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Welcome to the UNC-Chapel Hill Institutional Privacy Office.

The University is committed to protecting the privacy of restricted or sensitive information collected, used and retained by the University. The Institutional Privacy Office (IPO) aims to be a valued partner that guides students, faculty, staff and all members of the University community in accomplishing this goal.

The IPO is a division of the Office of University Counsel. The mission of the Institutional Privacy Office is to monitor compliance with federal and state privacy regulations, as well as industry standards for protecting restricted or sensitive information collected, used and retained by the University. The IPO provides centralized oversight and guidance relating to applicable laws, regulations and policies that govern privacy-related activities for the University.

The IPO provides a comprehensive set of information privacy compliance services for the benefit of the University community. The functions of the IPO include:

  • Provide guidance on federal, state and international laws and regulations that govern different types of protected information and how that information may be used or disclosed.
  • Advise University constituents on limiting the use, disclosure, nature and amount of data; implementing reasonable safeguards and data management plans to protect data.
  • Develop and update policies and procedures to ensure compliance with applicable privacy requirements.
  • Review, revise and develop privacy statements, privacy notices, authorizations, user acknowledgments and attestations.
  • Review, edit and negotiate business associate and data sharing agreements with third parties or collaborators that may receive or transmit data.
  • Investigate and respond to privacy incidents to determine if there has been an unauthorized acquisition, access, use or disclosure of protected data that compromises the privacy and security of the data and requires reporting under applicable laws, regulations or contract.
  • Prepare and implement training to University workforce members.

Contact Us

For more information, contact the Institutional Privacy Office at:

Institutional Privacy Office
103 Airport Drive, Suite 106
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
Phone: 919-962-6332
Email: privacy@unc.edu