University of Waikato Privacy Statement

Purpose of this Statement

The University of Waikato (referred to in this Privacy Statement as "we", "us" or "our") cares about your privacy and wants to be open with you about what we do with your Personal Information. Personal Information means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person.

This Privacy Statement describes how we collect, store, use, and share personal information and explains your rights in relation to those activities.

We must comply with the Privacy Act 2020, the Health Information Privacy Code 2020, the Public Records Act 2005 and, if you are in the European Union, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Where they conflict we are required to comply with New Zealand law.

The University’s Personal Information and Privacy Policy sets out the specific responsibilities of staff with respect to the collection and management of personal information. This policy applies to anyone who visits our website, used our educational platform to study or research, or interacts with us.

If you would like to get in contact with us about your privacy, you can email us at privacy@waikato.ac.nz or call 0800 WAIKATO (924 5286).

Why do we collect your information?

We collect your Personal Information to carry out our operations, functions and activities as a University and as an employer. These are our (“Purposes”) (under the Privacy Act 2020) or (“Legitimate Interests”) (under the GDPR) and include:

our learning, teaching, research and other educational activities
our administrative, employment, and management activities
the services and benefits that we provide (including through third parties)
communicating with you or with your emergency/alternative contacts
our legal, regulatory and contractual obligations
monitoring, evaluating and improving our performance and effectiveness
the recruitment, marketing and fundraising activities that we undertake
providing a safe, secure and healthy environment
providing an appropriate level of student support and pastoral care
providing tailored assistance to support success and retention
promoting equity and diversity
maintaining an engaged community of students, staff, alumni, donors and other persons with a connection to us, and
processing and/or verifying your Covid-19 health information such as your vaccination status and, where relevant, your test results.

How do we collect information?

We collect information about you in three ways:

1. Information that you provide to us

This includes information provided:

as part of our marketing, recruitment, enrolment, conferment and employment processes and operations
when you register for, enrol in, or use our services, systems and facilities
when you register or attend events, functions and conferences
when you participate in surveys and competitions
through your discussions and interactions with us
when you apply to go on an exchange programme, field trip or work placement
when you apply for a scholarship or award
if you make a donation or gift to us and
when you advise us of your Covid-19 vaccination status and, where relevant, your test results

2. Information we automatically collect

This includes information collected:

from your use of our websites (including via cookies), emails, and other services and systems that we provide to you (including Wi-Fi), and
from CCTV footage.

3. Information we collect from third parties

This includes information collected or provided:

from publicly available sources (including media articles, social media, company and charity filings, and the internet)
by relevant government or education agencies and providers (including the New Zealand National Student Index)
by our student and employee recruitment agents
by third parties that provide services to us or you (including exchange partners scholarship providers and accommodation providers)
through reference or other pre-employment checking prior to employment or provision of a benefit
by our photographers and videographers, and
by third parties with whom we also share information (see below).

What information do we collect?

Collection of this information is necessary for our Purposes and Legitimate Interests (see above) and, in some cases, is required under New Zealand law (including the Education and Training Act 2020). Without it, we may not be able to enrol you as a student, employ you as a staff member or provide services and benefits to you.

Student

If you are a student (or prospective student), the information we collect includes your:

biographical details (including name, former name, alias, gender identity and date of birth)
contact details (including address, telephone, email, and emergency and alternative contact details)
education record and academic/research history
citizenship and residency information
country of origin and ethnicity (see “Sensitive Information” below)
iwi affiliation (if you are a Māori student)
National Student Number
National Health Number
interactions and communications with us and our systems
whether you have been suspended from another New Zealand tertiary education institute
photograph (for student ID cards)
Covid-19 health information, in particular your vaccination status and, where relevant, your test results, and
other information that you have decided to share with us or that we have requested from you.

In addition, depending on your programme of study or involvement with specific services that we offer, we could also collect information about your:

areas of study interest (if you are a prospective student)
passport and visa details
English language proficiency
health and disability information (where you have enrolled with our Student Health and Student Counselling Services, Disability Services, Accommodation Services or our recreation services, applied for a field trip, student exchange or study abroad programme, or have otherwise consented to us collecting this information - see “Sensitive Information” below)
career information (including aspirations and relevant work history/experience)
financial information (including how you will pay for your studies, bank account details, where you have provided these to us)
criminal convictions (if necessary for certain programmes or work placements – see “Sensitive Information” below)
information provided through reference checking processes for accommodation or other benefits
health and travel insurance arrangements (if, for example, you are an international student or going on a field trip or student exchange), and
the website from which you have been directed to our websites; the date and time of your visits; your device type, screen resolution and browser version; your internet service provider; information on your operating system, including language settings; and information on the pages you have visited on our website.

