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This Data Governance and Strategy Council framework outlines the formal and informal roles and responsibilities of those who lead, manage, control, and utilize data at Montana State University (MSU). The data governance and strategy council is charged with carrying out the building blocks of a data culture, data practices, data infrastructure, and data strategy to drive impact at MSU.

Montana State University-Bozeman launched a Data Governance & Strategy Council (DGSC) effective July 2026 to advance our data governance strategy. The DGSC works in conjunction with Enterprise Data Governance efforts across all four Montana State University campuses.

Council Goals

  • Advance a culture where data are understood as an asset, valued, secure, and used.
  • Sets priorities for data governance and analytics strategy, aligned with institutional information needs and goals.
  • Review and approve data governance policies and practices (i.e. data classification, permission and access, data dictionary).
  • Inform the prioritization and development of Edify IDW.
  • Work to apply new or refined business processes for data quality and reporting.
  • Inform the prioritization and development of a 3-year Data Roadmap following Edify implementation.
  • Champion data governance and data use to their areas.
  • Reconcile data conflicts and achieve consensus on use of information system data fields.

Council Membership

Name
Position
Luke Schalewski (Chair) Chief Data Officer
Ryan Knutson Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer 
Mary Kate Blake Associate Chief Data Officer 
John Williams Chief Information Security Officer
Justin van Almelo Associate Chief Information Officer  
Sara Mannheimer & Elizabeth Jonson Faculty Representatives appointed by Faculty Senate  
See Data Stewards  Data Stewards

Governance Roles and Responsibilities

  • Executive Sponsor (Strategic Oversight): Provides strategic leadership for the data domain, ensures alignment with institutional priorities, and champions effective and responsible use of data across the university.
  • Data Steward (Decision Authority): Holds primary decision-making authority for data policies, standards, governance practices, and analytics prioritization within the data subdomain. Appointed by Executive Sponsors.

  • Data Custodian (Implementation Governance): Implements governance practices, manages data definitions and quality, maintains data within operational systems and performs day-to-day data management activities.

  • IT Lead (Technical Configuration and Advisory Role): Provides technical guidance on system configuration and implications. Advises Data Custodians and Data Stewards on technical setup, tests viability, and recommends alternatives that support effective data use and system functionality.