Introduction
This Privacy Notice explains how the University of Cumbria process your personal data when you make an application to study at the University of Cumbria.
If your application is successful, the Student Privacy Notice explains how your personal data will be handled.
This privacy notice is intended for applicants to our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and other programmes where a credit is offered.
This should be read together with our General Privacy Notice.
How do we get your personal data?
We get your personal data from the following sources:
Directly from you e.g.
- If you make a direct application to us
- As part of the application and selection process
From third parties e.g.
- Agencies e.g. UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service)
- Your employers e.g. if you are applying for an apprentice or CPD programme
- Your referees, previous schools, colleges and universities
What Personal Data Do We Process?
Personal data we process includes:
- Personal details e.g. name, address, contact details, your date of birth, gender
- The course you have applied for
- National insurance number (or other tax identification number), or national identity card details
- Residential status including visa and immigration details
- Country of domicile and nationality
- Qualifications, education and employment history
- Where relevant information about your experience of the care system
- Information about your family or personal circumstances
- Academic and extracurricular interests
- Information about your racial or ethnic origin; religion or similar beliefs; and sexual orientation
- Information held in supporting documents requested as part of your application e.g. your personal statement and academic references
- Information recorded during any interview or assessment process
In some cases, during the application process, we ask for:
- Criminal offences or convictions data, so that we can carry out criminal checks to ensure you are suitable for the course you have applied for
- Information about your health e.g. disability or medical condition so that we can provide you with relevant support during the admissions process
Why We Process Your Personal Data?
We process your personal data for purposes listed below:
- To assess your application to study with us
- To respond to a request for a review of an admissions decision
- To keep you informed of relevant news, events and information about us
- To provide you with information about the programme you have applied for
- To let you know about the outcome of the application
- To comply with relevant legal, regulatory and statutory obligations
- To contact you about your support needs and provide you with any reasonable adjustments you may need You will be given the option to say that you want information about your disability to remain confidential.
What is our legal basis for processing your personal data?
The lawful bases we rely on for processing your personal data are:
- It is necessary for the performance of our contractual obligations with you e.g. Student contract
- It is necessary to fulfil our legal obligations e.g. Equal Opportunities monitoring, Health and Safety, Visa and Immigration
- It is necessary for the performance of a ‘Public Task’ or task carried out in the public interest e.g. admissions and research
- It is necessary for our, or a third party’s legitimate interests e.g. to monitor our admissions process or to keep you informed of relevant news and events
We process “special categories” or personal information about your racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, physical or mental health, or gender identity and sexual orientation because you have given us consent or it is necessary for:
- Research and statistical purposes or
- Substantial public interests e.g. to identify if you need support, to consider reasonable adjustments, equal opportunities monitoring, to prevent fraud, for public safety etc.
Who will your personal data be shared with?
We share your personal data with our employees and agents on a need to know basis only. We also share your personal data with:
- Funding providers and/or partner organisations where you are engaging with a funded project or a partnership arrangement
- Your financial sponsors, including Local Education Authorities, Department for Education, the Student Loan Company, the NHS, employers, and funding councils
- Relevant professional, statutory and regulatory bodies depending on your course of study
- Government agencies or public bodies where we have a statutory obligation to share personal data e.g., UK Visas and Immigration, to act as your sponsor for visa purposes.
- Your referees and where relevant and as required
- Your school/college or training organisation or where appropriate international agencies
- Where relevant and as required, governmental bodies including local authorities, the Home Office, and the Department for Work and Pensions and its agencies.
- Individuals, companies or organisations who act as ‘data processors’ on our behalf.
Sometimes we may need to send your personal data outside the UK, for instance, if you are using an agent to submit your application.
When we share your data with organisations outside of the EEA, we will ensure that there are 'appropriate safeguards' in place as required under the UK GDPR.
How long will we keep your data?
We aim to keep your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes listed above.
If your application is successful and you register on a programme, your admissions file and relevant documentation will be retained in line with our Student Privacy Notice.
If your application is unsuccessful, your admissions file and relevant documentation will be retained for a minimum of the admissions process plus six months.
Your Rights
Details about your rights and how to exercise them are set out on our Data Protection webpage. There is also information about how we keep your personal data secure and how to ask questions or complain about the way your data is being handled.