Information is a strategic asset of all University System of Georgia (USG) organizations and is critical to administration, planning, and decision-making.  Effective and responsible use of information requires that data is secure, well documented, and accessible for use by authorized, trained personnel.[1]

Clayton State will use a collaborative, iterative, and empirical process to define and implement policies to protect our data and systems.  This process must work within the Data Governance framework outlined in the University System of Georgia Business Procedures Manual Section 12.2.

Data, and the means to share, analyze, and manage data, is a necessary and essential component of teaching, administration, and research.  Our approach to managing data emphasizes the Core Values of Clayton State:

  • Collegiality: Individuals and interactions that are governed by respect and collaboration over processes and tools
  • Excellence: Emphasize procedures and technology that works for us versus creating more work
  • Innovation: Responding to change over strict adherence to a plan

Policies, procedures, and standards will be developed by individuals who use the data to perform their daily tasks.  Faculty and staff who use data and information systems to do their jobs will be asked to form committees (Work Groups) that are responsible for identifying issues of data reliability and security, training to help users secure and manage the quality of data, and other solutions relevant to their daily work.  Systems managers and engineers (Technical Committees) will examine the proposals of these committees to make sure the proposals are feasible.  The job of the Data Governance Committee is to ensure the operational effectiveness of the solutions that are implemented, and that Clayton State University policies and procedures address external security policy requirements.

[1] Business Procedures Manual, Section 12.0: Data Governance and Management, University System of Georgia, found at https://www.usg.edu/business_procedures_manual/print/section12, accessed 13 March 2020.