San Diego City College Data Access Agreement
San Diego City College Office of Institutional Research | 2
Data Access Data Security Use of Data Data Dissemination
Individuals who wish to gain access to non-
public data are required to read and sign this
Data Access Agreement.
LEVELS I & II: In order to provide access to
all, many reports at these levels are posted
on the San Diego Community College
District (SDCCD) website at
research.sdccd.edu. Select data will also be
available on the San Diego City College
Research website at sdcity.edu/research. If
a requestor of research would like access to
Level I or II data that are not already
available, the requestor should visit the
Research Request web page at
sdcity.edu/Research/RequestResearch.
Requests from individuals internal to City
College who wish to use the data to inform
City College operations will be processed
upon the approval of the requestor’s
supervisor/Department Chair and/or School
Dean.
LEVEL III: Access will be granted on a
“need-to-know” basis. Individuals who are
granted access to Level III data shall be
ethically bound by this agreement. In the
event that the data requested are not
deemed “need-to-know”, the data request
may be fulfilled at a more aggregated and
appropriate level of data sensitivity.
LEVELS I & II: Data reports will only be available in a non-
editable format to protect data integrity.
LEVEL III: Access may be password-protected. Passwords
will be given to individuals on a need-to-know basis. Data
Stewards shall take all precautions necessary to prevent
disclosure of highly sensitive data to individuals who have not
been granted access. Individuals who have not been granted
access shall under no circumstances be permitted to procure,
view, or share sensitive data. Failure to comply with these
precautions and restrictions shall be met with serious
consequences.
Data Stewards should take care to:
(1) Protect the confidentiality of usernames and passwords
(2) Log off or sign out after visiting a password-protected
Intranet or Internet site
(3) Avoid creating databases or applications that use SSN as
identifiers
(4) Never send un-encrypted sensitive data via email
(5) Protect sensitive data by storing in locked desk, drawer, or
cabinet and never leave unattended
(6) Dispose of sensitive data by shredding or returning to the
Office of Institutional Research
(7) Physically protect devices that can be easily moved, such
as cell phones, laptops, and portable storage devices like
memory sticks (e.g., by locking in a storage cabinet)
LEVELS I, II, & III: Data
will be:
(1) fairly and lawfully
processed
(2) for purposes specified
in research requests
(3) accurate and relevant
(4) handled with utmost
concern for data security
All aspects of research,
including formulation of the
research question, sample
selection, choice of
variables, and methodology
should be carefully thought
out and planned by Data
Stewards with the
assistance of the Office of
Institutional Research.
Level II or III data should
only be used on a need-to-
know basis and should
never be used for personal
purposes without IRB
approval.
LEVELS I & II: The Campus-Based
Researcher shall disseminate data as
deemed appropriate to requestors who
follow the protocol for submitting a
research request. Individuals are
obligated to respect all copyright laws
and give appropriate credit, including
citations of research reports.
Reproductions of data reports should
have all original titles, footnotes, and
supplemental information intact and
unaltered. Research produced in
collaboration with City College’s Office
of Institutional Research is not to be
used for publication without approval
by the Institutional Review Board.
LEVEL III: Highly sensitive data will be
disseminated by the Campus-Based
Researcher on a need-to-know basis
only to requestors who print and sign
the Data Access Agreement. All Level
III data that are disseminated by the
Campus Based Researcher will be
considered confidential and issues
related to confidentiality will be
discussed with requestors.
Reproductions and unauthorized
dissemination of Level III data are
prohibited.
The stipulations outlined in this agreement apply to all requests to the Office of Institutional Research for access to non-public data.
Statement of Responsibility
I, , have read the Data Access Agreement, pages 1 and 2 of this document, in its entirety. I accept the responsibility
for protecting the security of data to which I am granted access. I hereby agree to comply with all of the principles, instructions, and regulations related to data
access, confidentiality and security, use, and dissemination that are set forth in this document.
[Name]
[Signature] [Date]
Adapted from San Diego Mesa College: Spring 09 Revised: 06/18/09; 08/17/09; 10/11/17
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