Privacy at Ghent University

This page is under construction. For more information, please contact the Data Protection Officer by e-mail via privacy@ugent.be.

Ghent University processes personal data of more than 9,000 staff members, 42,000 students, various alumni, external partners, visitors or other groups involved in the education, scientific research, quality assurance and business operations provided by Ghent University.

At Ghent University this data is handled in a careful and responsible way to safeguard the personal data and information of all data subjects concerned.

Your personal data is protected

Ghent University takes the protection of privacy very seriously. That is why the Executive Council of Ghent University approved the Generic Code of Conduct for the processing of personal data and confidential information on 18 May 2018.

With this Generic Code of Conduct Ghent University ratifies its General Data Protection Policy. Central to this is the security, accuracy, care and responsibility of the processing of personal data and confidential information, in addition to ensuring compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation.

Specific privacy information

For staff members

Why does Ghent University process data relating to its staff members?

For the organisation of human resources such as job applications, recruitment and selection, payroll administration and career administration of Ghent University employees, Ghent University processes personal data based on legal obligations; for the execution of an agreement with the (furutre) staff members or in the legitimate interest of the university or a third party.

The following processing activities are carried out, among others:

  • Keeping an administrative personnel file in function of the execution of the employment (contract): this contains personal identification data, work related data such as data regarding time credit and thematic leave, organisational management, illness, seniority, work related certificates, function, salary scale, internal mobility, evaluations, leave quotas, absences, overtime, premiums, deductions, car info, mobility and other offered subscriptions and potential information related to or needed for insurances.
  • Payroll administration: personal data required to carry out monthly payroll processing.
  • Applications, recruitment and selection
  • Broad internal information purposes related to university matters

What data is processed?

Depending on the HR process, various personal data are required. Possible personal data that Ghent University processes of its staff members are (depending on the context):

  • Identification data such as surname, first name, address, date of birth
  • Financial information such as the bank account number
  • Family composition
    • In order to calculate a correct salary, Ghent University not only needs the identification data of the employee, but also the family composition.
  • Contact details such as professional and private e-mail address
    • The private e-mail address will only be used for account correction (IT) or in exceptional circumstances
  • Study related data (diplomas)
    • At the start of employment, the obtained diploma(s) determine the job level within Ghent University and the personal data is used in the career growth path through training, guidance and functioning.
  • Career data
  • Absences

Personal data will also be processed and stored when employment at Ghent University is terminated. For example, personal data of staff members are processed in order to manage, among other things, the end of the service and the retirement of staff members and to ensure the proper functioning of Ghent University.

With whom is the personnel data shared?

The personal data of the staff members will only be shared with third parties if this is necessary for the performance of the agreement between the staff member and the university, in the context of a legal obligation or when the university has a legitimate interest in doing so. Before disclosing information that cannot be provided based on the previous grounds, the consent of the staff concerned shall be sought.

For example, Ghent University exchanges the necessary data with government departments, social secretariats, pension insurance companies and the occupational health service (such as Dimona for social security and Capello for updating pension data).

Ghent University provides individual certificates relating to steps in career development (employment certificate, C4, C131, A1) and which the employee needs to prove his status to various government agencies and other employers (tax certificate, guaranteed housing certificate, visa certificate).

For staff members who (also) work at Ghent University Global Campus (GUGC), personal data is exchanged between Ghent University and GUGC. This data is exchanged on the basis of the agreement between Ghent University and the staff member, and the legal obligations arising from or incumbent on Ghent University.

Further information

Staff members of Ghent University may also come into contact with personal data during the performance of their work, for example information about students or other Ghent University staff members. This can in some cases include sensitive data, such as medical information in the context of a special status.

More information about the handling of personal data at Ghent University can be found on this page.

Contact

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about the processing of your personal data, please contact the HR department by e-mail via dpo@ugent.be or the Data Protection Officer via privacy@ugent.be.

For (prospective) students

In order to be able to fulfil its educational responsibilities and to provide high quality education to all students, Ghent University processes personal data of (prospective) students who wish to pursue a study programme or course of training at Ghent University, and who consequently register (online) or (pre-)register for the same.

These data are accurately and securely stored in a database of Ghent University. The attention of (prospective) students is drawn to this regulation at the time of registration, pre-registration and re-registration. They may always consult and change their personal privacy settings at any time using the web application available for this purpose.

For researchers

Researchers affiliated to Ghent University may collect, process, analyse and manage personal data in connection with conducting scientific research. This may involve sensitive data (e.g. medical data, ethnicity/race, data relating to personal or sexual life, etc.), according to the nature of the research.

The general principles that must also be respected in relation to scientific research have been laid down in the Generic Code of Conduct for the processing of personal data and confidential information in force within Ghent University.

Personal data within Ghent University-Research must always be handled in conformity with the broader policy of Research Data Management. A focus in this policy is to ensure the collection, management and storage of research data in an ethical manner and with the requisite quality.

