This Privacy Notice explains how we will collect, use, disclose and protect your personal data.
The Notice applies to both prospective and current students at Lancaster University, including undergraduate and postgraduate students, those on short courses and part-time and International Study School students when using the amenities of Lancaster University. After you have completed a course at Lancaster University your personal data will also be used so that we can offer career support and as described in the Philanthropy, Alumni and Supporter Engagement (PASE) Privacy Notice.
The University will process your personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
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We collect personal information from you such as your contact details, education and training records, employment information and financial details.
We may also hold special category data such as about your racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, sexual orientation and physical or mental health as well as information relating to your immigration status and criminal convictions.
In the course of your studies at Lancaster University we will collect further information about you including:
Your academic record;
Learning analytics data e.g. attendance records;
Any records relating to student policies and procedure cases e.g. malpractice, disciplinary actions;
Financial Information;
Information about your support needs e.g. disabilities and long term medical conditions;
Information related to the provision of IT services, such as IP addresses, usernames, email addresses and other network data.
There are a number of collection points to obtain your information:
Directly from you when you make an enquiry to the University about becoming a student;
When you register and/or attend an open day/outreach activity;
When you make an application to become a student e.g. through UCAS or the University’s Postgraduate Portal and other routes such as the National Clearing House for Clinical Psychology;
When you register and re-register your details with the student portal (LUSI: Lancaster University Student Information) on an annual basis;
The Student Loans Company, awarding bodies and if you apply for a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA);
From an education event or fair organised by third part stakeholders such as a UCAS fair, Schools’ fairs, or an International fair organised by the British Council, Ministries and Sponsors in country or one of our agents working overseas;
If you are a student with one of our international or regional teaching partners your information may be captured through our partners own systems prior to transfer to the University;
If you are a student at the Lancaster University International Study Centre your information will be held on the student portal (LUSI) of Lancaster University;
From a student exchange scheme such as Erasmus;
From surveys/questionnaires e.g. careers thinking survey;
Through services such as TARGETconnect when you engage with the careers service;
When you provide us with your financial information e.g. if you set up an online credit account;
If you have declared a disability or long term medical condition we will collect additional information about your specific support needs in order that we can make appropriate arrangements;
Through the collection of learner analytics data;
Our IT infrastructure collects information for the purposes of systems administration, required to provide you with digital services, and to audit the use of our systems. We would only use this information to identify individuals in situations affecting the security of systems or University data or where it is necessary to enforce compliance with the University's terms of use.
We use your personal data to assist you in becoming a student at the University and for the administration of your position as a student and so that we are able to provide a range of services and support for you. We will share your information with university staff when there is a justified operational need so that we can provide you with appropriate academic and pastoral support. This may include the sharing of special category personal data and could include university staff working in locations outside of the EU. Once you become a student your University email address will be part of the global email address list, available for all staff and students to access.
Please read our full list of all the reasons for using your personal information. This shows the legal basis that we use for processing your information. This is typically as part of a task carried out in the public interest or for the Universities official function as a public authority but may also be for; a legal obligation, as part of entering into a contract with you as a prospective student, the contractual arrangement with you as a student at the University, a legitimate interest. If none of these apply then we will seek your consent to use your information.
The University will share your personal data with a number of different organisations including:
Funding bodies such as the Student Loan Company and research councils;
Lancaster University Students Union;
The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
We are required to return important information, including your personal data to HESA. Please see HESA’s collection notice.
The University will ensure that the sharing of data is in line with data protection legislation. In many cases the University does not need to seek your consent to share this information, in particular when there is a legal or statutory obligation to provide the information.
In emergency situations i.e. a life or death situation the University may share your personal data, including sensitive personal data with organisations/individuals such as a medical professional or the police service.
Sometimes we may need to share your personal data with other organisations based within or outside the European Union (EU).
When it is necessary to share your data with organisations outside of the European Union, we will ensure that there are appropriate safeguards in place, thereby offering a comparable level of protection of your data as within the EEA.
The University has robust Information Security policies in place to protect your information. All staff in the University have a responsibility to make sure that your data is handled securely.
Your record of educational achievement and your alumni record will be retained permanently. More detailed records will be kept for a defined retention period, and only as long as is necessary.
For further information please refer to the University’s retention schedule.
You have the following rights regarding your personal data:
To have access to your personal data - for further information see the Subject Access page;
To have inaccurate or incomplete personal data amended;
To have your personal data deleted – this will only apply when there is no legitimate reason for the University to continue to use your personal data;
To restrict the use of your personal data;
To request personal information in a digital form so that you can provide to other organisations;
To object to automated decision making and profiling;
To withdraw consent when we have used consent as the basis for using your information.
If you wish to exercise your rights you are advised to first read this information as there are some exceptions to using your rights. For example it is a statutory duty for the University to send some of your information to HESA each year. In this case you could not apply to restrict this use of your information.
Any requests to use your rights over your personal data should be made to the University’s designated Data Protection Officer.
You are required to read this Privacy Notice when it is presented to you during your application to the University and during your registration period. It is important that you do this so you understand how we use your personal information and your rights.
Please assist the University in keeping your student record up to date e.g. phone number, address. This can be via UCAS, the Postgraduate Portal, the agents' portal or the student portal (LUSI) when you are a student of the University.
Lancaster University’s designated Data Protection Officer is:
Contact Mike if you have any concerns or complaints about this Notice or about the way your personal data is being used.
Lancaster University is the Data Controller for the personal data that it holds about you. The University’s contact details are:
Lancaster University Bailrigg Lancaster LA1 4YW United Kingdom
If you are not happy with the way the University has handled your concern or complaint then you may submit a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office.
This Notice has been developed to be compliant with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). This Notice is regularly reviewed and sometimes updated. It is important that you check for updates to this Notice. If we make significant changes we will contact you to inform you of this.
