UNSW Alumni Privacy Statement

This page tells you about the Alumni Privacy Statement the University has in place to protect the privacy of its alumni.

The University is committed to safeguarding the privacy of its alumni information. We have implemented measures to comply with our obligations under the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW) ("the Act") and other privacy laws, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the General Data Protection Regulation (EU). All employees are bound by the Act and by the UNSW Privacy Policy.

Note: The Alumni Privacy Statement was updated on 19 December 2019.

Collection of your personal information
The University collects personal information directly from you during your time as a student which it retains once you graduate to provide services to you as a member of the University’s alumni community. Following graduation, the University will collect personal information directly from you. It may also collect your personal information from other sources, but only with your consent or where required or authorised by law.

Personal information collected by the University includes the contact details you provide when you update your records, register for an event or subscribe to a service.

You may choose what personal information you provide the University. Updated information enables the University to provide services and benefits available to you as a member of the University’s alumni community.

Personal information is only collected for purposes that are directly related to and reasonably necessary for the legitimate functions and activities of the University.

Security and retention of your personal information

The University stores your personal information in systems owned and managed by the University, and in other systems under license or by agreement. Service providers of such systems are contractually bound by the University’s privacy and security requirements. Access to your personal information is limited to University employees and contractors who have a legitimate reason to access the information.

The University is required by law to retain records that may contain your personal information for certain periods of time depending on the type of record.

Use of your personal information

Your personal information will be used to provide opportunities for you to remain connected and involved with the University, and to support the University’s planning and quality improvement activities. This includes:

• corresponding with you;
• informing you about University activities or providing benefits and opportunities that may be of interest to you, such as:
• general activities, news and information, events, courses, and fundraising appeals of the University or its controlled entities
• opportunities to engage with and support the University and its controlled entities
• alumni offers and benefits or information about commercial products and with exclusive or referential advantage for alumni
• maintaining your alumni profile, including supplementing with information obtained from other sources;
• audit, administrative, management and operational activities of the University’s alumni and philanthropic functions;
• for benchmarking, analyses, quality assurance and planning purposes; and
• facilitating staff training, research and statistical analysis, systems development and testing, and data analysis to develop and improve services and activities (e.g. marketing, philanthropy etc)

The University will seek your consent prior to the use of your personal information for any other purpose, except where that other use is authorised or required by law. If you give your consent you may subsequently withdraw your consent in writing at any time.

Disclosure of your personal information

Your personal information will be disclosed by the University only where necessary to support the uses outlined above. Where personal information is disclosed, it will be done only to the extent necessary to fulfil the purpose of such disclosure. Such disclosures include to:

• University controlled entities;
• contracted service providers which the University uses to perform services on its behalf; and
• government departments or agencies (including contracted service providers of government departments or agencies) where such disclosure is required or authorised by law (eg. disclosure for the conduct of QILT graduate outcome surveys conducted on behalf of the Commonwealth Department of Education and Training).

The University may also disclose your personal information where authorised or required to do so by law, including:

• where disclosure is authorised or required by subpoena, search warrant or other statutory instrument;
• to a law enforcement agency where such disclosure is necessary to investigate an offence where there are reasonable grounds to believe that an offence may have been committed; and
• where the University believes on reasonable grounds that the disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the life or health of you or another person.

In all other circumstances, the University will obtain your consent prior to the disclosure of your personal information. If you give your consent you may subsequently withdraw your consent in writing at any time.

Your rights in relation to your personal information

You may request access to and amendment of your personal information that is held by the University, including for corrections, amendment, deletions or data portability. Any such request will be subject to any legal rights and obligations imposed upon the University to retain such information (e.g. retention obligations under the State Records Act).

If you wish to access, amend or delete your personal information, or withdraw consent for a specific use or disclosure of your personal information, you should contact:

UNSW Alumni and Engagement Office
Email: alumni@unsw.edu.au
Telephone: (+61) 2 8936 4716.

For more information on how the University manages personal information, all other privacy enquiries, and how to make a privacy complaint, contact the:

UNSW Privacy Officer
Email: privacy@unsw.edu.au
Telephone: (02) 9385 8369 (International +61 2 9385 8369)