For alumni

As a former student of Ghent University you are one of our most important ambassadors, and we hope that you have taken the trouble to register yourself in the Ghent University alumni database.

Your data will only be used in connection with alumni associations relating to data and membership management, sending the alumni newsletter and other faculty or study programme-related applications.

As Ghent University alumni, you may always consult your data and privacy preferences and even modify the same if necessary, using your own registration/login.

For contributors

Just like your support, your personal data as a contributor are also close to the heart of Ghent University.

The personal data of (potential) contributors and sympathisers are stored and processed by Ghent University in order to enable their close monitoring, registration, and for the purpose of issuing a tax certificate (proof of payment issued as per Section 145³³, § 1(2), of the Income Tax Code 1992).

Ghent University processes the following categories of personal data

  • Identification data such as surname, first name, address, date of birth
  • Financial data such as the account number and the donation amount
  • Contact details such as e-mail address

These personal data are processed to enable the issue of tax certificates and to promote the legitimate interests of Ghent University. This is done by creating and optimising a relational bond and a university community, in order thereby to contribute to the social relevance of donations for research and education.

The personal data of the contributors are not disclosed to third parties (except to government agencies for legal or fiscal reasons).

The explicit consent of the concerned contributors shall be taken before making any public disclosure of a contributor’s personal data (e.g. to express gratitude on Ghent University website).

For job applicants

Why does Ghent University process applicant data?

The personal data you provide when you apply at Ghent University will be processed for the purpose of recruitment and selection. This processing is necessary for the performance of the agreement or in order to take steps prior to entering into an agreement. In this case, we process the personal data in the context of an application for a specific job offer at UGent.

What data is processed?

When applying for a job at Ghent University, applicants are asked to provide the following information: first name, surname, e-mail address, mobile phone number, address, date of birth, nationality, gender, motivation letter, CV, diplomas (including NARIC equivalence certificate for diplomas obtained outside the EU) and any other supporting documents specifically requested in the vacancy.

When applying for a senior academic position, applicants are also asked to provide the following information: first name, surname, nationality, date of birth, country of birth, place of birth, gender, address details, e-mail address, mobile phone number, education and qualifications, work experience and periods of inactivity (maternity leave, parental leave, long-term sick leave and care leave, and interruptions due to external factors such as the COVID pandemic), motivation for candidacy and vision of your own academic career, academic curriculum, overview of 5 most important publications, and any other supporting documents specifically requested in the vacancy.

Other information that may be requested:

  • for senior academic staff positions, information about the (doctoral) diplomas is requested: title of thesis, supervisor, when and where (country and institution) the doctoral degree was obtained; BA and MA diplomas and teacher training diplomas require the field of study and degree obtained
  • for senior academic staff positions, the applicant's marital status is not requested; this is only requested from the moment of agreement
  • for ZAP and AAP functions, the ORCID-iD is requested

When applying for a position at Ghent University Global Campus (GUGC), applicants are asked to provide the same information as for a job application at Ghent University. The selection process is managed by GUGC, which exchanges the necessary personal data with Ghent University. This exchange takes place on the basis of the agreement and the necessary measures to be taken for the preparation thereof. 

With whom is the personnel data shared?

In certain cases, the selection for ATP is outsourced to an external selection agency, in which case the application data is shared with the relevant selection agency; and/or one (or more) external person(s) may be part of the selection committee, in which case the application data will be shared with these persons. In these cases, Ghent University does the necessary to ensure that these parties also protect your personal data.

Contact

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about the processing of your personal data, please contact the relevant HR department by e-mail via dpo@ugent.be or the Data Protection Officer via privacy@ugent.be.

Contact

In most cases, Ghent University, legally represented by its rector, bears ultimate responsibility for the processing of personal data at Ghent University.

Ghent University has therefore appointed a Data Protection Officer who coordinates the further development and implementation of Ghent University’s policy on the processing and protection of personal data and confidential information. 

Data Protection Officer

Please contact the Data Protection Officer in case you have any questions, comments or suggestions concerning the various rights and obligations relating to privacy, or if you believe that Ghent University is processing your personal data wrongfully and/or improperly:

Hanne Elsen
Department of Administrative Affairs
Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 25
9000 Ghent

Additional information

Ghent University may request additional information in order to assess the well-foundedness of such a request or to verify the identity of a person making the same.

Ghent University reserves the right not to comply with such requests, provided it states the grounds for the same. This may apply, for example, if such a request is manifestly unfounded or excessive in nature.

Complaints

If, after processing a request or complaint, you believe that insufficient action has been taken, you may contact the Flemish Supervisor using the following details:

Flemish Supervisory Committee for the processing of personal data
Koning Albert II-laan 15
1210 Brussels
Telephone: +32 (0)2 553 50 47
Contact