The University of Idaho currently has multiple surveillance systems, but Dan Ewart, chief information officer for Information Technology Services, said they are without unified standards and regulations.
Jesse Hart | Argonaut
Students on the second floor of the University of Idaho Commons walk below a surveillance camera. An institution-wide policy is being proposed to create standards regarding the surveillance equipment and various privacy protection guidelines.
“One system will allow control, which is important for safety issues,” Ewart said. “Lots exist currently, but they are not integrated together.”
Ewart said each individual system has different ways it stores information, for how long, at what resolution and different governing rules in general — something he wants to consolidate into one system. He said this issue is something he noticed during the past year since he arrived at UI.
“I identified ITS cameras in the help center needed replaced,” he said. “I talked to Matt (Dorschel) as an opportunity to start the standard discussion institution wide.”
This led Dorschel, executive director of the Office of Emergency Management and Security Services, to propose an institution wide surveillance policy, this policy stretching to all UI campuses and facilities, not only UI.
“We’ve developed a policy so when we do implement a surveillance system, we can manage the process,” he said.
He said the policy develops standards for the equipment and guidelines to protect privacy.
“Right now there are a variety of different systems, but they have no guidelines by a UI policy,” Dorschel said. “I felt it was important.”
He said there are a few regulations spread across the Administrative Procedures Manual and the Faculty-Staff Handbook, but no concise list for security and surveillance standards — which is part of the problem.
The policy proposal has been submitted to the Faculty Senate and is currently under draft review. Dorschel said the new policy will take a while to be implemented.
Katy Sword can be reached at [email protected]
