Privacy and data collection concerns on websites like Facebook and Google have been in the spotlight for a while. With technology entering different facets of everyday life at an increasing rate, people are becoming more conscious of the information they give out and the data they leave behind. Yet many do not realize that colleges have quickly become a database for intimate details of students’ lives.
When thinking of information that a college keeps on file, a student’s grades and transcript come to mind. Many do not think about all of the minor details that are also being recorded. With student IDs, schools know when a student leaves and enters dorms, what they purchase for lunch, and when they study at the library.
All this information can be very helpful for a college to make choices on cafeteria offerings, facility hours, and even on improving campus safety. However, concerns arise with the thought of outside sources obtaining access to this data. A profile on the daily lives of students would be very lucrative to a company seeking to learn about the valuable college demographic.
“NC State does not give or sell data to third parties,” said Mardecia Bell, the director of security and compliance at NC State’s Office of Information Technology.
The Office of Assessment at State, which collects data on the student population, makes its motives clear. Its website reads,
“The mission of the Office of Assessment in the Division of Academic and Student Affairs is to champion data-informed decision making across the institution.”
The law in place protecting student information, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act is more than 40 years old. FERPA protects students’ educational records from being disclosed to outside sources.
Since the law was enacted, new technologies have emerged and colleges have started to keep track of much more information than what the bill originally addressed. Now in 2014, the area of what falls under these educational records is hazy. It is still up to debate exactly what kind of data on students is covered under this definition.
“I trust that NC State will use data to improve campus life instead of making a profit,” said Brian Massy, a sophomore at NC State.
While it appears colleges have been respectful of student data, worries continue with outside sources at schools collecting data. Earlier this year, Google admitted to scanning millions of email messages sent by students using their Apps for Education tool built for schools.
“We have put in place firewalls, encryption, and examine all outside programs to keep up with data protection,” Bell said.
It remains up to a school’s judgment to make sure an online educational tool, like Moodle, is safe for student privacy before using these outside resources.
“I think it is a responsibility of a university to use information for educational purposes and make sure it is not distributed to outside sources,” said Carlene Kucharczyk, a professor in the English department at State.
Last month, the California legislature passed a bill prohibiting educational sites, apps and cloud services used by schools from selling or revealing information about students from kindergarten through high school.
While this bill does not protect college students, it brings up the discussion for colleges and governments around the country on how student data should be treated.
“We, as universities, can provide a good example for business and government for responsible use of data,” Bell said.
As more people are becoming aware of and involved in this topic, the way in which data can be used to improve public life and what is considered exploitation of this information will be made clear.
