Fair processing statement

Coventry University will process your personal data:

for any purposes connected with your studies;
in connection with the supply of services or goods;
for your health and safety whilst on University premises;
to inform you about further study opportunities;
to provide Alumni services and to raise funds;
and for any other legitimate reason.

Processing may include but will not be limited to compilation of data regarding your attendance at the University. Information about you may be disclosed to other bodies as required by law (including information about you post university work or study situation), for crime prevention or detection purposes, or in order to comply with our obligations as a sponsor of migrants licensed by the UK Border Agency and any successor to it. Disclosures will also be made by the University as outlined below.

Your personal data may be processed outside of the European Economic Area (EEA). If your personal data is transferred outside of the EEA by the University it will endeavour to ensure that appropriate contractual provision covering use, disclosure and security are in place. Your personal data will be retained in accordance with the University’s Archive Policy.

Disclosure of personal data

The University may disclose your personal data:

to government departments and agencies, including but not limited to the Home Office, the Child Support Agency, Strategic Health Authorities, information sharing partners, and the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Further information about the uses for which HESA processes personal data can be found on the HESA website. Your contact details may also be passed to the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE) or its agents for the purpose of administering the national student survey, and to the University's agents for the purpose of administering its own surveys. Some surveys will involve contacting you after you have left the University;
to Coventry University Students' Union to enable the Union to issue your NUS card, return lost property, deal with disciplinary matters and contact you in relation to service provision development, representation and democracy (please see the Student Union’s fair processing statement below);
to sponsors, to organisations providing or facilitating workplace, research or studies forming part of your course, to professional bodies where courses are accredited, to present/potential employers;
to suppliers of goods and services related to your studies, the provision of accommodation, communication facilities including but not limited to email, dropboxes and cloud computing;
to the University's service provider for validation purposes if you elect to make online payments to the University (in such circumstances only limited information (date of birth and ID numbers) will be disclosed);
to debt collection agencies acting on behalf of the University in the event that you owe money to the University which is not repaid within the appropriate timeframe;
to:
1. former schools/colleges,
2. local newspapers, and
3. on notice boards
for the purposes of releasing respectively results or award details;
on the University’s website for directory purposes. This means that your image, details and email address will be available worldwide, including in countries where the rights of data subjects are not protected by law. If you wish, you may opt to have your address withheld by emailing directory@coventry.ac.uk;
the University may hold information about you which constitutes ‘sensitive data’ as defined in the above Act, such as information about your ethnic group, relevant health records, the disability classification which you supply to the University and information about criminal offences and alleged criminal offences. The ethnicity information supplied will be used to comply with the requirements of HESA and equal opportunities legislation. Information on student admissions and progression will be publicly available; however, it will not be possible to identify individuals from this information, which will assist the University in ensuring equality of opportunity. The disability information supplied will be shared with relevant staff of the University in order to provide you with the best possible support for your studies and assessments. Personal data concerning alleged offences/criminal offences may be disclosed to appropriate members of staff and the University’s governors, to other persons or organisations either with your consent or in accordance with the law or in relation to suitability for:
1. student work placements,
2. student study placements/exchanges, or
3. whilst you are a student, for professional conduct purposes.
to your country’s high commission, embassy or consulate:
1. concerning your academic progress if your education is sponsored by your government, or
2. student study placements/exchanges, or
3. in the event that there is serious concern about your welfare, such information as is reasonably necessary to help safeguard your wellbeing.

Parents and guardians

Kindly note the University will not release information about you to your parents or guardians.

Please note that the University may contact you by post or by electronic means including telephone, text messages, email or any other suitable electronic method.

Students’ Union Statement: Data Protection Act 1998

Coventry University Students' Union collects information about students in the normal course of its operations. This information is only used for business relevant to and in the interests of the Students' Union and its members. Students are entitled to access any information held on files within the Students' Union in accordance with the Data Protection Act.

Coventry University Students' Union may share information about students with Coventry University from time to time.

Enrolment at Coventry University indicates consent to the uses of personal data as described above.

Can I opt out?

The University requires you to provide consent to process your personal data as described above. However, you may request that your personal data is not used for any or all of the following purposes:

to inform you about further study opportunities,
to provide Alumni services and to raise funds,
for Coventry University’s (website) directory (see paragraph h above )
by Coventry University Students’ Union.

To opt out for any or all of the purposes i.–iv. please write to the Legal Services Information Compliance Officer, Coventry University.

Your Data Protection rights

Under the Data Protection Act 1998 you have a number of rights these include but are not limited to the right to:

make a data subject access enquiry and this includes being provided with a copy of your personal data held by the University (a small fee is payable);
apply to a court for the rectification, blocking, erasure or destruction of inaccurate personal data relating to you.

For more details concerning these and your other rights please refer to the Information Commissioner’s Office website.

If you wish to make a data subject access enquiry of the University or you have complaint concerning data protection issues other than IT-related information security please contact the Legal Services Information Compliance Officer, Coventry University. If you have any concerns relating to IT related information security please contact the Service Improvement and Security Manager (email advice.its@coventry.ac.uk), Coventry University.

If you are not satisfied with the University’s proposed resolution of your complaint you have the right to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office:

Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF
Tel: +44 (0) 303 123 1113
Website: www.ico.org.uk