Data Protection Workshop

“The GDPR improves processes within Mainz University of Applied Sciences”—with this statement regarding organizations and companies, Helmut Eiermann, Deputy State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information in Rhineland-Palatinate, concluded his presentation on the relevance of data protection for IT in public administration. This followed an informational event to which the university administration had invited staff members and professors. Dominik Hoffmann, the legal counsel for the relevant administrative unit, outlined Mainz University of Applied Sciences’ extensive efforts to ensure long-term compliance with an appropriate level of data protection. All participants agreed that while the GDPR entails increased administrative burdens in many areas, the benefits of data protection-oriented communication and data processing not only benefit the students of Mainz University of Applied Sciences but also raise overall awareness of data protection issues. In his welcoming remarks, President Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Muth also highlighted the numerous challenges that the digitization of the workplace entails, particularly for Mainz University of Applied Sciences. The question of adequate protection of communications must be addressed, as must numerous data protection and security aspects of IT. In his presentation, Dominik Hoffmann highlighted the extensive—and constantly growing—range of data protection services available on Mainz University of Applied Sciences’ intranet and thanked the university community for their contributions over the past few months. For example, through trusting collaboration with the data protection officer, numerous goals have already been achieved, and Mainz University of Applied Sciences certainly holds its own when compared to other institutions. As examples, Hoffmann cited the handling of data breaches, the development of procedures, and the formation of consensus regarding Mainz University of Applied Sciences’ data protection policy, which is scheduled to be adopted as a data protection management concept in the spring of 2019. The universities in Mainz and Bingen also benefit mutually from the cooperative approach to this issue, which Dominik Hoffmann is handling at both institutions. For the coming months, the Data Protection Office at Mainz University of Applied Sciences has on its agenda the further expansion of training offerings, the review of IT-related aspects, and the expansion of intranet services. From the university administration’s perspective, the visit by the data protection supervisory authority demonstrated that the path Mainz University of Applied Sciences has chosen is the right one. The review of processes and the establishment of a data protection management system therefore lead—despite the sometimes increased documentation requirements—to greater legal certainty for university members when handling personal data.