data managers maintain the lifecycle of specific data elements and ensure that the elements are used appropriately. They establish and maintain high-quality data standards, ensure compliance with DG policies and procedures, and monitor access to their data.
4. Data users are responsible for using data appropriately and ethically in compliance with DG policies and procedures. They provide feedback on data quality issues and receive training on DG policies and procedures.
5. The Office of Information Technology is responsible for implementing technical solutions in support of DG policies and procedures. They establish and maintain data security and privacy policies, implement technical controls to enforce data access and authorization policies, and provide technical support for data stewards.

3. Purpose and Composition of the Data Governance Committee

The DGC manages and protects the institution’s valuable data assets.  It is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of data governance policies and procedures, ensuring data accuracy and consistency across campus, developing data standards, classification, and maintenance, ensuring compliance to improve decision-making, and operational efficiency, and empowering leadership to achieve its commitment to student success.

A chair and co-chair are appointed by the president.  The chair or co-chair of the committee updates the President’s Executive Cabinet (PEC) monthly on Data Governance (DG) activities and shares progress with the campus (e.g., Friday Focus).  DGC membership is based on individuals’ position and role within the university that handles university data assets.

DGC Membership is comprised of the following data stewards:

4. Framework for DGC

Guiding Principles

• Data as a strategic asset: Recognize data as a valuable resource that can drive decision-making and improve institutional performance.
• Accountability: Establish clear roles and responsibilities for data governance, ensuring that individuals are accountable for the data they manage.
• Transparency: Promote transparency in data management practices, including data collection, storage, and use.
• Consistency: Ensure consistency in data definitions, standards, and processes across the institution.
• Security: Implement strong security measures to protect data from unauthorized access, breaches, and loss.

DG Standards

• Data quality standards: Define standards for data accuracy, completeness, consistency, and timeliness.
• Metadata standards: Establish standards for metadata management, including data element definitions, data sources, and data lineage.
• Data privacy standards: Adhere to relevant data privacy laws and regulations, such as GDPR and FERPA.
• Data security standards: Implement security standards to protect data from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction.

DG Policies

• Data ownership: Clearly define who owns data within the institution and their responsibilities for its management.
• Data access: Establish rules for data access, including who can access data and for what purposes.
• Data retention: Develop policies for data retention and disposal, ensuring that data is retained for appropriate periods and disposed of securely when no longer needed.
• Data usage: Define rules for data usage, including how data can be used for analysis, reporting, and decision-making.
• Data sharing: Establish guidelines for data sharing, both internally and externally, ensuring that data is shared appropriately and securely.
• Data catalog: Develop a data catalog to document metadata and provide information about data assets within the institution.
• Data quality assessment: Regularly assess data quality to identify and address issues.
• Data analytics and reporting: Establish processes for data analytics and reporting to support decision-making and improve institutional performance.

Presented at PEC 9-10-2024
Approved by the Data Governance Committee 10-4-2024