Promoting a culture of data quality, integrity, and responsible data stewardship across our campus.

Data Goverance Policy

Available Reports

• Introduction
• Intro to Data Governance
• Data Governance Framework
• Data Policies & Standards
• Data Stewardship
• Training & Resources
• Contact Us
• Policy
• Responsibilities
• Process
• Oversight
• Resources
• Data Stewards
• Data Stewards Matrix
• Definitions

Introduction

Section 1: Introduction to Data Governance at Troy University

Welcome to Troy University's Data Governance website. Our mission is to ensure the accuracy, consistency, and security of the University's data assets, while promoting transparency and ethical data usage. We aim to create a culture of data literacy and responsible data stewardship across the campus, empowering our faculty, staff, and students to make informed decisions based on trustworthy data.

Section 2: Data Governance Framework

Troy University's Data Governance Framework is designed to establish a systematic approach to managing and protecting our data assets. The framework consists of the following components:

1. Data Governance Structure: A clear organizational structure with designated roles and responsibilities, including data stewards, data custodians, and data users.
2. Data Policies & Standards: A set of guidelines and best practices to ensure data quality, consistency, and compliance with relevant regulations and industry standards.
3. Data Stewardship: Promoting responsible data management and fostering a culture of data integrity and accountability.
4. Data Quality Management: Implementing processes and tools to monitor, measure, and improve data quality across the University.
5. Data Security & Privacy: Ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data assets while complying with data protection regulations.
6. Data Literacy & Training: Providing resources and training to empower faculty, staff, and students to effectively use and manage data.

Section 3: Data Policies & Standards

Explore our data policies and standards to understand the guidelines and best practices for data management at Troy University. These policies cover a wide range of topics, including data classification, data retention, data privacy, and data access.

Section 4: Data Stewardship

Learn about the roles and responsibilities of data stewards and how they contribute to the data governance program at Troy University. Data stewards play a crucial role in maintaining data quality, ensuring data consistency, and promoting responsible data usage.

Section 5: Training & Resources

Access a wealth of resources, including training materials, webinars, and workshops, designed to help you develop your data literacy skills and understand the importance of data governance. Our resources cater to faculty, staff, and students across various disciplines and levels of expertise.

Background

At Troy University, Data Governance is defined as the orchestration of people, processes, and technology to manage Troy University’s critical data assets by using roles, responsibilities, policies, and procedures to ensure the data is accurate, consistent, secure, and aligns with overall University objectives.

Data governance is a shared responsibility across Troy University. Data is a strategic business asset for Troy University. Good data management leads to good decision making which leads to good business results. The data needs of the entire University will supersede the needs of individual departments. The quality, integrity and accuracy of data is a critical and ongoing institutional issue.

This policy enforces one system of record; all projects must align with Troy University’s ERP implementation, and, where possible interact directly with the system; in doing so, a single source of record is facilitated, reducing error, wasted effort and fostering consistency of data across Troy University.

Institutional data are assets maintained to support Troy University’s central mission of teaching, research, and service. To support effective and innovative management, institutional data must be accessible, must correctly represent the information intended, and must be easily integrated across Troy University’s information systems to support the organization’s strategic plans.

The Troy University executive leadership team recognizes the value-added benefits of being able to aggregate information across multiple complex systems and business processes that enable Troy University to be a world-class University. The executive leader team has established the Data Governance Council which consists of designated officials who have planning, policy-level, and management responsibility for data within their functional areas. The Data Governance Council advocates for the appropriate resources (staff, technical infrastructure, etc.) to ensure proper planning, policies, and protocols are in place to support the data needs of the University.

Data Governance Mission Statement

In alignment with the priorities established for Troy University, the mission of the Data Governance Program (Program) is to allow for and facilitate campus-wide data-driven decision-making. The Program will:

• Identify what data exists or needs to exist in the future, define what responsibilities exist related to the management of the data, and assign accountability for those responsibilities to specific groups or individuals within the University.
• Provide an enterprise perspective to governing the data but does not necessarily centralize control of the data; rather, it creates systems for identifying individual and departmental data curators and guidelines for these individuals to use as they curate data.
• Ensure that this is not considered an Information Technology initiative but rather an institutional data management program.
• Ensure that ongoing monitoring and maintenance to support continuous improvement remains a continuous process.
• Improve the ease of access and ensure that once data are located, users have enough information to interpret the data correctly and consistently.
• Ensure that the security of the data, including the confidentiality of the data and that it is protected from loss.
• Improve the integrity of the data, resulting in greater accuracy, timeliness and quality of information used in decision making.
• Establish standard definitions for key institutional data in order to promote data integrity and consistency.

