Privacy Policy

Collection of Personal Information

(1) "Personal information" means recorded information about an individual, including:

(a) information related to the race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability or marital or family status of the individual;

(b) information relating to the educational, medical, psychiatric, psychological, criminal, or employment history or remuneration of the individual or about financial transactions involving the individual;

(c) any identifying number, symbol or other identifier assigned to the individual;

(d) the home address or telephone number of the individual;

(e) the individual's personal opinions or views, except where they relate to someone else;

(f) correspondence or other communications received from the individual that is implicitly or explicitly confidential and replies to them that would reveal the contents of the originals;

(g) the views or opinions of another person about the individual;

(h) the individual's name where it appears with other personal information relating to the individual or where the disclosure of the name would reveal other personal information about the individual.

Information about an individual who has been dead for more than 30 years is not personal information.

(2) The University shall collect and/or record only such personal information as is either reasonably necessary to the proper administration of the University and its academic and other programs or is required by virtue of data collection or reporting requirements lawfully imposed upon the University by federal or provincial governmental authority.

Use of Personal Information

The University shall not use personal information in its custody or under its control except:

(a) where the person to whom the information relates has identified that information in particular and has consented to its use;

(b) for the purpose for which it was obtained or compiled or for a consistent purpose;

(c) for statistical analyses, provided that such analyses do not identify individuals or disclose other personal information; or

(d) in other circumstances, where the use of the information is necessary and proper in the discharge of the University's functions and responsibilities.

Disclosure of Personal Information

(1). The University shall not disclose personal information in its custody or under its control except,

(a) under the access to information Policy set out above;

(b) where the person to whom the information relates has identified that information in particular and has consented to its disclosure;

(c) for the purpose for which it was obtained or compiled or for a consistent purpose;

(d) to an officer or employee of the University who needs the record in the performance of his or her duty, including the preparation or checking of employment references;

(e) for the purpose of complying with a requirement to provide information lawfully imposed upon the University by a federal or provincial governmental authority;

(f) where disclosure is to an institution or a law enforcement agency in Canada, on presentation of a court order or otherwise under compulsion of law;

(g) where disclosure is necessary to aid in the investigation of allegations that individuals have made false statements or engaged in other misleading conduct

(1) concerning their attendance or performance or status within or completion of an academic program of the University or

(2) with respect to an employment relationship;

(h) where disclosure is made to another educational institution or to a professional licensing authority or board of certification or similar institution, provided that the University has made reasonable efforts to inform affected individuals of the existence of a practice of making such disclosures;

(i) in compelling circumstances affecting the health or safety of an individual if upon disclosure notification thereof is mailed to the last known address of the individual to whom the information relates;

(j) in compassionate circumstances, to facilitate contact with the next of kin or a friend of an individual who is injured, ill or deceased;

(k) to a person who has been authorized by the individual to whom the information relates to make an enquiry on that individual's behalf or, where that individual is incapacitated, has been authorized by the next-of-kin or legal representative of that individual;

(l) to the University Archives, for archival purposes;

(m) to any person for research or statistical purposes if the University Archivist, or other officer having custody of the records

(i) is satisfied that the purpose for which the information is to be disclosed is not contrary to the public interest and cannot reasonably be accomplished unless the information is provided in a form that would identify the individual to whom it relates; and

(ii) has approved conditions relating to the following;

- security and confidentiality,

- the removal or destruction of individual identifiers at the earliest reasonable time,

- the prohibition of any subsequent use or disclosure of that information in individually identifiable form without the express authorization of the University Archivist or other officer having custody of the records; and

(iii) obtains from the person a written agreement to comply with the approved conditions, this Policy and any other applicable University policy or procedure relating to the confidentiality of personal information.

(n) where disclosure is made to a physician or other health professional, to provide information for the assessment of disability, medical leave or similar claims.

(2). The restrictions on disclosure set out in this Policy do not apply to disclosure of the fact that an individual is or is not, or was or was not, registered in a particular college, school, faculty or other division in a particular session or to the fact that an individual has or has not successfully graduated or completed a program on a particular date or has or has not received particular academic or other University honours and distinctions.

Retention and Disposal of Personal Information

Administrative officers shall take reasonable precautions to protect the security of records containing personal information, shall retain such information only for reasonable periods of time and shall make reasonable arrangements for the disposition of such records in consultation with the University Archives when that reasonable period has expired.