The University of Aberdeen is committed to protecting your personal information and being clear about the information we collect and how we use it. We take our responsibilities seriously as the controller of your personal information under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018.
Information that we collection and use about you
The University collects and uses the following personal information about registered students.
(Please note that we do not hold all categories of personal information for all students, and the list may not be exhaustive.)
- Your personal details: your title, name, gender, date of birth, nationality and image
- Equalities information: your ethnic origin, religious belief, sexual orientation
- Your personal and University contact details: postal addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers
- Your next-of-kin and family details
- Your education and qualifications
- Your immigration status, visa documentation and previous addresses
- Your application for admission and references
- Your Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) membership information and relevant criminal convictions
- Information about any disabilities and your health and welfare
- Your academic record: your programme of study, attendance, progress, academic conduct, examinations and submissions, examiners’ reports and graduation
- Your research interests and publications
- Your fee status, funding arrangements and payments
- Your survey responses
- Your use of University buildings, library services, support services, sports facilities and IT facilities
- Your non-academic conduct, non-academic activities and career interests
Why we process personal information, and our lawful basis
We collect this information from you during the admission, registration and graduation processes and during your period of study at the University.
We also receive the following personal information about you from these sources:
- Information about you, your background and your application for admission from the Universities & Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)
- Information about you, your background and your academic record from the University’s online and overseas academic delivery partners
- Information about your health, disability and educational needs from medical practitioners and educational psychologists
- Your PVG membership record and any updates from Disclosure Scotland
We collect and use your personal information for the purposes of recruitment and admission of students; registration and maintenance of student records; academic assessment, managing progress, certification and graduation; administering fees; student communications; providing student support services, library services, sports services and IT services; managing student accommodation; to deliver teaching and promote research; and to administer the University.
There are several lawful bases on which the University routinely processes your personal information. These are:
- to fulfil the University’s contractual relationship with you
- to comply with our legal obligations under equalities, health and safety, immigration, safeguarding and higher education governance legislation
- for the University’s statutory powers to provide teaching, promote research and administer the University
- the legitimate interests of the University to provide you with the best student experience
- your consent for use of optional support services
Disclosing your information
The University routinely shares your personal information in the following ways:
- to comply with our legal obligation to provide information to the Higher Education Statistics Authority on behalf of the Scottish Funding Council. The ways in which HESA handles your personal information is described in their privacy notice.
- to comply with our legal obligations as a licensed sponsor of employment visas to provide information to the UK Government.
- to comply with our legal obligations to provide relevant information about entrants to professions and conduct to professional regulatory bodies, and about relevant conduct of PVG Scheme members to Disclosure Scotland.
- to confirm your eligibility for tuition fee funding with agencies including the Student Awards Agency for Scotland and the Student Loans Company.
- To enable your participation in the National Student Survey by passing your contact details to Ipsos MORI on behalf of the Office for Students. The way in which your personal information is handled for the Survey is described in their privacy notice.
- to confirm your attendance and academic progress to your sponsor, such as your embassy, or the institution through which you are studying.
- to notify Aberdeen University Students Association of your status as a registered student under our obligation to ensure there is an effective student union.
- to notify Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council of your status as a registered student if you register a relevant term-time address to facilitate your student discount or exemption from council tax.
- to publicise your award at graduation via media organisations, and promote the University’s teaching, research and publication activities on the University website.
The third party suppliers we use for IT and service delivery support also have access to your personal information in order to provide these services to the University.
We may disclose personal information to other recipients in exceptional circumstances or when required to do so by law.
We will transfer your personal information to countries and organisations outside the European Union where necessary when you participate in our exchange or study abroad programmes. We have agreements in place with our partners to safeguard your information.
The University retains a core record of students in perpetuity.
How long your information is kept
We retain your other personal information,
- whilst the information is relevant to your studies at the University, and
- for a period that allows for the exercise or defence of legal claims, and
- in accordance with codes of practice for the University’s role as a licensed sponsor of employment visas, as a registered employer with Disclosure Scotland and to supply information to professional regulatory bodies.