F. Confidentiality
In the course of their teaching, research, and administrative activities, faculty members are typically exposed to a broad range of confidential information related to prospective, current, or former students, faculty, and staff members. They may also be exposed to confidential or proprietary information about the University. These Rules refer to information collectively as “Confidential Information.” Faculty members must treat Confidential Information in accordance with University requirements. A breach of these requirements is a serious violation of University policy. A breach of these requirements relating to faculty appointment and advancement processes or student and alumni records is especially egregious, as explained below.
1. Confidentiality in Appointment and Advancement Processes
It is essential to maintain confidentiality in all faculty personnel matters. This includes hiring, reappointment, tenure, and promotion. Decisions on appointments and advancements depend on frank discussions among faculty and the ability to have open and honest exchanges. These processes also depend on the frank and critical assessments of national and international scholars, who rely on the University’s commitment to treat their evaluations, including the fact that they provided an evaluation confidentially. Breaches of confidentiality at any stage can seriously undermine the open exchange involved in these processes. Such breaches could compromise the interests of the candidates and interests of the University (e.g., the ability of a department or the University to obtain external evaluations, and to have meaningful conversations at department meetings). Breaches could result in significant reputational harm as well, making it difficult for academic units and the University to perform their work, and compromising the effectiveness of the process for the candidates under review. Disclosing Confidential Information in an unauthorized manner is strictly prohibited.
2. Confidentiality of Student and Alumni Records
It is the policy of Princeton University that student and alumni records are confidential documents. As noted in Rights, Rules and Responsibilities such Confidential Information is not to be disclosed unless it meets one of the stated exceptions.
As an extension of the general policy set forth above, Faculty members are expected to treat with discretion any personal information concerning students including students’ political, religious, or social opinions and beliefs as revealed in classroom exchange or discussion, in course essays, advising meetings, or in other contexts of the educational process. This policy is in no way intended to discourage Faculty members from making professional judgments of students’ academic capacities or performance in response to reasonable requests; rather, it is intended to safeguard the students’ privacy and to protect the student-teacher relationship. Faculty members are invited to cite this document as a statement of official University policy in response to requests for information that appear to infringe upon the principles of academic freedom and individual privacy.