Confidentiality of Personal Information

Policy and Procedure

Policy

Unity College Australia (UCA) has certain obligations in relation to the personal information which it collects and holds about its students, and information and communications relating to student enrolment and study.

Students are entitled to protection of their privacy, as are staff and others who might have dealings with UCA. Privacy considerations apply to all information UCA may hold about students/staff, including factual data (address, age, enrolment status, etc.), academic progress (results, evaluation and assessment and academic standing) and personal welfare (family matters, medical matters, financial matters, etc).

The college also has obligations to government, regulatory and registration bodies in relation to the collection, verification and retention of information and records.

UCA will seek to minimize and protect the information it needs to hold in respect of individual students/staff according to privacy laws and relevant legislation.

UCA’s processes and procedures for handling information provide:

  1. for the management of students’ personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles; and
  2. for students to access their personal information; and
  3. for students to have incorrect personal information corrected;
  4. accurate information about the use and disclosure of personal information collected by UCA, (including that the information may be disclosed to the Commonwealth and tuition assurance scheme operators).

Procedure

Data collected by the college will be limited to personal contact details and other factual data that is relevant to their activities as a student of the college. UCA may require access at times to personal information about you, in your interests.

To the extent that the information is private, UCA will restrict access to those staff who may need the information in order to carry out their responsibilities in your personal and/or academic interests as a student.

UCA will not disclose personal information of any students/staff to other students, or staff who have no need of access to the information, nor to people outside the college (other than in accordance with any legal or academic obligation, e.g. to government departments) without a person’s explicit written consent. In special circumstances a student’s personal information may be disclosed to the Commonwealth and tuition assurance scheme operators.

This means that UCA does not release any information held about students/staff, including addresses or results, even to close relatives, without explicit permission. As a general rule, details of friends, family members and others who contact UCA seeking information about students/staff (including personal contact details) will be passed on to the student/staff member, for action as they see fit.

The college gives the student the right to access their own personal information and will provide the information on formal request in most situations unless limited by the provision of Australian Privacy Principle 12.

Students are required to keep their personal contact information up to date and are requested to inform the college within 7 days of any change to phone, email or postal address details. This can be notified by email, through the Personal Details Update Form available from the central office, or in person at the student’s training centre.

Students applying to transfer to another tertiary institution, may request UCA to release to that institution or a tertiary admissions centre, information about their academic progress at this college. This may be done through your consent to this in your application to a new institution.

UCA commits itself to ensuring that all information about students/staff is stored securely.

UCA reserves the right to use any photographs, recordings and/or film or video taken of staff and students as part of college activities in its marketing materials. This right is acknowledged by students at the time of signing a Student Application form and by staff as part of their induction.

Legal Basis
Privacy Act 1988, the Privacy Amendment 2012 and Australian Privacy Principles (2014).

This Confidentiality & Handling of Personal Information Policy & Procedures is also noted in the following Unity College Australia documents:

• Student Handbook

• Staff Handbook