Resources

A system of record (SOR) is the authoritative source of business data. It is the system where the University creates or maintains the official version of specific records, with controls for accuracy, integrity, auditability and lifecycle management.

Common examples: enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, etc.

A system of engagement (SOE) is an application designed to support interaction and collaboration among employees, students, customers or partners. It may generate data, but it is not the authoritative source record.

Common examples: employee portals, customer apps, workflow front ends, frontline operations apps, etc.

A tool is a bounded-purpose utility used to complete a task without serving as a source of record. No institutional data is created or stored in the tool.

Common examples: catalog tools, ticketing tools, social media management tools, etc.

A data steward is an individual designated to oversee the day-to-day management of a domain of institutional data or a specific subject area. Data stewards approve or deny access requests, maintain appropriate and consistent data definitions, monitor data quality, and help ensure that data are appropriately protected and used in accordance with institutional policies, legal requirements, and established data management standards.

Data stewardship should attach to a position, not an individual.

An operating unit is an organizational entity within the institution with its own management or administrative responsibility.

Institutional data are data created, collected, received, maintained, transmitted, or used by an institution while carrying out its academic, administrative, research, and operational activities, regardless of the system, format, or location in which the data reside.

Institutional data include records concerning students, employees, applicants, alumni, academic programs, courses, finances, facilities, communications, advancement, and other institutional activities. These data may be held in central information systems as well as departmental databases, third-party vendors, dashboards, reports, spreadsheets, surveys, and other data sources generated, derived from or used in support of institutional activities.

Institutional data are a shared asset of the institution rather than the property of the individual or unit that collects or maintains them. However, this does not mean that all institutional data are available to everyone. Data may be subject to different classifications, access restrictions, privacy requirements, or stewardship responsibilities depending on their sensitivity and intended use.

Data management at Stanislaus State is a framework of roles, responsibilities, standards, guidelines, and procedures used to manage data as a shared institutional asset. Data management establishes how institutional data are defined, collected, maintained, accessed, protected, shared, and communicated in support of the institution’s mission. Data management supports consistent and trustworthy information for institutional operations, student success, regulatory and accreditation reporting, assessment, planning, and evidence-based decision-making.