An interesting analysis by Tracy Mitrano in a recent Insider Higher Ed article casts a focus on student privacy concerns regarding “big data” and a recent pledge formulated by the Future Privacy Forum. At the heart of the matter are concerns over what some corporations have done, intend to do, or (most important) have the right to do with student information gathered from cloud services. Currently, the pledge pertains specifically to K-12 students, but Mitrano raises the question about whether higher education should start weighing in on such a stance. As the preponderance of cloud services usage grows, higher education institutions are finding it more challenging and important to find ways to safeguard students’ information. A pledge with common sense language, covering everything from FERPA to HIPPA might be one way to standardize policies and procedures across several institutions.
Picture by Eric Stoller, Licensed without modification under Creative Commons
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