The policy would strive to protect the security and integrity of such data.

Included in the proposed policy is confidential data that could be used for identity theft, such as social security numbers, and data not subject to public disclosure, such as student education records.

Although other universities have implemented similar policies, this would be the first overarching policy at MSU, said David Gift, vice provost for libraries, computing and technology.

The policy was introduced during Tuesday’s Executive Committee of Academic Council, or ECAC, meeting.

“We felt it was time to have a simple umbrella policy that basically helps people understand common sense approaches to handling data in the kind of environment that we’re in now,” Gift said.

The policy was shared with Academic Governance for preliminary feedback and will not be formally reviewed or acted upon until the fall, said Kristine Zayko, a deputy general counsel for MSU.

Members of MSU’s Academic Governance system will have the chance to review the draft and raise questions or concerns with it, she said.

According to a draft of the policy released last week, it would require institutional data only be used for university purposes, including employment responsibilities and university governance processes.

The proposed policy also would require institutional data be handled in such a way that improper disclosure would be minimized.

Among other requirements, it would state that members of the MSU community in possession or control of data are “individually responsible” for its security.

Gift said students and faculty likely would not notice specific changes if the policy was enacted unless they are involved in the handling of sensitive data.

“I think that the overwhelming majority of people working at MSU already understand appropriate data handling, but every now and then people have questions or they might make an assumption that isn’t correct,” he said.

“This will help people sort of think twice, maybe ask questions if they’re not sure.”

Zayko said the policy will place all the requirements for handling secure data in one policy that members of the MSU community can turn to with questions.

“The policy would kind of codify what we’ve already been living with in terms of how we handle the data that we work with, but it puts it all in one place so people are clear on what are the expectations in terms of handling confidential data,” she said.

The policy will be reviewed by the University Committee on Student Affairs and the University Committee on Faculty Affairs.

The committees are expected to report their findings sometime during the fall semester. ECAC Chairman Harold Hughes said the review process likely would begin in the fall.

“(Standing committees) make a recommendation and pass it along with certain questions — should we do that, should we do that — then it will come back through the process,” he said.