Statement to Students on Protection of Personal Information

Statement to Students on the Use and Disclosure of Personal Information that is held about a Student
Students are entitled to protection of their privacy, as are staff and others who might have dealings with the University. The University is subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). Privacy considerations apply to a great deal of information the University may hold about students, including factual data (address, age, enrolment status, etc.), academic progress (examination results, evaluation and assessment and academic standing) and personal welfare (family matters, medical matters, financial matters, etc.)

Council members, office holders, and staff of the University, and other authorised persons, may require access at times to personal information about students. To the extent that the information is private, the University will restrict access to those persons who need the information in order to carry out their responsibilities in your personal and/or academic interests as a student of this University.

The University will not disclose personal information about a student to other students, to people outside the University (other than in accordance with any legal or academic obligation or as detailed below) or those persons who have no need of access to the information, unless you tell us, in writing, that you have given consent.

This means that the University does not release any information it holds about students, including addresses or results, even to close relatives without the student’s consent. The University does not confirm to a third party that a student is, or has been a student of the University unless the student has a record of graduation, as that is a public document.

There are some exceptions to the general application of this policy that may reflect obligations imposed on the University by law or the requirements for normal operation of the University. These include the following:

• releasing statistical information to the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) and other educational bodies
• telling the Australian Tax Office about a student’s Commonwealth supported fee liabilities
• publishing examination results and the award of a prize or scholarship
• in the case of an international student or permanent resident, giving the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and DEEWR certain information which the University is required to release
• providing information to Centrelink
• providing information in response to a subpoena, summons, or written demand from an administrative body, organisation or Commonwealth, State or Territory authority with the power to request the information
• where a student is alleged to have committed, have been involved in, or be aware of a criminal offence, assisting the police by providing them with personal information about that student for the enforcement of the criminal law
• protecting a student or someone else from a serious and imminent threat to their life or health
• notifying a health-related condition, which the University is required to notify under law
• if a student applies to transfer to another tertiary institution, releasing to that institution or a tertiary admissions centre information about that student’s academic progress at this University
• releasing examination results, academic and administrative information to a student’s home institution if he or she is studying at this University as a cross-institutional or exchange student
• if readmission to, or continued stay at, an Affiliated College or Hall of Residence is dependent on a student’s academic results or enrolment status, providing that information to the College or Hall
• providing a list of enrolled students to the returning officer or other appointed electoral bodies for elections of student representatives on official University bodies, official ANU student associations and ANU Union Board
• releasing information pursuant to University Statutes, Rules, Orders, policies and procedures or a contractual obligation to which the student has agreed
• using the personal information about a student in circumstances where the student has commenced proceedings against the University
• publications about research activities undertaken by the University in which a student has been involved
• contacting students for academic and administrative purposes connected with the University
• releasing examination results, academic and administrative information to ANU College for any student enrolled in the ANU Associate Degree co-taught with ANU College.

On graduation from the University, students will become a member of the University’s Alumni. As an Alumnus the graduate will be contacted by the University (or external parties appointed by the University) for purposes that include Alumni networking and providing the graduate with benefits, services and details of events provided by ANU Alumni Association or the University.

Acceptable Use Of communication and Information Systems

You should familiarise yourself with the responsibilities of users and of the University, and the Policy settings within ANU for the acceptable use of communication and information systems. The policy also provides guidance to the University community on complying with University policies and relevant legislation; specifies practices that mitigate against unauthorised or inappropriate use; and contains information about the University’s responsibilities and how problems will be managed.

Further information is available at http://info.anu.edu.au/Policies/_PVC/Policies/Acceptable_Use_Communication_Information.asp

For further information on the University policy on the collection, use and control of personal information, see the website http://www.anu.edu.au/legal/content/privacy