Colleges and universities should be among the world's leading institutions in the field of data governance. After all, higher education institutions are dedicated to the creation and dissemination of knowledge. Why, then, do those who work in colleges and universities often have so much difficulty corralling information about their own operations and using it to share a consistent story with their stakeholders? This article describes the five pillars of Notre Dame's Data Governance Network, whose design emphasizes two very important points about data governance. First, placing "Access to Data" at the top of the model communicates a clear end-goal of the program: providing individuals who have legitimate business needs with the ability to access the data they need in a timely, effective manner. Second, placing "Technology" at the base of the model conveys that data governance programs are not all about technology. Although technology may serve as a foundational tool for the development of strong data practices, these remain business processes that are "supported by" technology. The platform that supports data-driven decision-making across the institution should build toward the common goals of creating a data environment that embraces the five pillars of Quality & Consistency, Policies & Standards, Security & Privacy, Compliance, and Retention & Archiving.