Data Governance in the Key of C: Orchestrating Data Use in Postsecondary Institutions

This paper introduces the Key of C, an institutional framework for identifying the conditions that enable formal data governance. In music, an ensemble creates harmony when distinct parts perform within a shared key. Likewise, a shared data structure allows different offices to work together productively. This toolkit includes a practical shared vocabulary, diagnostic reflection questions to identify gaps, and vignettes of institutions working to improve data governance.