Data Governance Policy

Objectives

The Data Governance Policy addresses data governance structure and includes sections on data access, data usage and data integrity and integration. The purpose of data governance is to develop institution-wide policies and procedures that ensure that the four pillars of data governance are achieved across our administrative and/ or academic data systems.

Four Pillars of Data Governance

• Information Quality
• Privacy, Compliance, and Security
• Policies and Standards
• Architecture and Integration

Scope

For the purpose of this policy, the term “Troy University” includes the following areas:

• Academic Affairs
• Administration
• Athletics
• Development & Alumni Relations
• Finance
• General Counsel
• Health Affairs
• Information Technology
• Foundation
• Public Affairs – University Affairs

“Institutional Data” refers to data elements that are aggregate into metrics relevant to operation, planning, or management of any unit at Troy University, including any wholly-owned entities, that is reported to Troy University’s Board of Trustees, federal and state organizations, generally referenced or required for use by more than one organizational unit, or included in official administrative reporting.

Policy applies to anyone engaged with Troy University by employment or contract that creates, manages or reports these data referenced in scope above on behalf of Troy University, or relies on these data for decision making and planning.

Who Should Read This Policy

All Troy University employees who use data, regardless of the form of storage or presentation. All senior administrators have the responsibility to understand and implement this policy, including, as necessary, the adoption of specific procedures for their respective areas in furtherance of and in accordance to this policy.

Policy

Data Access

The primary purpose of the data governance policy is to ensure that employees have appropriate access to institutional data and information. While recognizing the institution’s responsibility for the security of data, the procedures established to protect that data must not interfere unduly with the efficient conduct of our business. The policy applies to all uses of Troy University data covered by the scope of this policy regardless of the offices or format in which the data reside.

The value of data as an institutional resource is increased through its widespread and appropriate uses; its value is diminished through misuses, misinterpretation, inaccuracies, and unnecessary restrictions to its access.

The institution will protect its data assets through security measures that assure the proper used of the data when accessed. Every data item will be classified by the relevant Data Steward to have an appropriate access level. IT will provide the technology framework for data access to be provisioned. The Data Stewards are responsible for ensuring the access levels are appropriate. Read-only access to administrative information may be provided to employees for the support of institutional business without unnecessary difficulties or restrictions.

Any employee or non-employee denied access may appeal the denial to the Data Governance Council. Escalation to the executive management should only be pursued if the Data Governance Council decision needs to be appealed.

Data Usage

Another purpose of the data governance policy is to ensure that institutional data are not misused, and are used ethically, according to any applicable law and with due consideration for individual privacy. Use of data depends on the security levels and data access assigned by the Data Steward.

Troy University personnel must access and use data only as required for the performance of their job functions, not for personal gain or for other inappropriate purposes; they must also access and use data according to the security levels assigned to the data. Data usage falls into the categories of update and dissemination.

Data Update

Authority to update data that is reported as key institutional data shall be granted by the appropriate data steward only to personnel whose job duties specify and require responsibility for data update. This restriction is not be interpreted as a mandate to limit update authority to members of any specific group or office but should be tempered with Troy University’s desire to provide excellent service to faculty, staff, students, and other constituents. Data Stewards shall ensure that adequate internal controls and/or change management procedures are in place to manage ‘updates’ to key institutional data, their definitions and processes.

Dissemination

Dissemination of data must be controlled in accordance with the security practices set forth by Data Stewards. Appropriate use must be considered before sensitive data are distributed. Unauthorized dissemination of data to either internal/external personnel is a violation of this policy.

Data Integration

Data integration refers to the ability of data to be assimilated across information systems. It is contingent upon the integrity of the data and the development of a data model, corresponding data structures, and domains. Data model designs should focus on utilizing Master Data Management(MDM) methodologies in order to streamline how data is integrated when applicable.

System-to-system interfaces are a standard practice to move data from one system to another in order to streamline processes that extend across systems and contribute using data efficiently and effectively.

Operational processes often require systems to exchange information. System interfaces are often developed between systems to facilitate the exchange of such information. The systems that exchange information fall into two broad categories:

• Internal – Systems that are implemented within the Troy University computer systems network. They can either be procured, procured but modified, or custom-developed products.
• External – Systems that do not reside on a Troy University computer network. These systems are hosted by vendors and/or through sub-contracts managed by vendors.

