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Learning Platforms Data Retention and Access Control

Version Number: 1.0

Revision date: 16 October 2024

Policy Owner:  Vice President for Learning and Teaching

Approval Body: Academic Board (16 October 2024)

Review: Every three years

Contents

  1. Purpose of the Policy
  2. Definitions
  3. Scope of the Policy
  4. Roles and Responsibilities
  5. Policy Statement
    • Proposed Content Retention Schedules
    • Content Controls
  6. Related Documents
  7. Contact for Further Information

1. Purpose of the Policy

The purpose of this policy is to set out the duration for which data is retained on UCC learning platforms and the rules dictating who has access to this data.

UCC maintains a number of key learning platforms used by the academic community to support learning and teaching across the institution.

These include, but are not limited to:

  • A virtual learning environment, at the time of writing, Canvas;
  • A video content management system, at the time of writing, Panopto;
  • A plagiarism detection platform, at the time of writing, TurnItIn;
  • A live audience engagement tool, at the time of writing, Vevox.

The specific software used for these platforms may change over time, depending on university requirements. Additional platforms may also be added. Where a platform changes or is added, this policy will be updated and referred for subsequent approval. A number of other university-wide platforms, such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 are frequently used to support learning and teaching, but this policy does not apply to these more comprehensive ecosystems that have scope beyond learning and teaching.

As well as hosting millions of files (presentations, documents, multimedia artefacts etc), these systems store and process significant amounts of personal data, as well as having possible implications for intellectual property and copyright.

Previous UCC Data Retention Schedules partially referred to some elements of data retention on some learning platforms under items ITS6.4 and ITS7.2. However, these retention criteria did not reflect a significant change in the learning and teaching environment or related external factors in recent years such as GDPR legislation, the introduction of new platforms. This policy proposes rules to address this requirement.

2. Definitions

A virtual learning environment (VLE) is a software platform that enables learning and teaching, by allowing academic staff members to share course learning materials with students and grade assessment. It also allows for students to collaborate and submit assessments. At the time of writing, UCC’s VLE is Canvas.

A video content management system (VCMS), is a software platform that allows staff and students to create video content, and also allows UCC staff to manage these videos. At the time of writing, UCC’s VMCS is Panopto.

A plagiarism detection platform is a software platform that compares written work submitted by students against an internet database of academic work with the intention of looking for similarities that might suggest plagiarism has taken place. At the time of writing, UCC uses TurnItIn to check for plagiarism.

A collaboration application provides staff and students with common online workspaces where they can share content, chat and host meetings. Microsoft Teams is used by UCC for this purpose.

A live audience engagement tool allows for real-time engagement between people across the internet, typically through live online polls and surveys. Vevox is UCC’s live audience engagement tool.

Courseleaf is UCC’s curriculum management system and used to manage the development, approval and updating of accredited programmes.

DMIS (Department Mark-Entry Information System) is the UCC platform that provides each department with the facility to manage the entry of student marks and subsequently upload these marks to ITS.

ITS is UCC’s Student Records System.

3. Scope of the Policy

This policy applies to all UCC staff who use any of the learning platforms listed in section 1.

4. Roles and Responsibilities

IT Services are custodians of the content on these platforms, but ownership/control of the content lies with the respective academic unit, represented via the Vice President of Learning and Teaching.

UCC’s learning and teaching platforms are extremely capable and robust but are platforms that are in continual active use and are not designed to be formal archives or systems of record. Comprehensive backup and failover mechanisms are in place,but are related to business continuity and disaster recovery scenarios, rather than formal controls on data and content. IT Services, therefore, does not guarantee the integrity of content within Canvas or other related platforms in respect of ordinary daily use of the platform, where authorised users can delete or modify content and data that they have access to.

Schools and departments can certainly use these platforms to support activities such as appeals and accreditation, but need to ensure local practice and policy around content management where required.

5. Policy Statement

5.1 Proposed Content Retention Schedules

5.1.1 VLE

Canvas Modules (from ITS Curriculum) Modules will be made read-only following the end of academic year (using block code data from ITS).
Modules will be retained online for 5 years. For example, the current academic year is 2024/2025 so all modules and content from AY2019/2020 and prior will be deleted.
Canvas Modules that are created by outside of the ITS Curriculum that are unused for 24 months will be deleted.
Modules that are created for a specific academic year will be kept for 5 years as per ITS- created modules.

5.1.2 VCMS

Panopto has the ability to automatically manage content retention, which will be set to archive content after 13 months since last view. This content can be retrieved if requested.
Any content not viewed for two years will be deleted.
Content owners can override policy for individual videos or folders if required.

5.1.3 Plagiarism Detection Platform

Turnitin has specific retention policies due to the nature of the services that the platform provides, which sees no submitted content deleted, except by specific request.