The accuracy of student information is important to the functioning of the University and the credibility of the qualifications it offers. You are required to provide complete and accurate information when applying to enrol, and to keep your information updated during the course of your enrolment. If you withhold information or provide incomplete, false or misleading information the University may decline or cancel your admission or enrolment and may withhold your academic record if its veracity cannot be confirmed.

Staff member or contractor

If you are a staff member, the information we collect includes your:

biographical details (including name, former name, alias, gender identity and date of birth)
contact details (including address, telephone, email, and emergency contact details)
education record and academic/research history
professional affiliations
previous employment history (e.g. your CV)
bank account and tax information
citizenship and passport details, and (where relevant) information on your entitlement to work for us in New Zealand
criminal convictions, credit history and other pre-employment vetting and verification information (see “Sensitive Information” below)
country of origin and ethnicity (see “Sensitive Information” below)
health and disability information (see “Sensitive Information” below)
interactions and communications with us and our systems
photograph (for staff ID cards and the staff directory)
drivers licence information (if you use a University fleet vehicle)
information provided through reference checking processes
trade union membership (see “Sensitive Information” below)
Covid-19 health information, in particular your vaccination status and, where relevant, your test results, and
other information that you have decided to share with us, or that we have requested from you.

If you are a prospective staff member applying for a position with us, or a contractor engaged (or seeking to be engaged) to provide services to us, the information we collect about you will include the categories of information described above that are necessary for us to consider and decide upon your application for employment, or to decide and manage your terms of engagement with us.

Alumni

If you are an alumni of the University of Waikato the information we collect includes your:

biographical details (including name, former name, alias, gender identity and date of birth)
contact details (including location, address, former addresses, telephone, email, social media and website links, contact preferences)
education record and academic history (including your associations with us – such as your hall of residence and club membership)
ethnicity (if we were required to collect this under New Zealand law when you were a student – (see “Sensitive Information” below)
interactions and communications with us and our systems
responses to our electronic communications (including what you open, any comments you make, and your location), and
events you have been invited to and whether or not you have responded or attended.

In addition, we could also collect information about your:

family details, including spouse/partner and children
links with other organisations and individuals (including alumni, supporters and potential supporters)
business details including positions, organisation, professional memberships and qualifications
career highlights and other lifetime achievements
outside interests and membership of groups
media articles
Covid-19 vaccination status, and
other information that you have decided to share with us or that we have requested from you.

We use your information to help us plan our alumni and donor activities and determine whether or not we should contact you in relation to particular communications or activities. This assists with ensuring that our communications and activities are relevant and of interest to you and ensuring our alumni are connected with the University.

If you would not like us to carry out the above activities, please email privacy@waikato.ac.nz or phoning 0800 WAIKATO (924 5286).

Donor

If you are a donor, or a person we have identified as a potential donor, the information we collect includes your:

biographical details (including name, former name, alias, gender identity and date of birth)
contact details (including location, address, former addresses, telephone, email, social media and website links, contact preferences), and
interactions and communications with us and our systems.

In addition, we could also collect information about your:

education record and academic history (including your associations with us if you were a student of the University of Waikato– such as your hall of residence and club memberships)
ethnicity – (see “Sensitive Information” below)
responses to our electronic communications (including what you open, any comments you make, and your location)
events you have been invited to and whether or not you have responded or attended
family details, including spouse/partner and children
links with other organisations and individuals (including alumni, supporters and potential supporters)
business details including positions, organisation, professional memberships and qualifications
career highlights and other lifetime achievements
outside interests and membership of groups
wealth and philanthropic interests
media articles
donations of time, expertise or money (including to organisations other than the University of Waikato)
Covid-19 vaccination status, and
other information that you have decided to share with us, or that we have requested from you.

We may carry out research to assess your likely ability and willingness to make donations or gifts to the University so that we can better tailor our fundraising approaches or requests. This research, which is sometimes known as prospect research may include collecting, storing and using information about you that is publicly available as well as information that you have provided to us. We may carry out this research ourselves or we may use a third party. If we use a third party, we will ensure that your information is held confidentially, with appropriate security safeguards and only used in accordance with our strict instructions.

