Purpose of this document
This document describes the policy of Epoch International College (“EIC”) on how EIC collects, uses, discloses and otherwise handles “personal information”, “health information” and “sensitive information” (collectively “information”) about students, prospective students and former students (“you”). It also details how you may access personal information held by EIC about you and how you can lodge a complaint if you believe the privacy of your personal information has been breached.
Definition
Personal information is information or an opinion (including information or an opinion forming part of a database) about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable, whether true or not, and whether recorded in material form or not.
Sensitive information includes information or an opinion about an individual’s racial or ethnic origin, or criminal record that is also personal information; and, health information about an individual.
Health information includes information or an opinion about the health, including an illness, disability or injury (at any time) of an individual that is also personal information. We ask for information about the status of your health in accordance with the Health Privacy Principles and in consideration of your wellbeing whilst studying at EIC.
Australian Privacy Principles
EIC is bound by the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) in Schedule 1 of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (see http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/pa1988108/).The APPs provide standards, rights and obligations in respect of how personal information is handled from collection, to use, disclosure, storage and access. We are also bound by the requirements of the Health Privacy Principles under the Tasmanian Health Service Act 2018 and Health Records Act 2001 (VIC).
Collection of information
What kind of information does EIC collect and why?
EIC collects personal information for the primary purpose of providing its vocational education services and for purposes related to the primary purpose to you. This includes:
- Providing and administering approved courses, including admission, enrolment, training, assessment and payments;
- Student services, including welfare programs and support services;
- Student relations;
- Conducting surveys;
- Compliance with reporting requirements and administration of government programs
- Compliance with reporting requirements and administration of applicable laws and regulations of international students including under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000, Migration Act 1958 and the Migration Regulations 1994.
- Internal planning; and
- Marketing the services of EIC and the promotion of EIC.
The personal information typically includes (but is not limited to): your name, age, gender, place of birth, nationality, contact details in Australia and other prescribed details; information about your course, financial arrangements and payments in relation to the course, health insurance, English language proficiency, passport, student visa, breach or suspected breach of visa conditions and academic progress and performance, and, information that EIC is obliged by law to collect or report.
If you do not provide the information as and when requested this may affect your enrolment at EIC.
How EIC collects information
EIC collects information by lawful and fair means, which are not unreasonably intrusive. EIC collects information that is reasonably necessary to perform its functions and activities or to comply with the law.
EIC generally collects information about you directly from you (e.g. forms filled out by you, both paper and on-line or from meetings and interviews with you). EIC maintains records on each student which may include data on attendance, reports, marks and grades. There may also be times when EIC is provided with your personal information from a third party, such as through our partner institutions and from education agents who provide services to us. EIC will take reasonable steps to let you know, generally, what personal information it holds. EIC will seek your consent before collecting sensitive information unless collection is otherwise authorized or required by law.
Use and disclosure of information
EIC will only use or disclose personal information for the primary purpose for which it was collected, for any related secondary purpose that you would reasonably expect, or with your consent, or as permitted or required by law or as authorised by the APPs. EIC may use or disclose personal information (other than sensitive information) for the purpose of EIC direct marketing, but must only do so in accordance with the APPs. EIC will only disclose health information in accordance with the Health Privacy Principles.
The following are examples where EIC discloses personal information for legitimate purposes:
- Acquiring products and services which you authorize us to purchase for you, such as overseas student health care;
- Offering and providing student support services (such as welfare related services, emergency and health services and complaints and appeals processes);
Publishing assessment results; - Releasing academic details to another tertiary institution or tertiary admission centre if you apply for a transfer to another education institution;
- Protecting you or someone else from a serious and imminent threat to life or health;
- Disclosure that is reasonably necessary for the enforcement of the criminal law;
- In the event of an emergency, requiring disclosure to police, hospital or medical personnel.
EIC may disclose personal information to third parties for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy, such as to a provider with whom we provide (or intend to provide or have provided) a course to you; an education agent; a person or body who sponsors you (if any); or any person entitled to the information or to any person to who you have authorised disclosure of your personal information.
EIC may also disclose personal information to third party service providers that EIC have retained to perform services on our behalf (if applicable). When we do this, EIC will only provide them with such information as required to perform those services.
EIC may also use and disclose information where required or authorized by law (meaning any Commonwealth, State or Territory law or the common law) or in accordance with the APPs. For example, EIC may be required to disclose personal information about you to the Australian government and designated authorities (such as the Tuition Protection Service Director) if: you become an accepted student; you do not begin a course when expected; you withdraw from the course (before or after the agreed starting day); your studies are terminated before the completion of your course; you breach a prescribed condition of your student visa; or the identity or duration of your course changes.
Disclosure to overseas recipients
EIC may disclose your personal information to your nominated overseas education agent. These overseas recipients may be located in various countries. EIC shall comply with the APP’s in respect of any disclosure of personal information to overseas recipients.
Protection of information
EIC holds personal information which may be stored in electronic and/or hardcopy form. EIC takes reasonable precautions to ensure that information is stored securely, is accurate and protected from misuse, loss, unauthorized access, modification or disclosure. EIC staff is bound by confidentiality on the use of personal information and are required to respect the privacy of individuals and EIC has in place ways to protect personal information including controlling access to EIC premises, security access to EIC’s computer networks and other security technology. EIC may hold information about you while you are a student, and before and after you are a student. Where information is no longer needed and no longer required to be retained under legislation, EIC either destroys records containing personal information by reasonably secure means or de-identifies the personal information.
Data quality
EIC takes reasonable steps to confirm the accuracy of information it holds about you. From time to time, EIC asks for updated information including that required by legislation. EIC is not obliged to update information it holds about you after you have ceased your studies.
Access to information
You may request access to information that EIC holds about you by lodging a written request with EIC. The request must be made by you personally or by another person that you have authorised to make the request on your behalf. EIC may permit either inspection, note taking, copying or provide a print out of information, as it considers appropriate. Any request for access to personal information will be dealt within a reasonable period after the request is made and EIC may charge a fee for the cost of accessing and supplying the requested information. In limited circumstances EIC may refuse you access (see EIC’s Terms and Conditions of Enrolment, Fee Payment and Refund Policy and as permitted under the APPs). In those cases, you will be notified of the reason EIC is refusing access.
Health Information
In handling your health information, EIC is bound by the Health Privacy Principles (HPPs) as set out in Tasmanian Health Service Act 2018 and Health Records Act 2001 (VIC).
Queries or concerns and contacting us
Questions or concerns about the privacy of information we hold about you, and requests for access to and correction of personal information, and if you wish to make a complaint about a possible breach of privacy, may be directed to:
Epoch International Group Pty Ltd
T/As Epoch International CollegeLevel 2, 73-81 Murray StreetHOBART TAS 7000
Ph: +61 411 352 771
Email: [email protected]
Complaints may also be directed to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (http://www.oaic.gov.au) if you think that EIC has interfered with your privacy.