5.1.4 Live Audience Engagement Platform

All staff and students have access to Vevox as long as their UCC accounts remain active. All users are responsible for ensuring that content and data is retained and used for the appropriate purposes.

5.1.5 Collaboration and Communication Platforms

All staff and students have access to platform such as MS Teams while their UCC accounts remain active. Access policies and retention schedules related to these platforms is outside of the scope of this policy, but any module learning content that is shared on such platforms should be deleted upon completion of the module.

5.2 Content Controls

5.2.1 User account creation/removal is governed by distinct polices that are overseen by student registration, staff onboarding and IT Services. Users accounts will be created/removed on Canvas automatically based on these policies, and this document does not impact these approaches.
5.2.2 Canvas has several roles which users can be assigned in a course. e.g. a staff member can be enrolled as student on a module in Canvas, and a student may have a teacher role for example. The following principles will apply for access to content.

5.2.1 Automated Access

5.2.1.1 Student enrolment into ITS modules is automated based on registration data. At no point is this data overridden, unless approved by SREO or Academic Systems Administration.

5.2.1.2    Students will retain a login to Canvas for 12 months following end of registration, this will allow recent graduates to continue to access former learning materials and submissions. Note that during this period, graduates may not partake in active courses, as our license does not include these extra students.

5.2.1.3    Students who wish to have guest access on a module may be added as observers by a teacher.

5.2.1.4    Users are enrolled automatically into mandated courses, such as orientation, teaching with technology, success zone, student union elections etc.

5.2.1.5    Staff are automatically granted access to a test course in a teacher role.

5.2.2 Manually Controlled Access

5.2.2.1Enrolment of users as teachers and tutors/TAs onto modules can be managed via a colleague who is already a teacher, or via IT Services who will undertake best-effort validation of the request.

5.2.2.2 Teacher Access to modules from previous academic year will require approval from an existing teacher on the module, or Head of Department.

5.2.2.3 Courseleaf and DMIS data is currently unavailable to be used by Canvas. The process for teacher access to Canvas modules will be reviewed if a reliable data source becomes available.

5.2.2.4 UCC staff who are teachers on modules will have their enrolments rolled forward each year to the new ITS curriculum.

5.2.2.5 Student enrolment into certain modules that are not driven by data is via self- enrolment (e.g. Digital Badges). The relevant Module Coordinator will be responsible for accuracy of module membership.

5.2.2.6 Cohort based modules (e.g. Access Office, Language Centre etc) are coordinated in consultation with relevant offices

5.2.2.7 Guest Lecturers/External Examiners are added to modules by a teacher in the module.

5.2.3 Revoking Access to Content - Students

5.2.3.1 Students retain a login to canvas for one year following the end of their registration. They retain read-only access to former modules (subject to module availability).

5.2.3.2 If a student registration is blocked (via fees for example), their modules access becomes suspended.

5.2.3.3 Students who withdraw from modules will have their enrolments on modules deleted.

5.2.3.4 Students who withdraw from UCC will have their accounts and access to modules deleted.

5.2.4 Revoking Access to Content - Staff

5.2.4.1 Resignations/End of Contract: These accounts will be suspended on status change and will be deleted six months thereafter.

5.2.4.2 ;Retirement: On status change, access to all courses will be revoked. Active Retired staff may be re-added to modules by coordinators if needed.

5.2.4.3 ;Further controls will follow agreed approach with HR/IT Security best practice.

5.2.4.4    If a staff member has a change in role or teaching assignments, they may need to be manually removed from modules by IT Services staff.

5.2.4.5 Due to the manual nature of staff enrolments, Module Coordinators and/or Department Heads need to ensure the accuracy of module access on Canvas.

5.2.4.6 Sponsored accounts: On the expiry date, the user account will be suspended. After six months, the account will be deleted.

5.2.4.7 Students who assist as Tutors/TAs will not be rolled forward into modules each year. These users can be added back manually by a teacher

5.2.4.8 External Users (typically external examiners etc) access to modules can be revoked as needed by the relevant module coordinator. These users will not be rolled forward into the next year’s modules and will need to be re-enrolled. This will be reviewed if a data source become available.

5.2.4.9 Access to integrated systems such as Turnitin, Panopto etc, is generally controlled by access to the relevant modules in Canvas, and when access is revoked on Canvas, this will apply to downstream systems also.

6. Related Documents

This Policy should be read in conjunction with other relevant policy and strategy documents, particularly the following:

7. Contact for Further Information

If you have any queries in relation to this policy, please contact the Policy Owner: 
Vice President for Learning and Teaching University College Cork
Telephone: 021-490 3609
Email: vplearningandteaching@ucc.ie 

 

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