Roles & Responsibilities
Who is accountable, and for what.
Accountability, decision-making, and execution are distributed across the university-from institutional strategy to domain-level execution. Every role below has a defined mandate, responsibilities, and escalation path.
The governance structure
From institutional strategy to domain execution.
The roles
in detail
Governance bodies
Operational roles
Strategic Leadership Model
ITC Data Governance Committee
- Strategic leadership
- Oversight, direction, and decision-making
- Governance standards and priorities
- University-level risk evaluation
- Governance processes approval
- Alignment with university objectives
Responsibilities
Set institutional data governance vision, priorities, and success measures; ensure alignment to university strategy.
Hold top-level accountability for the governance standards, framework, and process design developed and recommended by the Data Governance Working Group (DGWG); ensure they remain fit for purpose and are aligned to the institutional direction.
Hold the governance program accountable for adherence to university data policies, governance standards, and processes across all domains.
Serve as the final accountable authority for university-impacting escalations and unresolved cross-domain issues raised by the DGWG.
Hold accountability for the governance KPI and reporting framework and the governance technology strategy; report to the IT Board on overall program status and performance.
Champion data as a strategic asset; sponsor and legitimize the governance program and ensure it has the executive support, resources, and visibility required to succeed.
Coordination & Enablement
Data Governance Work Group
- Central coordination and operational enablement
- Coordinate governance across data domains
- Support domain governance advisory teams
- Enable adoption of the data governance framework
- Translate ITC Data Governance direction into action
- Escalate issues to the ITC Data Governance Group
Responsibilities
Develop governance standards, framework, and process design - with assistance from the domain advisory groups; maintain and evolve governance artifacts, templates, and operating guidance for use across domains.
Identify, discuss, and facilitate resolution of cross-domain governance issues; clarify interpretations of policy, standards, and definitions; and reduce duplication and fragmentation across domains.
Maintain and evolve governance artifacts (frameworks, templates, operating guidance); share best practices, lessons learned, and reusable patterns; and support onboarding of new domains into governance.
Triage issues raised by domain teams, resolve them where possible through coordination, and escalate university-impacting issues to the ITC Data Governance Committee with summarized recommendations.
Ensure visibility into governance changes, decisions, and outcomes; create consistency in how governance is communicated across domains; and serve as the primary cross-domain feedback loop.
Recommend governance approaches, refinements, and improvements; facilitate alignment and consistency across domains; advise without approving standards or overriding Data Trustees or domain authority.
Serve as a rotating, domain-based forum populated by delegates from each Domain Governance Advisory Team, with predictable cadence and clear expectations.
Domain Operational Hub
Domain Governance Advisory Teams
- Provide a central operational hub for domain governance
- Translate strategic direction into actionable standards and processes
- Connect governance leadership with operational roles
- Support Trustees, Stewards, and Custodians
- Coordinate governance training and enablement
- Ensure compliance with governance requirements
Responsibilities
Consult on translating and implementing governance standards, processes, and priorities established by the ITC Data Governance Committee.
Provide direction, consultation, and hands-on support to Data Trustees, Data Stewards, and Data Custodians.
Ensure governance standards related to data quality, metadata, access, and compliance are consistently applied; identify gaps and risks.
Act as the liaison between governance leadership and operational teams; assist in coordinating cross-domain efforts.
Coordinate governance training, onboarding, and communications for all data roles.
Escalate unresolved or university-impacting issues to the Data Governance Work Group; report progress against KPIs.
Accountable Owner
Data Trustee
- Own and govern data within their domain
- Authority for data access, maintenance and use
- Approve data access requests
- Ensure compliance with university data policies and standards
- Partner with Stewards and Custodians on data quality and integrity
- Escalate issues to the Governance Advisory Team
Responsibilities
Hold ultimate authority over data production, accessibility, maintenance, and usage; serve as the main point of escalation for domain-level data issues.
Accountable for adherence to university data policies and data governance standards within their domain; ensure standards and processes are followed consistently.
Approve and oversee data access requests in alignment with governance standards and data classification; delegate access approval execution where appropriate, and ensure a defined process exists.
Work closely with Data Stewards and Data Custodians to maintain data quality and integrity; assign and support Data Stewards for their domain.
Serve as the decision-making authority within the domain for data-related issues; oversee work performed by Data Stewards and Data Custodians; bring cross-domain or institutional-impact issues to the Governance Advisory Team for coordination.
Promote the use of data as a strategic asset; support initiatives to improve data quality, security, and value.
Subject-Matter Expert
Data Steward
- Domain subject matter experts and trusted advisors
- Exercise delegated authority from Data Trustees
- Bridge Data Trustees and Data Users
- Ensure data is accurate, trusted, and compliant
- Lead day-to-day governance activities
- Provide domain leadership and expertise
Responsibilities
Carry out day-to-day governance activities aligned with the governance framework; implement and ensure compliance with governance standards and processes in partnership with Custodians.
Act as a delegate for the Data Trustee, making decisions and enforcing standards as needed.
Provide guidance and training to Data Users; serve as the primary point of contact for data-related inquiries.
Maintain business glossary terms, critical data element identification, classifications, and documentation of relevant regulations, policies, and processes.
Proactively monitor and evaluate data quality; identify anomalies, coordinate resolution with Data Custodians, and escalate to Data Trustees when necessary; lead quality improvement initiatives.
Consult on change implementation alongside Custodians; lead audits of governance assets; assess and report on change impact to support continuous improvement.
Technical Execution
Data Custodian
- Manage data technology, security, and maintenance
- Oversee data storage, organization, and flow
- Ensure secure, reliable, and compliant systems
- Partner closely with Data Stewards and Trustees
- Resolve technical issues and execute access requests
- Maintain comprehensive technical documentation
Responsibilities
Oversee storage, organization, and maintenance of domain data systems; implement and monitor security measures, technical controls, and safeguards that support data privacy, classification, and regulatory compliance.
Implement and execute the access request and approval process within domain systems as agreed upon with Data Trustees and coordinated through Data Stewards; provision, modify, and revoke access; manage and monitor the data workflows that move and transform domain data.
Implement approved governance standards within domain systems and pipelines; enforce university data policies at the system and operational layer in partnership with Data Stewards.
Execute approved changes to data structures, systems, and pipelines; identify, log, troubleshoot, and resolve technical issues with Data Stewards and Data Trustees, escalating to the Governance Advisory Team as needed.
Maintain technical documentation, source-level metadata, lineage, and catalog source configurations; provide technical input to Data Stewards on classification, business glossary curation, and data quality monitoring and remediation.
Contribute to governance reporting, domain training, and audits with system-level data and evidence; participate in periodic reviews to drive continuous improvement.