Faculty of Society and Culture Student Success Team privacy notice

Information you need to know

The Faculty of Arts, Professional and Social Studies Student Success Team is part of Liverpool John Moores University. See further information on the institution.

Liverpool John Moores University is the Data Controller.

Our Data Protection Officer can be contacted at DPO@ljmu.ac.uk.

This privacy notice explains how we use your personal information and your rights regarding that information.

For information about how the wider university uses personal data please see the Privacy notice section of our website.

Information we are collecting

We collect a minimum amount of information to enable us to deliver the service and evaluate its effectiveness. In all cases, this will include your:

  • name
  • student ID
  • contact details (for example, email address and telephone number)

In some cases, students who use our service may choose to share sensitive personal information with us. Where appropriate, we may advise or direct you to access support from specialist services within the university, such as the Mental Health or Counselling teams.

We may keep a record of our interactions with you where this is necessary to support the provision of the service. We will make you aware when we intend to record this information.

Source of the personal data

Personal data is collected directly from LJMU students who use the service, and may also be provided by LJMU staff where a student has been referred to the Student Success Team.

Why we are collecting your data and the legal basis for this

We process personal data in accordance with the principles of the GDPR and only where there is a valid lawful basis to do so.

LJMU collects and processes your personal data in order to provide Student Success Team support services and to meet its obligations to you as a student. All processing is carried out in accordance with UK GDPR and is based on one or more lawful grounds.

In most cases, your data is processed under Article 6(1)(b), where it is necessary for the performance of your student contract, and Article 6(1)(e), where it is necessary for the university to carry out its functions as a public authority.

In limited circumstances, personal data may also be processed under Article 6(1)(d), where it is necessary to protect your vital interests or those of another person, for example in a medical emergency.

Where special category personal data is processed (for example, information relating to your health or wellbeing), this will be done either with your explicit consent under Article 9(2)(a), or where necessary for reasons of substantial public interest under Article 9(2)(g).

Who has access to this data

Your personal data will be used only by relevant LJMU staff where it is necessary for them to carry out their designated role.

Academic staff, such as module leaders, programme leaders and personal tutors, may share information with us from the university’s My Engagement application. This application collates information about your use of LJMU digital resources, including Canvas, assessment submissions, library systems and printing, as well as your attendance record. We use this information to identify whether you may benefit from additional support and to contact you where appropriate, with the aim of supporting your progression and enhancing your student experience.

If we have a serious concern about your safety or wellbeing, or the safety or wellbeing of others, we may disclose relevant information to the Director of Student Life and Wellbeing and their nominated representatives without your consent. Where this happens, we will explain the reasons for the disclosure to you.

Information about student circumstances may be discussed within the Student Success Team and with line managers, where necessary, to support case management, staff development and service improvement. Relevant information may also be shared with other colleagues within the faculty where this is required for them to carry out their designated role.

This is not an exhaustive list and will depend on the circumstances of each case. In all instances, we will ensure that personal data is only shared where necessary and that you are informed about how your information is being used and shared, and the reasons for doing so.

How the university protects your data

We are committed to keeping your personal data safe in line with data protection legislation and the university’s information security and data protection policies.

Student cases are recorded using the university’s case management system, and records may be held electronically and/or in paper format. In some cases, a combination of recording and storage methods may be used.

Access to the case management system is restricted and password-protected, with different levels of access applied depending on staff roles. Case records and notes are only accessed by authorised members of the Student Success Team where this is necessary for them to carry out their role.

How long the university keeps your data

Your personal data is retained in accordance with the University’s Records Retention Schedule.

Student cases and case notes are retained for a period of six years after you leave the university. After this time, the information is securely deleted from the case management system and any paper records are confidentially destroyed.

Where a student leaves the university and subsequently returns, the retention period will run for six years from the end of the most recent period of study.

Your rights

As a data subject, you have a number of rights. You can:

  • access and obtain a copy of your data on request - this could be in a portable electronic format
  • request that the university changes incorrect or incomplete data if you think that it is inaccurate or out of date
  • request that the university delete or stop processing your data, for example where the data is no longer necessary or legally required for the purposes of processing

If your personal data has been provided by consent, you have a right to withdraw that consent at any time. If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact the Data Protection Officer at DPO@ljmu.ac.uk.

If you do not provide data

If you choose not to provide the information required, we may not be able to offer you certain aspects of the Student Success Team service.

Transfers of data outside the UK

We normally keep your personal data within the UK. In some cases, however, we may need to transfer it to another country - for example, to deliver a contract with you or to work with a partner organisation such as a university based overseas.

Whenever this happens, we make sure your information stays protected. This could be through a UK “adequacy regulation” (which confirms that the other country’s data protection laws are up to UK standards) or by putting strong safeguards in place.

These safeguards might include model contractual clauses, formal data sharing or processing agreements, or binding corporate rules. In short, even if your data travels abroad, it will continue to be treated with the same care and respect as it would under UK law.

Automated decision-making

We do not use computers to make decisions about you based solely on your personal data. Any decisions that affect you will always be made by a human, ensuring that you are treated fairly.

How to complain to the university

You have a right to complain to the university if you think it has not properly responded to your request for personal information or feel it has not handled your personal data responsibly.

If you are not satisfied with how your request for information or how your personal data has been handled, you should set out your complaint in writing to:

Maria Burquest
University Secretary and General Counsel
Legal and Governance Services
2nd Floor Exchange Station
Tithebarn Street
Liverpool
L2 2QP

or by email via DPO@ljmu.ac.uk.

How to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office

You have the right to complain to The Information Commissioner if you believe that our processing of your personal data does not meet our data protection obligations. The Information Commissioner can be contacted using the following details:

  • Post: Information Commissioners Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK95AF.
  • Telephone: 0303 123 1113.
  • Email: contact can be made by accessing the ICO website.