State and federal law provides clear description of some types of information to which access must be restricted. In an academic community, ethical considerations are another important factor in determining access to administrative data. The University's data base consists of information critical to the success of the University as a whole. The University data base is shared data, managed within a conceptual framework. It is likely that the University data base will be distributed across processing units both within and outside the University.
Separate policies exist for academic research data and electronic mail correspondence.
Data may be digital text, graphics, images, sound, or video. Some examples of admininstrative data include student course grades, employee salary information, vendor payments, and the University's annual Data Digest. Administrative data does not include personal electronic calendar information and similar material. Data Custodians are those individuals directly responsible for creating, maintaining, and using data to support the University's operation and its information needs. Data Custodians as a group are responsible for developing procedures based on University policy.