(Original on Academic and Student Affairs, Executive Office of the President and Provost letterhead)
November 15, 2021
Academic Data Domain Council
Helen B Garrett, University Registrar and Chief Officer of Enrollment Information Services, Enrollment Management
Glenna Chang, Associate Vice President, Office of Student Life
Erin Crom, Director, Graduate Enrollment Management Services, Graduate School
Alice Few, Data Analyst, University of Washington Tacoma, Institutional Research
Sean Gehrke, Director, Office of Educational Assessment, Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Stephanie Harris, Institutional Analyst, Office of Planning & Budgeting
Michaelann Jundt, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Kay Lewis, Assistant Vice Provost and Executive Director of Financial Aid, Enrollment Management
Kim Lovaas, Director, International Student Services, Enrollment Management
Pamela Lundquist, Registrar, University of Washington Bothell, Division of Enrollment Management
Marisa Martin, Interim Director, Student Fiscal Services
Nate McKee, Director, Academic Services, Office of the Provost
Tina Miller, Senior Associate Registrar and Chief Residency Officer, Enrollment Management
Paul Seegert, Director of Admissions, Enrollment Management
Dear Academic Data Domain Council members,
Thank you for your willingness to serve on the University of Washington’s Academic Data Domain Council. This committee is part of a new stewardship approach developed in conjunction with the University’s revitalization of data governance. The Academic Data Domain council is charged with developing a cohesive approach to stewarding the University’s academic data — an approach that derives the most value from academic data while managing risk. This is a one-year appointment.
Background:
In 2006, the UW formed a Data Management Committee to provide support and advice regarding the administration, access and use of UW data. The committee appointed data trustees and custodians to steward University data. In 2017, the provost charged a Task Force with redesigning and updating the UW’s data governance model. The updated model was launched in 2019.
A survey of stakeholders in 2020 made clear that the data stewardship model, to date, was unclear and not well aligned with current data governance. Some of the appointed data trustees and custodians were engaged but not supported; others were disengaged. To address these issues, UW Data Governance has developed a new approach to stewardship.
Types of data stewards:
Institutional Domain Stewards are consensus-builders who support a strategic, cross-functional view of data for the benefit of the enterprise. They serve on the Data Governance Steering Committee and represent the domain in enterprise level conversations. The Institutional Domain Steward for Research is Jim Kresl, Assistant Vice Provost and Director, ORIS, Office of Research.
Data Domain Council Chairs are consensus-builders who convene domain council meetings that address domain-specific issues and serve on the Data Governance Operational Committee where they represent the domain in cross-functional, enterprise discussions about domain data. The Data Domain Council Chair for Research is Richard Fenger, Assistant Director, Decision Support Services, ORIS, Office of Research.
Sub-domain stewards are experts who understand, identify and resolve data quality issues within their business area. They are active participants in the domain council and ensure a cohesive approach to data throughout its lifecycle. The sub-domain stewards for the Research domain are members of this council.
In addition to stewards, subject-matter experts are key to the Data Domain Council’s work. Some subject matter experts are members of this committee; others may be consulted on an ad hoc basis.
Academic sub-domain stewards and subject-matter experts:
| Name | Area/Data Represented | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Helen B Garrett | FERPA Education Records, Enrollment and Academics | Chair, Sub-domain Steward |
| Glenna Chang | Student Life data | Sub-domain Steward |
| Erin Crom | Graduate Admissions data | Sub-domain Steward |
| Alice Few | Student demographics | Sub-domain Steward |
| Sean Gehrke | Educational Assessment and Survey | Sub-domain Steward |
| Stephanie Harris | Reporting data | Sub-domain Steward |
| Michaelann Jundt | Advising and Retention data | Sub-domain Steward |
| Kay Lewis | Financial Aid data | Sub-domain Steward |
| Kim Lovaas | Immigration/International data | Sub-domain Steward |
| Pamela Lundquist | Enrollment and Academics data | Sub-domain Steward |
| Marisa Martin | Student Accounts data | Sub-domain Steward |
| Nate McKee | Instructional Support data | Sub-domain Steward |
| Tina Miller | Curriculum Management data | Sub-domain Steward |
| Paul Seegert | Undergraduate Admissions data | Sub-domain Steward |
| Megan Davis | Financial Aid data | Subject-matter Expert (as needed) |
| Neal MacCannell | Undergraduate Admissions data | Subject-matter Expert (as needed) |
| Keith Van Eaton | Meta data and Knowledge Navigator data | Subject-matter Expert (as needed) |
Domain Council Charge:
Together, you will work to anchor the people, process, and technology change in the Research domain. You will represent the concerns of others and put foremost the needs of the entire UW. You may be tasked with representing the enterprise, a domain, or a smaller constituency: a business unit, department, or even a set of data itself.
As members of the Academic Data Domain Council, you will focus on issues unique to the domain and will support the chair of this council to represent domain issues in cross-domain and institutional discussions at the Data Governance Operational Committee. Similarly, the chair, Helen B Garrett, will support the Institutional Domain Steward, Phil Reid in strategic, cross-functional enterprise discussions at the Data Governance Steering Committee.
As you undertake this work, we ask that you:
- Work on behalf of the UW as a whole, including all three campuses and the Medical Center
- Take an institutional view and think about the data in the context not only of the function, process or system for which you are responsible, but also across functions and across the enterprise
- Focus on data over systems, stewarding the data regardless of where it resides
- Approach your work as a collaborative leader and representative, gathering input from those not present on this council and providing the information essential for the Data Domain Council Chair to represent the domain to data governance groups and to the leaders and councils of other domains
- Promote, with your work, informed decision-making and shared solutions, create buy-in and enable positive culture change, and apply experience and expertise to ensure data strategies come to fruition
- Keep UW’s diversity and equity goals and UW’s privacy principles and policies in mind when making recommendations.
Deliverables will be based on priorities the Academic Domain Council sets for itself in collaboration with UW’s data governance groups and in response to overall data governance priorities. Work will include planning, policy, data definition and classification, quality, access, inventory, issues response, communication and training, architecture, and analysis specific to the data within the domain.
Christine Fish, Records Coordinator, Office of the University Registrar, cfish@uw.edu will provide administrative support to the council. Ann Nagel and Marisa Nickle will attend the meetings as ex-officio members, as needed, to connect the domain councils with UW data governance groups and support a consistent and cohesive approach to stewardship.
Thank you for your willingness to serve the UW community in this important capacity.
Sincerely,
Phil Reid
Vice Provost, Academic and Student Affairs
Professor of Chemistry