Student Services Privacy Notice

This section provides information on what personal data we (Student Services) collect and reuse from other University systems; how and why we collect it; and for how long we keep it if you access additional services in connection with your health, well-being, safety or career aspirations.

What personal information do we hold about you?

As well as asking you to reconfirm identifying information such as your name, B number, email address, we will also ask for additional information about your personal circumstances such as the nature of your disability, your visa information, your career aspirations or the full and frank details of the issue on which you need our support, advice or guidance.

Why do we collect your information?

  • To offer the best and the most appropriate support to you, including identifying any arrangements you may need to access your studies and to recommend actions you can take.
  • To offer the most appropriate and most accurate, support, advice and guidance.

Who has access to your data at the University?

Your personal information will be shared with University staff who have the necessary skills, training and experience to support you, and is most likely to include staff within Student Services. This may mean staff having differing levels of access to information depending on the nature of the support you require and their role. If your circumstances such as a disability, long-term health condition or mental health difficulty require specific arrangements to support you, a note of these arrangements will be stored on your main student record; this note will be limited in detail and only visible to staff members who require this information to support you.

We may share information outside of Student Services but within the University, such as with your school or department.

Who do we share your data with outside the University?

Wherever possible we will not share your data with anyone else unless discussed with you. However, there are exceptions to this and the most common examples of this are:

  • We may consider there is an overwhelming need to share information to protect your well-being and the well being of others. For example, when we are sufficiently concerned for your safety to consider it a matter of life and death or serious harm we may need to share information with a statutory service such as the NHS or an emergency contact. The emergency contact may be a parent, guardian, family member or friend of your choosing. We will only do this if we judge that there is the clear legal reason of either vital interests or our legitimate interests to do this. We believe this is more proportionate, empowering and legitimate than operating a blanket opt-in method for parental consent.
  • Sometimes the University has obligations in relation to our position as a public body to consider. This includes Safeguarding where we need to identify and intervene appropriately where children and adults may be in a vulnerable situation. It includes also the University’s Prevent obligations in preventing people being drawn into terrorism. If we believe there is a Safeguarding or Prevent issue we are obligated to report to the necessary authorities such as the Police or Social Care Services.
  • As part of the University’s requirement to provide current student data for statistical returns to government agencies such as the Higher Education Statistics Agency and Learning Records Service, a note of any disability (but no further details) will be provided to them.
  • If you ask us to help in an issue such as a dispute involving third parties, we may need to contact those third parties and share your data. If you are unable to agree to that sharing of information we may not be able to progress your issue.

THIRD PARTIES

If you are a student, it is important you understand that if your issue involves providing us with details about third parties, the University will apply strict data protection standards to personal data collected about those third parties and this includes upholding the rights of those individuals. If you are providing details of third parties, it is good practice that you let those individual(s) know you are sharing information about them, provided it is safe and appropriate to do so. 

If you are a third party, please note that the University believes it can be in our legitimate interest to collect information on you, for example if you are part of a dispute or a witness to an incident in which one of our students is involved. We will retain personal data on third parties only for as long as is necessary to provide support to our student(s).

How long do we keep your information?

We aim to keep your personal information for three years on completion of your studies. However, in some instances, for example where there are interactions with the statutory services or where legal implications might be ongoing, we may keep your personal information for six years. After this time, it will be destroyed. During the time we retain your personal data, we will act to minimise the personal information we hold about third parties.

You have rights in respect of your personal data which means that in most circumstances you can request having your personal data removed.  To request this contact us on 01509 222765, by email to Studentservices@lboro.ac.uk or visit the Bridgeman Building. You should note that this will mean University staff are not aware of your needs and therefore this may mean that some or all of the arrangements or help put in place for you, will no longer be available.

General

Loughborough University does not sell your data to third parties or other organisations.

From time to time, Loughborough University will use your personal data to conduct analysis that will provide useful information.

Careers Network will use the data you have provided either directly to the University or that has been provided by third parties to the University (e.g. UCAS), including four of the nine protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, to contact and invite you to take part in tailored events and activities to support you with your personal and professional development.  The four protected characteristics are detailed below:

  • age
  • disability
  • race
  • sex

Careers Network will:

  • Utilise this data on the legitimate interest legal basis, as it is in the University’s interest in line with Positive Action to provide equality of opportunity and outcomes for our students.
  • Always provide an opportunity for you to opt out of activities and communications.
  • Process other data including your answers to the Careers confidence survey (completed upon registration), academic data (including whether you have or intend to undertake a placement) and personal data, including data about your POLAR quintile (The participation of local areas (POLAR) classification groups areas across the UK based on the proportion of the young population that participates in higher education) in order to contact you regarding events and activities to support your personal and professional development.

Who can I contact?

If you have a general question about how your data is used for health, wellbeing, advice and guidance services, please do contact us.  You can contact Dr Manuel Alonso, Director of Student Services via email at m.alonso@lboro.ac.uk  Please also contact this email if you have a concern or complaint about how your data is being handled.

Complaints about Data Protection

If you have taken steps to have a concern or complaint about Loughborough University’s handling of data resolved but are still not satisfied you have a right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), who are the relevant regulator for data privacy and protection matters. 

The ICO can be contacted via their website.

Updates to this policy - This section was last updated in September 2022. It is reviewed as necessary. If there are significant changes in the processing of your personal data which will impact you, we will act to inform your directly.