Published: 2008.04.30

Recent violations of information privacy at the UCLA Medical Center make it timely to remind all staff, faculty and students of the importance of being a good UCLA citizen. Adherence to the policies and procedures concerning data and technology are more than an obligation—they are a condition of employment. Anyone whose job requires access to University data should be diligent in following the guidelines for the proper use on that information.

In a recent letter to administrative computing clients, Assistant Vice Chancellor Don Worth reiterated the critical policy issues of working with University data:

“Access to data, especially confidential data, is given to you, a trusted employee, in order to do your job effectively and accurately. It is against University policy and the Security Agreement that you signed upon receiving your Logon ID to access or use data for any purposes other than those related to the performance of your job. Just because you have access to data does not mean you may use it in any way you wish. Examples of inappropriate use are:

• Checking to see if someone you know got into UCLA before the person is officially notified by the University
• Looking up grades, classes, schedules, addresses, etc. of friends, celebrity students or anyone else at the University for personal reasons
• Looking up someone else's personnel-related information for personal reasons
• Allowing curiosity to inspire you to review any University data.

These are just a few examples of improper use of data that can result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.”