IHEP Releases Final Paper in a Three-Part Series on Data Privacy and Security in Higher Education
Published Jun 17, 2019
Washington, DC – Today, the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) released the final policy paper in a series aimed at asking critical questions about data privacy and security when developing postsecondary data policy and practices.
Students deserve a postsecondary data systems that provide them with timely, accessible, and complete information on college outcomes and prioritizes their privacy and their security of their information. Building systems that fulfill both objectives can be complex.
IHEP's series of policy papers, Protecting Students, Advancing Data: A Series on Data Privacy and Security in Higher Education, provides comprehensive and accessible research to inform federal and state policymakers about legal, technical, and pratical privacy and security considerations as they seek to improve postsecondary data systems. The series was informed by insights shared by the Postsecondary Data Collaborative's Privacy and Security Board (PSAB) – a body of nationally recognized higher education, data privacy, and data security experts.
The newly released final paper, Postsecondary Data Infrastructure: What is Possible Today, authored by Amy O'Hara, Research Professor at Georgetown University's Massive Data Institute, examines data systems from different sectors to illustrate promising practices and proven solutions for developing a postsecondary data infrastructure that is secure, transparent, and adaptable.
"This paper demonstrates that existing practices can safeguard individuals' information and provide for the kinds of data-sharing that can empower individuals, policymakers, employers, and institutions to make informed decisions and craft evidence-based policy," said IHEP Vice President of Policy Research, Mamie Voight. "We encourage policymakers to look at the promising data practices identified by Dr. O'Hara, and model those efforts in a way that gives students and families the postsecondary information they need."
