• Provide a structure and tools for documenting data managed at CCA. Documentation includes:
  • What data exists and where it resides
  • What each data point means
  • Who is responsible for collecting, maintaining, sharing and protecting the data (data steward)
  • Who is able to view or edit the data
  • Security or legal responsibilities applicable to the data
  • The processes by which data is collected, maintained, shared and protected
• Establish and support a common set of best practices in data management responsibilities across the organization, for all datasets, at all levels of engagement with data
• Facilitate the exchange of data across the campus to support operational goals and informed decision making
• Guide the design of systems to support the data definitions and procedures, and facilitate connection between data sets across systems

The data governance framework, including all data management roles, responsibilities, processes and practices, will seek to incorporate the following principles:

Data Systems and Accountabilities

• A single system of record will be established for each type of data. Redundant data systems, when necessary, should establish and document procedures for integration with the system of record that preserve the integrity of the data.
• Data roles and accountabilities for all established datasets will be fully transparent across the organization.
• Data consumers have a shared responsibility for keeping data current and clean. A transparent and readily accessible method for data consumers to contribute to data management activities should be established.

Data Sharing

• Data sharing practices should be established that emphasize open sharing of data across the organization to facilitate operational goal and task achievement, within the limits of protection of confidential, sensitive or legally protected information about individuals.
• Whenever possible, direct access to current datasets should be afforded to internal data consumers who routinely require that data for operational activities.

Data Definitions

• All data residing within systems of record should be clearly and concisely defined, using terminology that is readily understood and applicable for administrative and academic users.
• Data definitions should be readily accessible to all data consumers, in a manner consistent across all systems.
• For each data point, the definition should include:
  • A definition
  • The system of record
  • The responsible data steward
  • Level of protection (confidential, sensitive, legal protection)
  • Applicable practices for consuming or sharing the data.
• Data fields that appear in multiple systems should strive to be consistent across those systems (e.g. “alumnus”).

Data Trustees

A data trustee is a member of the CIO Admin Advisory, which adopts the agreed upon principles and values of data governance at CCA put forth collectively by the data stewards. After such time, when there is a disagreement in best practices between data stewards, a meeting with the council may be requested to help make a final decision and amend the data governance protocol.

Data Stewards

A data steward is responsible for maintaining the integrity of a data set within a live database by adhering to and communicating established guidelines or business rules for data input, updating, and cleanup projects. He or she is charged with keeping the guidelines relevant and appropriate to the specifics of the most current database version as well as institutional best practices. There should be one data steward per data set.

The data stewards should meet regularly to share best practices and foster a cooperative environment at CCA wherein most data-related concerns can be resolved. A goal would be for this working group to actively contribute to the data dictionary and agree on college-wide standards for data input and maintenance. There should be a rotating steward chair to facilitate meetings and liaise with the data trustees when necessary.

Data Contributors

A data contributor is given access to making certain edits and updates to a data set after having thoroughly reviewed all established guidelines. When faced with a challenging data entry judgment call, he or she will defer to the date steward to make a final decision. This is a subset of the data consumers group (see below).

Data Consumers

A data consumer is anyone who has access to a data set. If one is not also a data contributor, he or she would only have read-only access. If such a data consumer has a suggestion for a record edit or needs a report run from the data set, he or she would consult a data contributor. Data consumers also have a responsibility to maintain data integrity and accuracy, following the established guidelines for accessing, sharing and correcting data.