Privacy and personal data of (prospective) students
Regulations
The processing of student data is inextricably linked to the educational activities of Ghent University.
Ghent University handles the personal data of (prospective) students accurately and carefully, in application of
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (privacy legislation)
- Generic code of conduct for the processing of personal data and confidential information
- Policy for correct usage of the UGent ICT infrastructure
Processing
(Prospective) students will be informed about the use of their data, both when they do an enrolment application, a(n) (re-)enrolment or registration.
All personal data of (prospective) students that are collected through an (online) enrolment application, (re-)enrolment or registration are stored in a database of Ghent University.
These personal data are primarily used to manage the academic career of the (prospective) student concerned in the context of educational activities.
This includes all processing of personal data required for administrative purposes as part of the proper execution of Ghent University's teaching activities based on legal grounds, such as the following:
- Administrative actions concerning
- Enrolment application, (re)enrolment, registration
- Tuition fees
- Examination and study progress decisions in accordance with the Education and Examination Code
- Student facilities and study allowance
- Processing as part of
- Student counselling, study choice counselling, study and learning track counselling, psychosocial counselling at the request of the person concerned and counselling with regard to career choice
- Preparing (education-related) policy choices
- Quality assurance and organisation analysis
- Alumni association
- Sending information relevant to (prospective) students in the context of the aforementioned proper execution of the educational activities.
In addition to legally required processing operations, certain processing operations may also take place in the context of student and education administration if the student has given explicit permission for them upon enrolment (e.g. making study results available to the secondary school in the context of activities for the school’s alumni).
Student facilities and study allowance
In order to investigate your possible entitlement to the requested study grant, we need certain (personal) data from you. This concerns your surname, first name, address details, student number, telephone number and nationality. Depending on the type of application you submit, additional personal data may be required such as, for example, about your social and financial situation. These data are collected from Oasis or through you during your application and this in order to carry out Ghent Universities’ educational mission in the general interest, or on the basis of an agreement between you and Ghent University, and the preparation thereof.
Within Ghent University, these data are processed by the employees of the Social Services and Financial Administration. These data are only transferred to the Study Grants Department of the Flemish Government (in the context of advances on study grants).
Exchange of personal data under international and inter-university cooperation agreements
Within the framework of international and interuniversity cooperation agreements, personal data are exchanged . This is always done in accordance with the GDPR provisions and processing provisions set out in the relevant agreements between the parties exchanging the data. Depending on the type of cooperation within which the student's enrolment or registration falls, the following sets of personal data are used:
- Joint programmes and course units Flemish and the French Community of Belgium
- Joint International Programmes
- Double Degrees and '3+2-agreements'
- International student exchange
Personal data may be exchanged in the context of enrolment/registration, admission and selection procedure, curriculum and study results, student mobility through ERASMUS or bilateral agreements and ad hoc problem solving on demand of the student.
The sets of personal data include a concrete list of all personal data that may be exchanged.
Access
Once the (re)enrolment is completed, the student can at any time consult and modify his/her privacy preferences in the Oasis web application for students.
Communication of personal data to third parties
Personal data of (prospective) students will not be passed on to third parties, except if Ghent University is obliged to do so by law or decree or in cases and in the manner stated below.
Students will be made aware of these regulations when they do an enrolment application, (re-)enrol or register. They can at any time consult and change their personal privacy settings regarding the communication of personal data to third parties via the available web application.
Ghent University will not communicate any examination results or information concerning graduation to third parties, except in specific cases for which the student has given his explicit permission via the Oasis web application.
For example, the study results of students who have given their permission via the web application may be communicated to their secondary school or students may indicate whether they wish to be contacted by the press if these have expressed an interest in their master's thesis.
At the request of the student or third parties, Ghent University may verify the authenticity of the diplomas, certificates and attestations it issues if these documents are submitted to the Department of Educational Policy - Registrar's Office.
At the official request of the police and the court (addressed to the Department of Administrative Affairs - Legal Office), personal data of (prospective) students may be communicated.
Inspection and correction
Every (prospective) student may request inspection and correction of the personal data that Ghent University holds about him/her by means of the application form.
Applications for inspection and correction relate to the data stored permanently in files by Ghent University, not to the inspection and correction of individual files.
You will receive an answer within 30 days after receipt of your request.
Ghent University may request additional information to ascertain the merits of an application or the identity of an applicant. Ghent University reserves the right to refuse your application for duly justified reasons. This is the case, for example, if your application is manifestly unfounded or excessive.
For further questions about the various rights and obligations in the field of privacy, or if you believe that your personal data are wrongly and/or incorrectly being processed by Ghent University, please contact the Data Protection Officer of Ghent University at privacy@ugent.be
If you believe that insufficient action has been taken in response to your request or complaint, you can contact the Flemish regulator as follows:
Vlaamse Toezichtcommissie voor de verwerking van persoonsgegevens
Koning Albert II-laan 15
1210 Brussel
Phone: +32 (0)2 553 50 47
Contact