When I was five years old, there was a power outage in my neighborhood. Frightened and confused, I remember hearing my parents mention that the electricity went out. What was that, electricity? The sound of the word itself hissed and crackled. I had nightmares of this ghost covered in a shroud of sparks and shadows. I knew its name, but my limited understanding could not make sense of such a complex and vital system.
This is a technical topic, but we are all connected to it. There is a reason to be concerned, and there is a reason to learn more. Privacy plays a unique role in higher education, and students are essential to the conversations that will determine the best steps moving forward.
Prior to attending university, I felt no need to be concerned about information privacy. I assumed the best intentions of everyone using my information, and I am fortunate to have not been adversely affected by my ignorance. My advocacy work in college has made me keenly aware of the need for robust privacy frameworks for students. Each year, millions of students enter college and experience an unprecedented degree of freedom: their curfew, their meals, their wardrobe, and their information.
Colleges have an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to students by establishing an environment of trust when it comes to the treatment of student information. Recently, I authored a resolution to institutionalize student information privacy at my university, and the student government legislative body voted to adopt the resolution. The resolution made specific recommendations for the university to strengthen its information privacy protocol, and I continue to work on implementing those protections.
Austin Kraft (pronouns: he/him/his) is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, where he studies mathematics, linguistics, and computer science.
contact information. As students, we provide our information to our institutions trusting that our data will be handled responsibly.