Abertay University
Sharing your personal data with other bodies
The University is obliged to disclose personal data to some external bodies. The main bodies to
which the University discloses student personal data are given below.
– Your name and term-time address will be released to the local authority Electoral
Registration Office in accordance with the Representation of the People (Scotland)
Regulations 2001.
– Your name, contact details, academic school and degree programme will be shared with the
Abertay Students’ Association (‘Abertay SA’) to enable it fulfil its purpose of academic
representation and running of Abertay SA elections (as required by the Education Act 1994).
– With your consent, your name and term-time address will be released to the relevant local
authority (Dundee City, Perth & Kinross, Angus or Fife) for the purpose of consideration for
council tax exemption.
– For international students, the University may provide confirmation of your dates of study
and your academic award to your embassy to assist with the recognition of your academic
award in your home country.
– Personal data about your academic performance and other verified achievements will be
disclosed to “Gradintelligence” to generate your Higher Education Achievement Report. This
is the official record or transcript of your studies and achievements at Abertay University.
– If you are studying at Abertay University on a Student Visa, the University is required to
report to the UK Government Home Office if you fail to enrol, if you withdraw or complete
your studies early, or if you fail to engage or maintain contact with the University. The
University may also be required to provide the Home Office with other personal data about
students.
– If you have a sponsor or other external funder for your studies – which may include your
employer if they are providing financial support or time off for you to study, or otherwise
supporting your studies – the University will send personal data about your academic
progress and your attendance to your sponsor.
– The University is required to send some of the personal data we hold about you to the
Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). HESA is the official source of data about UK
universities, and it collects and analyses information about students and universities.
Your HESA information is used by public authorities for their statutory and/or public functions
including funding, statistical, regulation and policy-making purposes. These purposes include
statistical research and publication by HESA (which is anonymous). Some sensitive personal data is
used by HESA for monitoring equality and diversity.
To find out more about the types of information disclosed to HESA, what they use it for, and the
justification for this work, please see the information which HESA has published at:
https://www.hesa.ac.uk/about/regulation/data-protection/notices#student
– Personal data will be shared with other bodies for placements, training, exchanges, and
work experience which form part of our degree programme, and with professional bodies
where appropriate. Where appropriate, this may include other countries in the European
Economic Area or other countries. Please contact your Programme Leader for more
information.
– Personal data will be shared with named agents/suppliers to enable them to provide
services to the institution under contract. This includes the Abertay research information
system, third party funder application and grant management systems, car parking, debt
collection agencies and the BACs and other payment systems for studentship and
reimbursement of expenses. We also use a provider called Higher Ed Partners Limited
(HEP). HEP provides an Online Programme Management Solution for Abertay Online
Programmes e.g. MBA, MSc courses and we may share some personal data with HEP in
order to deliver the relevant programmes.
– Where payment is received, data will be shared with HM Revenue and Customs, as
necessary for the assessment and collection of taxes and other duties.
– The University will share personal data of students undertaking research, whose funding
require that they collaborate with partner bodies, to administer the student’s relationship
with the partner body.
– Personal data will be exchanged with research bodies and funders in order to make an
application for research funding and to make any reports/updates that a funder or research
body requires of the University in connection to research.
– The University or its authorised agents or partners may contact you, using the details which
you have provided, inviting you to participate in surveys which may be operated outside the
University. This will apply only where the University has an obligation to administer a
survey, or where it has been approved by the University. Examples of surveys include the
National Student Survey (NSS); graduate employment destinations, or University-approved
research surveys.
– Personal data may, exceptionally, be disclosed to the police, to the Student Award Agency
for Scotland or to other bodies with investigative powers, for the prevention and
investigation of crime.
– Personal data may, exceptionally, be disclosed to the emergency services or to a health
professional in order to protect your vital interests or those of another individual, for
example in an emergency where this is a risk to a person or persons.
– Personal data may be disclosed to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (“SPSO”) in
connection with any appeal or complaint which you may ask the SPSO to investigate.