Kim Arnold
Director, Teaching & Learning Program,
EDUCAUSE
Privacy and Surveillance in HigherEd: Applying a T&L and Cybersecurity Lens
Thursday, November 13, 2025 | 10:10AM–10:55AM ET
Session Type:
Breakout Session
Delivery Format:
Presentation/Panel Session
As higher education becomes increasingly digital, institutions face a growing tension between the promise of innovation and the perils of surveillance. This session explores the evolving landscape of privacy risk and surveillance-driven technologies from two distinct, yet interconnected, lenses: teaching and learning and cybersecurity. Drawing on a broad research and application base, presenters will examine the implications of ubiquitous data collection on student and faculty agency, the emergence of the “datafied learner,” and the persistent challenges of aligning edtech tools with modern privacy paradigms. The session also highlights how a robust cybersecurity posture and a secure culture can mitigate risk and build trust. Attendees will leave with resources and strategies to promote transparency, strengthen data literacy, and advocate for ethical and secure learning environments. By the end of the session, participants will be able to analyze how modern edtech tools impact student and faculty privacy across academic and IT domains; identify core principles of cybersecurity and their roles and protecting sensitive institutional and personal data; apply strategies to foster a proactive security culture, including data literacy education and governance practices that help us move beyond compliance; and engage in institutional advocacy for stronger privacy standards and accountability in educational technology.
