Protecting the personal information and privacy of our students is a top priority for us. You may have questions about why your personal information is collected, who has access to it and how it is used. This page aims to answer those questions, including:
- Who collects my student information and why?
- How is my information used?
- Who has access to my information?
- What about photos of me?
- What information is restricted?
- How do I give consent to disclose my information?
- How is my privacy protected on assignments and grades?
- What are information sharing agreements?
- What security measures are used?
The answers to these questions do not replace the Protection of Privacy Act and Access to Information Act nor any Lethbridge Polytechnic policies. If a conflict exists between the information on this page and an Act or a polytechnic policy, the Act and polytechnic policy take precedence.
We only collect the personal information we need with respect to:
- Admissions
- Registration
- using a particular service, such as:
- Health Services
- Residence
- Recreation
Lethbridge Polytechnic only uses personal information for the purposes indicated when it was collected or for purposes consistent with the original reason it was collected. Your personal information may be used to:
- manage programs and services
- maintain financial records of your student account
- make appropriate contacts when emergencies occur
- provide library and computer services
- assist you in gaining practicum placements and employment upon program completion
- provide specific services
- provide alumni services
Each year, some personal information is provided to Alberta Learning or to Statistics Canada. These government departments require Lethbridge Polytechnic to provide specific reports that include information such as:
- student ID
- citizenship
- gender
- birth date
- program
- workload
- address information
- educational history
Government departments use this information for planning, to determine funding, to conduct enrolment audits, and for demographic and other statistical research purposes.
There are many restrictions on who has access to a student’s personal information. Some polytechnic employees need to use student information to:
- create class rosters
- process student accounts
- provide student housing
- send class emails
Upon request, the registrar will:
- confirm if an individual is registered
- identify the student’s program
- confirm graduation
A photograph or digital image of a student is deemed to be that person’s personal information. Your photo is used on your ID card.
Lethbridge Polytechnic protects personal privacy involving photographs with the same confidentiality as other personal information. Photos or videos taken for Lethbridge Polytechnic marketing purposes are taken in a manner that respects privacy concerns. If you are in the lens view, you will be notified.
Campus security cameras monitor some areas of the polytechnic. Typically, security videos are erased at regular intervals.
Instructors and other staff are restricted from providing references when students seek employment, unless a student provides written consent.
Without a student’s written consent, we cannot release personal information to parents, family members or other third parties. This includes information such as your:
- grades
- financial records
- residence address
- phone number
- class schedule
Student records are not accessible to all Lethbridge Polytechnic employees. Severing (whiting-out some parts) may be required before records are released.
To provide your written consent, you can write a letter or sign a consent form. Lawyers and investigators may provide release forms when working on a student case. Polytechnic departments may provide consent forms. A few examples include:
- athletes signing a form to disclose information to the league, fans and media
- students using forms available at Student Services so instructors can provide references to prospective employers
Corrected assignments should be picked up directly from instructors or by following pick-up instructions from that course. Grades can be posted only when instructors can ensure individual privacy is protected.
Lethbridge Polytechnic signs agreements to share student information with other government agencies and non-government agencies. Examples include:
- Apprenticeship Branch information about individual apprentices is shared with Lethbridge Polytechnic
- Students Finance Board financial information is shared about students who have loans
- the polytechnic enters into agreements to share students’ information with agencies who provide practicum experiences
Note: These agreements require the polytechnic to comply with specific conditions for how it provides or uses the information covered under the agreement.
Information collected from students through the admissions and registration process, as well as through other service departments is kept secure through restricted access. A computerized system is used to maintain many important records. Access to this system is restricted by password protection.