DoIT Alerts

While many of us have been busy digging out from the snow and trying to stay warm, this week, January 26–30, is Data Privacy Week. This international effort empowers individuals and organizations to respect privacy, safeguard data, and enable trust. For me, the timing prompted an important moment of reflection on the work I have been fortunate to be part of over the past two years, and on where UMBC is headed as we continue to build a mature, thoughtful, and values-driven approach to privacy.

From Research to Implementation

My name is Dr. Laura Mateczun, and my privacy work at UMBC began as a Ph.D. graduate assistant working with Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer, Jack Suess, on the implementation of Maryland's Higher Education Data Privacy Law during FY24, while I was completing my doctoral research. In April 2025, I successfully defended my dissertation and was conferred my Ph.D., and shortly thereafter, joined UMBC full-time in a hybrid role.

Today, I serve in two key roles: 

• Assistant Director of Digital Trust: Within the Division of IT's Cybersecurity Assurance & Digital Trust team, led by CISO Stacy Cahill, I focus primarily on privacy strategy.
• Assistant Director of the UMBC Cybersecurity Institute: I develop partnerships to expand cybersecurity initiatives and research. In this role, I also direct the UMBC Cybersecurity Clinic, an experiential learning program where students help public-sector organizations—such as water systems and electrical grids—strengthen their cyber defenses.

Milestones in Transparency

One of our most significant privacy milestones has been the launch of privacy.umbc.edu. We intentionally designed this site to be more than just a compliance requirement. It is a living resource for our community. It explains how data is used, protected, and governed at UMBC in clear, accessible language. While we drew inspiration from peer institutions, including the University of Michigan, the content is uniquely tailored to reflect UMBC's culture, values, and operational realities.

The Path Ahead

Looking forward, our vision extends far beyond a single website or law. Alongside Stacy Cahill and partners across campus, we are working to embed privacy into everyday decision-making. This will impact how we procure new systems and how we share and eventually retire data.

Our goals include:

• Strengthening privacy governance and transparency.
• Supporting responsible research and innovation.
• Helping students and staff understand their vital role in protecting data.

We also launched UMBC's new cybersecurity newsletter, which highlights important developments in cybersecurity and privacy, shares timely tips and resources, and spotlights work across campus that helps us all protect data and manage risk. If you're interested in staying informed about privacy and cybersecurity efforts at UMBC, I encourage you to subscribe.

A Commitment to Stewardship

Data Privacy Week is a reminder that privacy is not a one-time project. It is an ongoing commitment to trust, stewardship, and accountability. I am grateful to be part of a community that takes this work seriously, and I am excited about where UMBC is headed as we continue to grow our privacy program in the years ahead.

For more information about UMBC's privacy efforts, I encourage you to visit privacy.umbc.edu, and to follow the work of the UMBC Cybersecurity Institute as we continue to advance security and privacy in service of our campus and the broader public.

Dr. Laura Mateczun

Associate Director of Digital Trust

Assistant Director of UMBC Cybersecurity Institute

Director of UMBC Cybersecurity Clinic

lam6@umbc.edu

 

Almost everyone has found themselves in a position where they need to ask a question, but aren’t sure who they should ask or how to ask it.  It can be frustrating (and inefficient) to ask several people for the same thing with the hope that one of them can help.

The Analytics and Data Science team, IRADS, and the REX team have made some simple changes to take the confusion out of asking for help with reports, analytics, or data requests.  We’ve added links to the sites people generally go to find data.  Look for a link that says “REQUEST HELP WITH DATA, REPORTS, OR ANALYTICS.”   Clicking on that link takes you to a page which helps you to refine your request and to make sure the proper people see it.  The requests become part of the familiar campus RT ticketing system.

Here’s what happens when you submit a ticket.  Your request automatically becomes part of a queue reviewed by the Data Warehouse Group at its regular Friday meetings.  At that meeting, your request is triaged, the appropriate member of the group is assigned to be responsible for it, and a due date is assigned.  It will be tracked until it’s closed.  

Not sure exactly what to ask?  Look for my favorite link “None of the above fit or I don’t know how to ask for what I need”   Our teams will work with you to help you define your question and help you get an answer.  

The enhanced analytics, data, and report request system takes the worry about who to ask off your plate, and the RT ticket you generate takes away the worry about your request slipping through the cracks or being lost in an email inbox.

Robert Carpenter       
Deputy CIO, Division of Information Technology Associate Provost, Division of Academic Affairs UMBC

• More Information about Getting Help With Data, Analytics, and Reports

For all those interested in data-driven decision making, there is a rich trove of data available to research thanks to the data warehouse Reports Exchange (REX). Although all faculty have had access to the system for over a year, many instructors still don’t know what is available to them, or equally important, what they can do with this resource. However, there are faculty  who stand out for their trailblazing efforts to leverage the warehouse to advance their scholarship and departmental policy.

Liz Stanwyck is a Senior Lecturer with the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and an active REX user. She began digging into REX as soon as she knew it existed, having learned about the warehouse several years ago during a Faculty Development Center event.  “I use it to look at changes in DFW rates over time… to find out which of my students might need help more than others,” says Stanwyck, who’s able to drill down to second-time repeaters as a particular risk group, and take advantage of at-a-glance statistics. “I can use REX to get a list of those students and write them individually.” Indeed, this functionality was built out at her request within a week of her request and the developers were “incredibly responsive.”

Stanwyck lauds the existing reports as very versatile as well, including the Grade Comparison - Course to Course, which is exceptionally helpful to track student success across gateway courses, and identify patterns that can potentially impede progression using data. She also makes use of the Plan Counts report to help support students. “As an advisor I use it a lot to look at all of my advisees and see how the major has grown or changed over time and how changes we've made in the department affect our students,” notes Stanwyck.

It’s also possible to use REX data to not only report, but also to develop one’s own models for action research. “I started an exploration a few years ago to see if my students in an introductory business 300-level stat class are achieving the learning outcomes for that class,” Stanwyck describes. “I came up with a pre and post test for the students so I could measure their learning, and then I dug down into REX data to start to associate those learning gains with different demographics and backgrounds, and I've presented that at two or three provost teaching and learning symposiums.”

In this example, Stanwyck highlights how REX data can be used not just for description, but also for more robust inferential and even predictive projects. Indeed, the particular efforts supported adjustments to Math 155, an applied calculus course that was initially redesigned four years ago. “We have tweaked and twiddled and played around with that class, and every semester we change one thing and then go back at REX and see overall what's the data like.”

From reporting, to analysis, monitoring, and evaluation, to data informed decision making – REX provides an array of reports and resources to help faculty and staff do their jobs better. If you’re new to the data warehouse, then this FAQ collection will provide you with all of the information you need to get started. If you’ve already accessed the Reports Exchange in the past and are ready to dive in, welcome back. Don’t forget, help is just an RT ticket away!

• More Information about Moving from “What is that?" to Data-Informed Practice

Throughout the day today (Tuesday June 18th) electricians will be conducting maintenance in our backup data center located just off campus in the research park. During this work we do not expect to see any interruption of services. All of the equipment has multiple power supplies, and we are cutting power to only part of the room at a time so the electricians can work safely. There is always the potential for something to fail unexpectedly and I wanted to make sure the campus was aware of the on going work. We expect work to be completed later this afternoon in that data center and I'll send out another notice once full service is restored to that space.