If you would not like us to carry out the above activities in relation to you, please email privacy@waikato.ac.nz or phoning 0800 WAIKATO (924 5286).

Website visitors

If you visit our website or any of its sub-sites, the information we collect could include your IP number.

Other association with us

If you have had another association with us (you may have taken part in an exchange, attended an event or have some other association with us), the information we collect could include your:

biographical details (including name, former name, alias, gender identity and date of birth)
contact details (including location, address, former addresses, telephone, email, social media and website links, contact preferences)
interactions and communications with us and our systems
links with organisations and individuals (including alumni, supporters and potential supporters)
business details including positions, organisation, professional memberships and qualifications, and
Covid-19 vaccination status.

Who will have access to your information?

Access will not be permitted to your personal information except where there is a genuine need to do so.

There are circumstances where we share personal information with contractors, external people and organisations. However, we only do this where it is necessary for our Purposes or Legitimate Interests (see above) or it is permitted or required by law (including the Privacy Act 2020, the GDPR and Education and Training Act 2020). We do not pass on all information that we collect – only the absolute minimum required in the particular context.

We require that any information we share is used by the contractor, external person or organisation only for the purpose for which we shared it and, if practicable, we anonymise information so that you are not identifiable.

We will not sell your information to anyone.

Who do we share information with?

People and organisations we share specific categories of information with include:

New Zealand Government departments and agencies – including the Ministry of Education, the Tertiary Education Commission, the Ministry of Social Development (including Work and Income and StudyLink), the Inland Revenue Department, Te Puni Kōkiri, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Ministry of Health and Primary Health Organisations (PHOs), Statistics New Zealand, Immigration New Zealand (for those who are not New Zealand citizens), the Accident Compensation Corporation, the Education Review Office, and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority
Other education providers (for example, other tertiary education institutions, schools and English language testing services)
Service providers contracted to or engaged by the University (for example, third party accommodation providers)
organisations that provide services related to your status as a student or staff member (for example, public transport providers, academic dress hire providers and organisations that provide discounts or benefits)
Law enforcement agencies and emergency services
Professional registration agencies (for example, the Education Council of Aotearoa New Zealand and New Zealand Law Society)
Organisations and individuals responsible for course moderation, accreditation or quality assurance
Ranking and benchmarking agencies
Employers and internship providers (only where you apply to take part in or undertake a work placement as part of your programme of study)
Scholarship or prize providers and sponsors (only if you have applied for, or been awarded, a scholarship or prize)
Social media – including Facebook and LinkedIn (in order to provide targeted information on University programmes and events)
Our Iwi partners (only where you have identified an affiliation with particular iwi)
Providers of insurance (only if you are an international student or are studying with us on an exchange)
Student associations and clubs (for example, the Golden Key International Honours Society)
Organisations and individuals involved in hosting events that you attend
Local authorities – including the Waikato Regional Council and the Hamilton City Council
Our subsidiaries, controlled or related entities (for example, the University of Waikato Foundation), and
Our insurers, professional advisers and auditors.

Additional information usage

ID numbers

If you are a student or staff member, a unique identifier (in the form of a Student or Staff ID number) will be assigned so that we can carry out our Purposes and Legitimate Interests (see above) effectively and efficiently.

Profiling and automated decision making

We may carry out profiling, analytics or tracking activities (including by automated means) to:

improve the quality of our teaching and learning activities
improve the experience of users of our website and its sub-sites
tailor support services and pastoral care for you
support you in your learning and academic achievement, and
personalise our communications with you.

The University is prohibited under the Human Rights Act 1993 from engaging in any form of profiling that would give rise to a claim of discrimination.

Communications and marketing

We will use your information to communicate with you and carry out our marketing activities.

Generally, these communications would be by email, post or telephone. You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time by clicking on the “unsubscribe” link in an email, by emailing privacy@waikato.ac.nz or phoning 0800 WAIKATO (924 5286).

We do not pass on your information to other organisations for their own communications and marketing purposes.

Graduation and degree information

We will publish your name, degree and year of graduation in our Council papers or in our graduation programme (where appropriate) and make this information available to My eQuals.

Research activities

If you agree to participate in a research activity involving personal information, we will obtain your consent to any collection, storage, use and sharing of that information. The personal information you provide will be used by the University strictly in accordance with your consent and any ethics approval, and in accordance with our Ethical Conduct in Human Research and Related Activities Regulations.