What counts as Public, Internal Use Only, or Restricted?
Everyday examples for CWRU students, faculty, researchers, and staff.
The key rule Classify the information by its contents and obligations—not by the application, file name, or who can open it. If classifications are mixed, apply the highest level.
And remember that BOX is a storage service that enables Case Western Reserve University to store, access and share files securely. Use BOX to store restricted, confidential data. It is the only approved platform for storing restricted data in the cloud.
You can check if you have a Box account using this tool, and find more information about Box at CWRU here.
| PUBLIC Approved for public disclosure | |
• University news releases and public event listings • Published course catalogs and course offerings • Public university policies, websites, and brochures | • Faculty/staff titles, work email, and office phone numbers • Published research and approved recruitment materials • Budget information approved for public release |
| INTERNAL USE ONLY Nonpublic information for authorized university use | |
• Internal emails, meeting notes, and draft presentations • Department budgets, strategic plans, and operational reports • Student grades and FERPA-suppressed directory information* | • Research plans, lab notebooks, and instrument data • Routine analysis results and software code without added restrictions • Nonpublic teaching materials and working documents |
| RESTRICTED Most sensitive information; highest protection required | |
• SSNs, Driving License numbers and Passport information • Patient health records and identifiable clinical research data • Payment-card transactions/CVV; NetID plus password | • Tenure deliberations, personnel appraisals, legal investigations • Export-controlled data, trade secrets, unreleased inventions • Proprietary information shared under third-party agreements |
Same university topic. Different classification.
| TOPIC | PUBLIC | INTERNAL USE ONLY | RESTRICTED |
| RESEARCH | Published journal article | Routine lab notebook | Export-controlled findings |
| STUDENTS | Published course listing | Student grades* | SSN linked to student name |
| EMPLOYEES | Posted work phone number | Internal team planning notes | Performance appraisal |
Important: *CWRU lists student grades as Internal Use Only, but FERPA still limits access and disclosure. Research contracts, privacy laws, and data-owner requirements may impose stronger protections.
Using AI? Do not enter Internal Use Only or Restricted data into personal or unapproved AI tools. A university license does not automatically authorize Restricted data or every connector/agent; follow the CWRU AI guidance and approval process.
CWRU source policies & examples: Classification policy · Public · Internal Use Only · Restricted · Research data . FERPA Policy