Case In Point | Office of Audit, Compliance & Privacy

Case In Point: Lessons for the Proactive Manager

Volume 18 Issue 10 | October 2026

This month, I’m pleased to introduce our new Privacy Program Manager, Brad Chynoweth. Brad comes to us from the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, where he investigated data breaches, led major child-safety and privacy settlements involving platforms such as Meta, TikTok, and Roblox, and developed the office’s AI governance policy and attorney training program. I’ve asked him to share his initial thoughts as he begins his work at Auburn.

We collect data within strict legal, ethical, and consent-based boundaries tied to specific university functions. However, that data then may flow across an interconnected ecosystem of technology platforms and software tools. While contractual safeguards help protect against vendor misuse of data, contracts alone cannot ensure that the original purpose, access restrictions, and other privacy requirements remain aligned as data moves between systems.

Building on the initial vendor vetting at procurement, the next step is strengthening how we govern data throughout its lifecycle. That means aligning ongoing technology use with the purpose and restrictions associated with the data it contains. Various approaches may include grouping approved tools into "functional enclaves," streamlining how we review new uses of existing software, or applying technical classifications or tags. How we best accomplish this without creating barriers to campus operations is an important design question that requires input from stakeholders across campus.

Auburn already has strong foundational privacy policies in place, and my goal is to build on those by transforming our day-to-day privacy efforts into a formal, comprehensive privacy program. Through standardized risk assessments, consistent evaluation methods, and streamlined documentation, we can make privacy reviews more predictable and efficient. Above all, I want faculty, researchers, and staff to view my office as a collaborative partner. Our role is not simply to identify risk, but to help manage it responsibly. We are here to answer your questions, help you navigate complex data laws, and find practical ways to move your university work forward safely.

Thank you, Brad. These are issues that every higher education institution will need to consider with the amount of data we handle for our daily operations. Privacy is one of the many risk areas we navigate, and we invite you to review the latest news stories through the lens of proactive risk management.

Kevin Robinson
Vice President
Institutional Compliance & Security

Dartmouth College provost resigns after review into his AI use	11/01/26
Over 525,000 hit in massive University of Copenhagen data breach	10/27/26
University of New Mexico Hospital diverting ambulance traffic due to 'cybersecurity' issue	10/26/26
Duke temporarily shuts down many University-hosted sites after reported global cybersecurity threat	10/21/26
Canadian Mennonite University warns of data breach in cyberattack	10/08/26
University of Illinois Chicago affected by ransomware attack on medical school	10/05/26
OpenAI agent hacking attempt targets University of New Mexico digital library	09/24/26
Stanford faces backlash after AI turns Latino student into Black woman in promotional image	09/24/26
Dartmouth to Pay $750,000 to Settle Suit Over Oracle Data Breach	09/22/26
$3.5M University of Hawaii data breach class action settlement	09/22/26
Columbia to settle June 2025 data breach lawsuit for $16.1 million	09/21/26

Southern University employee arrested for alleged felony theft of student organization funds	10/27/26
Trump administration probes colleges for potential visa fraud	10/08/26
Grand jury indicts 3 in alleged $20M theft from Eastern Gateway Community College	10/08/26
SF college boss under fire over alleged pay-padding scheme and phantom vacation days	10/01/26
Auburn University employee accused of leaking athletics trade secrets to rivals	09/29/26
Man Arrested for Allegedly Stealing Nebraska Football Helmets from Locker Room	09/29/26
Former TCAT Elizabethton Employees Misappropriated More Than $1 Million	09/21/26
Fraudsters hit Missoula College in national financial aid 'ghost student' scheme	09/17/26
Man indicted, accused of defrauding Allen University out of millions meant for football stadium	09/15/26
Former UAH employee accused of stealing over $600K through University Foundation	09/14/26
Temple University terminates record $55 million gift from alumnus amid federal investigation	09/11/26

SIU investigates after man found dead at University of Toronto's Mississauga campus	11/02/26
Husson University ex-employee arrested for child sexual abuse material	11/01/26
SUNY Oswego professor charged with child sexual exploitation in Canada	11/02/26
Former Farmingdale State College professor accused of raping student in campus parking lot	10/27/26
Florida college pays $250K to employee fired over Charlie Kirk posts	10/23/26
MSU Trustee Rema Vassar suing university president, officials, alleging civil rights violations	10/22/26
Ohio State University disputes DOJ finding that medical school discriminates in admissions	10/21/26
Justice Dept. resolves 18 civil rights investigations at UNC in settlement with university	10/19/26
MSU broke law by delaying reporting sexual assault allegations to state	10/17/26
Bob Jones University says employee was 1 of 2 men accused of child sex crimes	10/12/26
More Than 1,000 Colleges Failed to Fully Submit Student Outcomes Data	10/09/26

Death threats, hazing, hospitalizations: Search warrants detail Sigma Nu investigation at NC State	11/04/26
Drexel University pauses some events amid fraternity investigation into sexual misconduct, hazing	11/04/26
Students react after reported sexual assault inside ISU's Watterson Towers	11/01/26
Teen recorded sex in UNC Charlotte dorm, shared it with fraternity, police say	10/28/26
Search warrants served at 2 WVU fraternities in alleged hazing investigations	10/27/26
4 Texas State fraternity pledges arrested on hazing charges after man forced into truck	10/23/26
3 suspects sought in robbery and assault on Towson University campus	10/22/26
Some classes canceled, support available after morning incident at Old Dominion University	10/21/26
University of Pittsburgh student charged after bomb threat prompts evacuation	10/21/26
Security guard was turning away unauthorized vehicle when fatally struck at GVSU	10/20/26
Yale employee shot during suspected carjacking attempt, university police say	10/20/26

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