UW Madison Introduces New Data Integration Standard for Enhanced Data Governance.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has recently established a data governance standard aimed at improving the use of institutional data in applications. This standard, developed over the course of a year by a subcommittee of the Data Governance Council, was approved in November 2023 by Allison La Tarte (VP-DAPIR) and Lois Brooks (CIO), who serve as executive sponsors for the data governance program.
This new standard is an extension of UW Madison’s existing Institutional Data Policy (UW-523), which emphasizes sourcing institutional data from systems of record or systems of reference. The Integration Standard specifically addresses the practical aspects of data integrations, focusing on approaches like APIs to ensure timely updates and prevent the spread of outdated or inaccurate data in downstream applications.
The next steps involve collaboration between the Data Governance Council and the Information Technology Committee’s Policy Advisory Team. Together, they will develop integration guidelines that cover the technical and security aspects of the standard. Initial efforts will prioritize critical integrations, and coordination with data stewards and system custodians will be essential for tracking compliance in new integrations using campus data.
The standard drafting subcommittee comprised members from various departments and units, reflecting a diverse and inclusive approach to data governance. Chaired by Tom Jordan from DOIT, the committee included representatives from Human Resources, Enterprise Architecture, Academic Technologies, Enterprise CRM, Enrollment Management, Data, Academic Planning, and Institutional Research (DAPIR), General Library Services, and Space Science & Engineering.
Review the standard
For those interested, the Integration Standard, along with other UW Madison data policies and guidelines, is available at https://data.wisc.edu/data-governance/policies-procedures/.
This implementation underlines UW Madison’s ongoing commitment to sound data governance practices, promoting responsible and effective use of institutional data across the campus.