Data Classification Categories

Information that may be freely disclosed to anyone without causing harm to Lewis-Clark State College, its students, or employees.
Examples:

• Course catalog, academic calendar, campus map

• Public press releases, marketing materials, social-media posts

• Published research articles and abstracts

• Directory information when a student has not requested suppression (name, major, enrollment status)

• Employee emails and chat messages

Institutional information not intended for general public release. Unauthorized disclosure would cause minimal risk but could hamper operations or create confusion.
Examples:

• Draft policies and meeting minutes

• Departmental budgets, purchase requisitions, and vendor quotes (pre-award)

• Building floorplans, internal phone lists

• Non-public statistical reports, device inventory exports

• Organizational charts containing degree levels, years of service (for example).

Data protected by law, contract, or College policy where unauthorized disclosure could harm individuals or the institution, lead to regulatory penalties, or damage reputation.
Examples:

• Student birthdates

• Student directory information for those who have opted for privacy

• Donor profiles, gift agreements, alumni records containing contact details

• Research data covered by non-disclosure agreements or involving human subjects

• Student demographic information

Information subject to strict federal or state regulation (GLBA, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, ITAR, etc.). Loss or exposure could cause severe harm, identity theft, or significant fines.
Examples:

• Social Security numbers, driver’s license / passport numbers, full tax IDs

• Credit-card data, bank-account or routing numbers, payroll direct-deposit files

• Medical / Counseling records from Campus Health Services (PHI)

• Financial-aid records (student IRS data, FAFSA details)

• FERPA-protected records: grades, transcripts, class rosters

• Employee personnel files, performance evaluations, background checks