Collection Notice
Protection of Personal Information
Notification of Collection, Use, and Disclosure of Personal Information
Students’ personal information is collected, used, and disclosed by Trent University under the authority of Section 18(3)(c) of The Trent University Act, 1962-63.
Applicants and Prospective Students
Trent University may collect and use personal information from prospective students to communicate with them about University programs, process applications, determine eligibility for admission and student awards, administer surveys, research enrolment issues, and maintain related statistical data. Trent University will access the diversity-related data from OUAC 101 and 105 applications at an aggregate level only. This means that the diversity information will not be connected to your individual application or stored as part of your student record. The aggregate data may be used to explore the need for future programs, services, and supports in place to meet the diverse needs of our applicant and new student population.
Current Students
Once admitted and enrolled in an academic program, a student’s information is used by the University to deliver academic and administrative programs and services. This includes but is not limited to: recording academic progress, creating the permanent student record, providing financial aid, delivering student services, conducting program reviews/appraisals, and communicating with students regarding University business. Personal information may also be used by the University, its authorized agents, approved researchers, and/or the provincial and federal government for statistical research purposes.
Trent University is required to disclose personal information such as Ontario Education Numbers, student characteristics, and educational outcomes to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities under s. 15 of the Ministry of Colleges and Universities Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter M.19, as amended. The ministry collects this data for purposes such as planning, allocating, and administering public funding to colleges, universities, and other post-secondary educational and training institutions and to conduct research and analysis, including longitudinal studies, and statistical activities conducted by or on behalf of the ministry for purposes that relate to post-secondary education and training. Further information on how the Ministry of Colleges and Universities uses this personal information is available on the ministry’s website: www.ontario.ca/page/ministry-colleges-universities (English) or www.ontario.ca/fr/page/ministere-des-colleges-et-universites (French), or by writing to the Director, Post-secondary Finance and Information Management Branch, Post-secondary Education Division, 7th Floor, Mowat Block, 900 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M7A 1L2.
Students who hold a graduate teaching assistantship or other position covered by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE II) are, by nature of their employment, members of CUPE Local 3908. The University provides the names and trentu.ca email addresses of these students to CUPE for the purpose of communications related to the student’s membership in the union.
The University may disclose limited and specific student information to its recognized student government associations (Trent Central Student Association, Trent Graduate Student Association, Trent Durham Student Association, and Trent-Fleming Nursing Students’ Association) for the purposes of administering their membership programs, elections, and health plans. For student health benefit plans, the sponsoring association securely transfers the name, sex, date of birth, student number, and in some cases the trentu.ca email address, of eligible student members to its health benefits provider and carrier to enable them to establish eligibility, grant access to the benefits portal, and verify the identity of students enrolled in the health plan. The University may provide the names of college members to college cabinets for member identification purposes.
Where students are enrolled in collaborative academic programs, Trent University may be required to transfer personal information to another post-secondary institution. Wherever possible, students will be provided with a separate notice explaining any information-sharing required to jointly administer their program. Information relating to academic integrity misconduct (e.g., falsification of documents) may be shared with other post-secondary educational institutions. Select information may be shared with government funding agencies to process financial assistance applications, with collection agencies for outstanding accounts, and with contracted service providers acting on behalf of the University. Credit card information is transferred to an independent processing company in order to process payments.
To the extent permitted by the Ontario Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, personal information may be disclosed to law enforcement agencies. The University may also be required to contact an appropriate third party about a student in compassionate circumstances or in compelling circumstances affecting the health or safety of an individual or group.
Information regarding graduation and graduation awards is made public at the time of convocation. The name, year, and program of award winners may be shared with donors, and academic awards and scholarships may be celebrated within the University community.
Limited student personal information, including name, sex, date of birth, home address, email, and phone number of students registered at Trent University Durham, is provided on a confidential basis to the City of Oshawa – Recreation & Culture Services for the sole purpose of confirming eligibility of, and managing registration for, athletics fitness membership under the terms and conditions of multi-year fitness membership agreement between the Trent Durham Student Association (TDSA) and the Corporation of the City of Oshawa.
Alumni
Unless individuals have requested otherwise, the University may keep in touch with alumni for purposes that support the mission of the University, including surveys, institutional research, invitations to events, philanthropy, newsletters, and other information on programs and services.
From time to time, the University may enter into an agreement with a statistical research firm to conduct surveys on behalf of the University. These firms may contact groups of prospective students, current students, or alumni by email to request their participation in a survey. Participation is voluntary in all cases and individuals may choose not to be contacted further for survey purposes.
Questions on how student information is collected, used, or disclosed at Trent University, or special concerns/requests regarding the management of a student’s personal information, may be directed to the University Registrar, Office of the Registrar, Blackburn Hall, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9L 0G2, or email: registrar@trentu.ca.
Notification of Use and Disclosure of Personal Information to Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada is the national statistical agency. As such, Statistics Canada carries out hundreds of surveys each year on a wide range of matters, including education.
It is essential to be able to follow students across time and institutions to understand, for example, the factors affecting enrolment demand at postsecondary institutions. The increased emphasis on accountability for public investment means that it is also important to understand 'outcomes'. In order to conduct such studies, Statistics Canada asks all colleges and universities to provide data on students and graduates. Institutions collect and provide to Statistics Canada, student identification information (student's name, student ID number, Social Insurance Number), student contact information (address and telephone number), student demographic characteristics, enrolment information, previous education, and labour force activity.
The federal Statistics Act provides the legal authority for Statistics Canada to obtain access to personal information held by educational institutions. The information may be used for statistical purposes only, and the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act prevent the information from being released in any way that would identify a student.
Students may contact Statistics Canada via e-mail if they have any questions: statcan.PSIS-SIEP.statcan@canada.ca.
»A pdf version of the Notification of Collection can be found here.