Technology & Privacy Guidelines

As an educational institution, Canisius University is bound by various regulations concerning educational records, health records, and personal financial information. The purpose of this document is to list some basic best practices that all of our faculty and staff should follow.

Don’t reveal or use other people’s Social Security Numbers, unless the purpose is to complete an official government document.

Don’t post grades in public places. This includes your office door. If you want to distribute grades to your students, use D2L's  grades tool so that they can only see their own grades, not those of their peers.

Don’t reveal anyone’s academic, medical, or mental health information including information about disabilities, except to school officials who have a legitimate educational need.

Don’t reveal anyone’s personal information including names, address, enrollment history, or degree awarded. Any questions of this type should be referred to the Office of Student Records.

Use the Golden Rule when deciding what kind of information to disclose about an individual. Would you want this type of information revealed about yourself?

Protect private information on your computer or in your office. Lock your computer screen when you’re away from your desk.

Documents containing private information should be kept in a secure location, such as a locked filing cabinet. Dispose of private information properly. Documents containing private information should be shredded or deleted as soon as they are no longer needed.

Protect your passwords. Don’t share your password with anyone, and change it regularly.

Be skeptical. Many emails and web pages will make offers and claims that seem too good to be true. That’s because they are.

If you’re unsure about the origin or authenticity of an email, forward it to the ITS HelpDesk.