Critical to the ongoing work of the College, responsible stewardship of Bates college data is required in order to ensure those with official educational or administrative responsibilities are able to access and rely on the accuracy and integrity of the data. Data stewards are expected to comply with the following data policies and manage data within their care in a manner that is consistent with legal, ethical, and practical considerations.

Data Access

Data access will be granted to those with legitimate educational interest to the data upon approval of the appropriate Data Steward and may require approval of a Data Trustee. This may only comprise individuals who are employees or volunteers of the institution needing the data to perform assigned duties.

Improper release, maintenance or disposal of college data may be damaging to the college community and exposes Bates to significant risk and possible legal action. Those granted access to college data must agree to the following guidelines.

• Maintenance of data must strictly adhere to the policies and procedures of Bates College. Data may not be altered or changed except in the usual course of business.
• Data may not be released to third parties or others at the college who do not have access to the data without the consent of the appropriate Data Steward/Administrator and must always be done in compliance with FERPA.
• Access to and use of data is restricted to the scope of an individual’s work. Data should not be viewed or analyzed for purposes outside of official business.
• Data Users, as defined in the roles policy, may not grant access to data. If data needs to be shared with others, the appropriate data steward needs to authorize access to those data.

All security and computer use policies must be adhered to: see the Bates Acceptable Use Policy.