Downloading of individually identifiable data from central systems to electronic files for the purpose of uploading or connecting the data to non-central systems (e.g., shadow systems, external vendors) without the knowledge of the data steward is a violation of policy. This practice is note supported and introduces risks associated with data integrity, security, and long-term sustainability of information systems that may not be mitigated due to the nature of the practice. Departments and/or personnel responsible for these practices that are found to be in violation of this policy, may result in disciplinary actions up to and including dismissal from employment consistent with HR Guidelines.

Approval by the Data Steward specific to each request. Data granted for one purpose is not universally granted for all purposes. Each new use case must be approved by the Data Steward in a new request or an amendment to the original request, even if you already have the data.

Documented agreements regarding data use, retention, and responsibility should exist with the data stewards (and vendors in the case of data integration with external entities) of the systems providing and utilizing the data. Data extraction practices that are already in use should be registered and a documented agreement developed with the appropriate Data Steward member and IT.

Data Integrity

Data systems and/or processes that are involved in the creation of institutional reports should incorporate data integrity and validation rules that ensure the highest levels of data integrity are achieved. Validation rules with data systems may need to include reconciliation routines (checksums, hash totals, record counts) to ensure that software performance meets expected outcomes. Data verification programs such as consistency and reasonableness checks shall be implemented to identify data tampering, errors, and omissions.

Responsibilities

Data Governance Structure

The function of applying policies, standards, guidelines, and tools to manage the institution’s information resources is termed data governance. The responsibility for the activities of data governance is shared among the roles listed below. As noted in the Introduction, the Data Governance Council, as appointed by the executive leadership team, is a decision-making committee that has oversight of Data Governance on a macro level. The function of applying policies, standards, guideline, and tools to manage the institution’s information resources falls to the council and those that work in concert with the council. Descriptions of roles and responsibilities below provide the framework of how data governance will be implemented and maintained.

Data Governance Council

Responsibilities

• Develop data-related policies, procedures, and standards
• Promote appropriate data quality and data integrity, including consistent data definitions and their application throughout connected systems
• Promote data literacy, awareness, and appropriate use of data
• Monitor progress and quality of the Program
• Serve as an escalation point for issues related to data governance
• Designate and maintain active list of Data Stewards

Goals and Objectives

• Establish a data quality culture that drives data-driven decision-making
• Create structured accountability, data access, and data quality with defined roles and responsibilities
• Draft and approve data-related policies
• Facilitate collaboration and education related to data-related policies and use of data
• Ensure that data policies align with record retention policies
• Enable data access, availability, and data sharing across functional units via self-service capabilities, services and processes

Guiding Principles of the Program

• Transparency: It should be clear how and when decisions are made and processes are created
• Metrics-Driven: We should measure and report on how we are doing against our goals
• Consistency: All decisions should be applied consistently
• Stewardship: While there will be formal stewardship roles defined, it is everyone’s responsibility to protect the privacy, security and confidentiality of our data as required
• Accountability: Decisions and processes should be audited
• Agility: All processes should be able to adapt when appropriate
• Change Management: New processes will require a concerted effort in managing change among campus staff

Data Stewards

Data Stewards coordinate and manage the data in the business process that results in the data adhering to Troy University standards. Once data have entered the system, there is a process by which they are validated, transmitted, stored, and archived. The capture and checking are typically based on a function process or business process. The data steward role oversees adherence to the business process and in some cases develops the process. While there may be several data stewards, the Data Stewards will appoint one as primary for each application.

Functional Security Leads

The functional security leads are responsible for allowing access within the rules and standards set by the Data Stewards for their area. The security leads should work with the Data Stewards for each area to document the agreed upon procedures that will be followed to administer security access. It is the responsibility of the functional security leads to routinely monitor access and ensure that access levels are up to date and report any issues to IT.

Process

Data Governance Standards

The purpose of establishing standards is to ensure that institutional data have a high degree of integrity and that key data elements can be integrated across functional units and electronic systems so that faculty, staff, and management may rely on data for information and decision support.

Institutional data will be consistently interpreted and clearly documented, according to the best practices agreed upon by the Data Governance Council, and it will have documented values in all Troy University systems. It is the responsibility of each data steward to ensure the correctness of the data values for the elements within their charge.

Institutional data are defined as data that are maintained in support of a functional unit's operation and meet one or more of the following criteria:

1. The data elements are key fields, that is, integration of information requires the data element.
2. The institution must ensure the integrity of the data to comply with internal and external administrative reporting requirements, including institutional planning efforts.
3. The data are reported on or used in official administrative reports.
4. A broad cross section of users require the data.

