Intended Audience and Contact Information
| Contact | Chief Data Officer, Office of the CIO |
|---|---|
| UDM Domain | Person |
| Intended Audience | Internal UBC |
Purpose
This standard aims to achieve consistency around the data collected for Language information and the format in which it is collected and stored.
This standard is based on the International Organization for Standards' (ISO) ISO 639 and Classification of knowledge of non-official languages: 2011 National Household Survey. This standard applies to all UBC applications collecting Language. Exceptions are listed in the Dispensation section.
Standard
Language Standard
The list of language codes and languages available as part of the ISO 639 standard and the list of non-official languages available from Statistics Canada have been adopted in its entirety by UBC to refer to languages. The following versions of ISO 639 are available, along with cross-mapping between them, on Collibra at: https://ubc.collibra.com.
| Version | Definition |
|---|---|
| ISO 639-2:1998 | Three-letter language codes. |
| ISO 639-1:2002 | Two-letter language codes. |
Language information of a person must only be collected "when it relates directly to and is necessary for a program or activity of UBC, and only from the individual, rather than from a third party"1.
Guideline for Data Collection
Language information of a person must only be collected as "Languages Spoken" with a corresponding multi-select field.
Language information must be collected along with a context aid at all times. For example, for the purpose of language proficiency for certain courses.
Compliance
Compliance to this standard is required at every stage of the data lifecycle with the exception of dispensations listed on the Dispensation section.
- Applications where Language information is collected, must collect this information as recommended in this standard.
- Enterprise Data Integration must adopt this standard.
Dispensation
Legacy systems are exempt from this data standard. Examples of legacy systems are:
- Student Information System (SIS)
- Human Resource Management System (HRMS)
- Finance Management System (FMS)
As systems are replaced, adoption of this standard is required.
As existing systems change to adopt this standard, the Enterprise Data Governance team needs to be informed.