Faculty Database System Privacy Policy

Types of Access

• Only "public" information, i.e., information defined as available on the web, is viewable unless one is logged into the Faculty Database System.
• Once logged in, the Faculty Database System recognizes several different access levels for users.
• Users are assigned a role (access classification) by their department and this role determines which information they are able to read, to add and to modify.
• Role permissions are cumulative. That is, a chair will typically have both faculty and chair permissions; all the options belonging to both roles will be available upon login.
• For details on the various roles and their types of access, see http://fds.duke.edu/db/help/roles.html

Individual Privacy

• Each curriculum vitae record can be tagged to suppress publication to the web and/or inclusion on the curriculum vitae (CV, also abbreviated as "vita".)
• Individuals may choose not to have their CV available via the web.
• Personal information such as home address, phone number, name of partner, etc., may be included or excluded from web and CV publication.
• Departments and schools may choose which categories of information to display, but may not override individual's privacy designations.

Security Information

• All communication with the FDS is encrypted in transit.
• Faculty evaluation information is encrypted on the server and accessible only by the chair and the deans.
• Individuals, irrespective of their role, will never be able to read evaluations on themselves.

The remainder of this policy is specific to Arts & Sciences

Annual Report Information

• Annual report information is viewable by the individual faculty member, designated power user(s), the departmental manager(s) and the chair.
• Comments in fields entitled "Info for the Chair" are not viewable by the deans.
• Records designated "Omit from web" and/or "Omit from vita" are not viewable by the deans.

Chair Evaluations

• All chair evaluations are encrypted on the server.
• Encryption keys are changed when chairs change.
• Data is encrypted in such a way that an individual may never read an evaluation written about oneself.
• Chair evaluations are readable only by the current chair and the deans.

Deans' Access

• The deans cannot see comments entitled "Info for the Chair."
• The deans cannot see records that have been excluded from CV's.
• The deans cannot see records that have been excluded from the web.

Changes to this Policy

• No retroactive change may be made to this policy. That is, the privacy of data will be governed by the privacy policy in effect at the time it is entered.
• Any change in policy must be approved by the Arts & Sciences Computing Committee, distributed to all chairs and department managers, and posted on the FDS site with an effective date beginning no earlier than the next September 1st.