Data Privacy Policy FAQ

At this time, the only College-approved AI tool is Microsoft 365 Copilot. Additional AI tools will be evaluated for College approval over time, and this list will be updated as new tools are approved. The "Permitted for use by individuals in AI tools?" row in each table addresses an individual's choice to use an AI tool, such as a chatbot or an AI-assisted feature in an application like email, with data they have access to. It does not cover AI capabilities built into institutional systems as part of the platform itself, which are evaluated separately through the College's Institutional Systems Governance process.

Microsoft 365 Copilot is built directly into the College's existing Microsoft 365 environment, so it inherits the same security, identity, and access controls already in place for institutional data. Other AI tools are evaluated individually because they don't have this built-in integration, and approval depends on how each tool handles institutional data.

No. Disabling a tool's model training or data-retention settings does not make it College-approved. A tool must go through the College's approval process regardless of its data-handling settings.

Submit the AI Tool Request Form (link forthcoming). It will be reviewed by AI governance representatives, who will follow up with a decision.

A College device is a computer, laptop, or mobile device purchased by the institution, including grant-funded purchases. These devices are College property and are typically serviced by the Information Services department as part of the College's equipment inventory. A personal device is one you own and manage yourself, such as a personal laptop or phone, that has not been configured by the College. Because personal devices don't have the same oversight and safeguards as College devices, this policy places more restrictions on what data can be stored on them, particularly for Confidential and Restricted data.

Start with the Data Classification Framework above, which defines Public, Internal, Confidential, and Restricted data with examples of each. If it's still unclear, contact the data steward for that domain, listed under Trustees & Stewards by Domain; classifying data within their domain is part of the steward's role.

Instructional materials and scholarship belong to the faculty member. Data generated through a faculty member's scholarship are governed by the norms of their professional academic societies; teaching materials, such as syllabi and assignments, are handled at the faculty member's discretion. Documents and scholarship, such as manuscripts, submitted to the College are treated as internal data and handled according to the relevant process (e.g., tenure and promotion procedures, syllabus repository for accreditation).

A legitimate educational interest exists when a school official needs to review an education record to fulfill a professional responsibility on behalf of the College. See the NCES Forum Guide for more detail, or contact the Registrar, the College's FERPA compliance officer, at registrar@rhodes.edu, with specific questions.

Submit the Data Quality Issue Form (link forthcoming). It routes to the relevant data steward and the Chief Data Officer, and is added to the data quality log for tracking.

Submit the Data Request Form.

For general questions about data governance, contact the Associate Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and Chief Data Officer at ir@rhodes.edu. For technical or information security questions, contact the Chief Information Officer at help@rhodes.edu.