It is the responsibility of each data steward, in conjunction with the IDG Committee, to determine which core data elements are part of our institutional data.

Documentation (metadata) on institutional data will be maintained within an institutional repository according to specifications provided by the Data Standards & Reporting Committee. These specifications will include both the technical representation/definition of each element, as well as a complete interpretation that explains the meaning of the element and how it is derived and used. The interpretation will include acceptable values for each element, and any special considerations, such as timing within an academic or fiscal calendar.

All employees are expected to bring data problems and suggestions for improvements to the attention of the appropriate data stewards or any member of the Data Governance council.

Communicating Data Governance Standards

The IDG Committee is responsible for establishing data standardization and standard reporting practices. The committee will obtain approval from the Executive Committee when standards are developed and/or modified. A central repository will be maintained and should be referenced for specific guidelines and decision outcomes related to data governance as set forth within this policy. The repository of reporting standards, documented institutional data, and key decisions can be found at: https://my.troy.edu/support/data/

Oversight

Penalties for deliberate violations of this policy will be adjudicated in accordance with applicable disciplinary policies and procedures of the Human Resources Staff Guidelines as applicable.

Resources

Troy University Policies

• Information Technology Resources
• Information Technology Policies
• Troy University Computing Privileges and Responsibilities – Acceptable Use Policy
• Troy University System Integrity Policy
• Troy University Security Policy
• Troy University Data Classification Policy
• Troy University Encryption Policy
• Troy University Cyber Security Policy
• Troy University Data Privacy Policy
• Troy University GLBA Policy
• Troy University External Hosting Policy

Federal and State laws and regulations as well as Troy University policies define requirements for:

Sensitive Information

• FERPA
• HIPAA

Data Stewards

Troy University employs the data stewardship model of data governance. This business-led model directs and advises users across the institution to ensure that data-related work is performed according to policies and procedures as established through governance.

Data Stewards are recommended by a division SVC; at Troy, most data stewards have developed over the years as the result of job descriptions and familiarity with data. Data governance is a quality control discipline that includes the categorization, access management, use, maintenance, and protection of organizational information. As a result, data stewards are critical to TROY’s data governance.

Data Stewards have oversight responsibility for a subset of the university's data. The steward is typically a functional end user within an operational area who is deemed an expert regarding data managed by that operational area. Data Stewards help define, implement, and enforce data management policies and procedures within their specific domain.

Major responsibilities

• Implement data standards
  Ensure that staff who maintain data are trained to follow standards.
• Monitor data quality
  Work with technical and operational staff to create a process for identifying data entry errors and correcting the data to match university standards. Report to the data trustee any issues that may require larger action on behalf of the university's data governance structure.
• Handle inquiries about data
  Receive and respond to any inquiries related to data that originates from the area they oversee; e.g., questions regarding access, standardization, organization, definition and usage, etc.
• Recommend development or refinement of policies and standards
  Ensure operational significant information is available, accurate and up to date.

Data Stewards Matrix

Data Governance Work Groups

Working groups will be established to support the Data Governance Council and Data Stewards. These groups can focus on specific areas such as data quality, metadata management, data privacy and other areas of need.

Definitions

Data Element

A single data item. For example, last name is a data element.

Data Dictionary

A reference tool which provides a description of all the core institutional data elements.

Data Dissemination

The distribution of data to either internal or external stakeholders. Included in dissemination is the sending of data to external entities including vendors that provide services for Troy University.

Data Integrity

The qualities of reliability and accuracy of data values that permit the institution to have dependable data on which to make plans, projections and decisions. Data integrity contributes to the efficient operation of the institution by supporting quality customer service to students, faculty and employees, and helping the institution remain competitive.

Data Integration

The ability of data to be assimilated across information systems, is contingent upon the integrity of data and the development of a data model, corresponding data structures, and domains.

Data Model

A diagrammatic representation of the objects and their properties that are needed within an organization to accomplish its mission. Sometimes represented as an ER (entity-relationship) diagram or a data flow diagram.

Data Value

The set of values that each data element can have.

Institutional Data

The data elements that are aggregated into metrics relevant to operations, planning, or management of any unit at Troy University that are reported to Troy University’s Board of Trustees, federal and state organizations, generally referenced or required for use by more than one organizational unit, or included in offi cial administrative reporting.

Metadata Repository

Information about the data in an organization's electronic systems. It is used to catalog the data elements and to enable software development tools and operational systems to assess the data. Data stewards add interpretive information to the repository so that the meaning of each element is clear, and can be use consistently across all systems. Data dictionaries are built from the repository.