Welcome
Privacy is an important value of the University of California. It plays an important role in human dignity and is necessary for an ethical and respectful workplace. The right to privacy is declared in the California Constitution.
Under the UC Statement of Privacy Values and Privacy Principles (pdf), privacy consists of:
- an individual's ability to conduct activities without concern of or actual observation and
- the appropriate protection, use, and release of information about individuals.
The University must balance its respect for both types of privacy with its other values and with legal, policy, and administrative obligations.
Academic and intellectual freedom, transparency, and accountability are also values of the University, and the University continually strives for an appropriate balance between:
- ensuring an appropriate level of privacy through its policies and practices, even as interpretations of privacy change over time;
- nurturing an environment of openness and creativity for teaching and research;
- being an attractive place to work;
- honoring its obligation as a public institution to remain transparent, accountable, and operationally effective and efficient; and
- safeguarding information about individuals and assets for which it is a steward.
Read the full UC Statement of Privacy Values and Privacy Principles (pdf).