Privacy
About Privacy at WSU
The WSU privacy obligations involve safeguarding sensitive information, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations, and promoting a culture of data protection. Key responsibilities for WSU privacy officers and for individuals who manage privacy across the system include:
- Policy Development and Implementation:
- Develop and implement privacy policies and procedures for handling personal and sensitive information.
- Ensure that these policies align with relevant privacy laws and regulations.
- Compliance Oversight:
- Monitor and ensure compliance with local, national, and international privacy laws (such as GDPR, HIPAA, etc.).
- Conduct privacy assessments to identify and address potential risks.
- Education and Training:
- Provide training to university staff, faculty, and students on privacy policies and best practices for handling sensitive information.
- Raise awareness about the importance of data security.
- Incident Response and Investigation:
- Respond to and investigate privacy breaches or incidents promptly.
- Take appropriate measure to mitigate the impact of breaches and prevent future occurrences.
- Collaboration:
- Work with all departments to incorporate privacy considerations into the development of new systems, applications, and processes.
- Communication and Reporting:
- Communicate regularly with university stakeholders about privacy-related matters.
- Prepare and submit incident reports as required by relevant regulations.
- Continuous Improvement:
- Stay informed about changes in privacy laws and best practices.
- Continuously assess and improve the university’s privacy program.
By fulfilling these duties, Compliance and Civil Rights plays a crucial role in upholding the confidentiality and integrity of personal information within the WSU community while ensuring compliance with applicable privacy regulations.
Resources
Please report any incident immediately to:
Contact Information
WSU System Privacy Officer, Sally Makamson at (509) 335-8864, smakamson@wsu.edu
WSU Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Michael Walters at (509) 335-1642, ciso@wsu.edu
Chief Compliance and Risk Officer, Sharyl Kammerzell at (509) 335-5524 sharyl.kammerzell@wsu.edu
Learn more about incident management and breach notification in BPPM 87.55.
Policies and Procedures
Chapter 87 and 88 in the WSU BPPM: https://policies.wsu.edu/prf/index/manuals/business-policies-and-procedures-manual/