Hitit University regards data management—one of the fundamental building blocks of institutional development and continuous improvement in higher education—as an indispensable component of strategic decision-making processes. In this context, the accurate, reliable, accessible, and sustainable management of institutional data is of critical importance for ensuring the effectiveness of the institutional quality assurance system and accountability.
The Institutional Data Management Policy aims to regulate the entire life cycle of all data produced, collected, processed, analyzed, stored, and shared across the university, ensuring that data management processes are conducted systematically, consistently, and in compliance with legal regulations. The policy also adopts a holistic approach to addressing the relationship between data and the university’s strategic plan, internal quality assurance system, performance monitoring mechanisms, and accreditation processes.
The core principles of data management are accuracy, integrity, security, transparency, accessibility, accountability, and legal compliance. In accordance with these principles, each dataset maintained by the university is classified based on its content, purpose of use, and level of confidentiality—categorized as strategic, operational, supporting, or personal data. In particular, full compliance is ensured with all relevant legal regulations, especially the Law No. 6698 on the Protection of Personal Data (KVKK).
The institutional data management process consists of sequential stages: data collection, verification, storage, analysis, reporting, and sharing. Each stage is operated in integration with the university’s internal control mechanisms and information system infrastructure, and continuously monitored according to established standards to ensure data quality. Quality criteria such as timeliness, currency, consistency, source reliability, and alignment with performance indicators are integral parts of data management.
Within this framework, the Strategic Management and Quality Office plays an active role in institutional data management in coordination with the Data Analysis and Digital Transformation Office. The office compiles all data-based outputs—particularly annual self-assessment reports, performance indicator tracking tables, and quality assurance documents—to provide qualified inputs for decision-making mechanisms. Academic and administrative units are responsible for the accuracy, currency, and security of the data within their respective areas of responsibility. The Department of Information Technologies provides the technological infrastructure of data systems, while the Data Analysis and Digital Transformation Office oversees data verification, analysis, reporting, and software development processes. All reported data are directly incorporated into decision-making processes by the Strategic Management and Quality Office.
To ensure the security of institutional data management, role-based access authorization mechanisms are implemented, allowing data to be viewed and processed only by authorized users. Sensitive data are stored in encrypted formats, access logs are digitally monitored, and systematic audits are conducted at regular intervals.
The effectiveness of this policy is periodically reviewed and updated in line with technological developments, legal regulations, and the university’s strategic direction. Thus, data management processes are maintained as dynamic and continuously evolving structures rather than static systems.
The Hitit University Institutional Data Management Policy aims to establish a data-driven management culture at the institutional level, embed decision-making processes within a data-based framework, and create a reliable information ecosystem for all stakeholders of the university.
