Overview

In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the information on this page outlines the types of personal data that the University of Bath may collect from you as part of the admissions process, the purposes for which this data is used, and how it will be shared and retained.

The University of Bath is the ‘data controller’ for the information that we obtain from you or others as part of the admissions process.

Types of data we collect about you

In the course of your application to us we may collect and process data about you in three principal areas which are detailed on the page in sections called:

• Personal data for your application
• Personal data specifically relating to a criminal conviction
• Other sensitive personal data about you

We hold, process and retain these types of data in different ways as outlined in each section.

Legal basis and your rights

There are various legal bases for the processing of personal data, such as:

• we have a contractual obligation to consider your application
• we have to comply with a legal obligation
• it is necessary to meet our legitimate interest or the legitimate interest of others
• it is necessary for the performance of a public task
• we have your consent

Our legal basis for collecting and using your personal data will depend on the personal data concerned and the specific purpose for which they are being used.

We recommend that you do not provide us with personal data that relates to someone else (such as a family member), unless they have provided consent for you to do so. In some circumstances we will hold and process someone else’s data related to your application with us, where we have a legal basis for doing so.

You have certain rights to:

• access the personal data that we hold about you
• correct or delete any of the information that we hold about you
• object to some of the data uses

Please note that these rights are qualified in various ways. Further information about your rights is available from the Information Commissioners' Office (ICO). You can also contact our Data Protection team for more information by emailing dataprotection-queries@lists.bath.ac.uk

Please be aware that this privacy notice is subject to change at any time.

Please also refer to further information on the Data Protection Act on the University website, including the University’s Data Protection Policy which is set out in the middle section of that webpage.

Personal data for your application

How we obtain data

The data we hold comes from you directly when you complete our online application form, eligibility check and other admissions processes and procedures or from third parties, such as your employer or former educational institutions you have attended. This may be additional information that is volunteered to us, or it may be provided at our request.

The University of Bath has a legal obligation to correctly assess whether you are eligible for funding for the apprenticeship under the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) Funding Rules.

If necessary, we may request you complete an additional questionnaire and provide additional supporting documents regarding yourself and relevant members of your family.

What data we hold

In the course of your application we hold personal data that may include:

• personal details such as your name, date of birth, age, nationality
• your contact details and personal addresses
• your education and employment history
• details of qualifications you are studying or have already studied (including copies of documents and certificates)
• information regarding your employment status (including copies of your contract of employment)
• visa, passport and immigration information (including copies of relevant documents)
• basic data about any disabilities, health conditions or additional learning needs provided in your application
• information and evidence for the payment of incentive payments (to include Educational Health Care plan or care leaver status)
• information provided through previous applications you have made to us (where it is held under our retention policies outlined here)

How we use this data

All of this data is primarily held and used to enable us to make a fair and informed decision on your admission to your chosen degree course. Additionally, we may use this data to:

• communicate with you about your application and, if you are made an offer, to provide you with relevant information on your chosen department and support services available to students, and, if your place is confirmed, the process of enrolling with us
• notify you of any relevant changes to your chosen degree apprenticeship
• provide you with feedback on your application
• determine your eligibility for funding and provide you with guidance on your residency and right to work where necessary
• produce statistics to monitor and evaluate admissions processes and outcomes within the University

How we share this data

We may share the data we hold about you with:

• other departments within the University of Bath, such as academic departments, Student Services, Widening Participation and Student Recruitment Teams, Computing Services, Academic Registry
• the University of Bath Students’ Union
• your employer
• the nominated name on your application and any nominated agent
• the schools or colleges listed on your application
• your examination boards, awarding bodies or testing services
• government departments responsible for funding apprenticeships
• government authorities or law enforcement officials if mandated by law
• service providers who process data confidentially on our behalf for the purposes we have outlined
• awarding bodies, previous academic institutions or national or international verification services to verify qualifications and grades

Your data may contribute in an anonymised form to reports that we provide to:

• external enquirers making Freedom of Information requests relating to our admissions data
• government departments and government bodies, such as the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), ESFA, Ofsted and the Office for Students (OfS)
• external bodies conducting public research on admissions trends

How we store and retain this data

This data will be stored for a fixed period of time depending on the outcome of your application and to comply with legal, accounting or reporting requirements.

If you do not ultimately enrol as a student as a result of your application then this personal data will be retained for 3 years following the date on which your course would begin.

If you join the University your data will form the basis of your student record and will be retained in line with our policies for current student data.

See our Data Protection Statement for student registration.

This personal data may be used to produce anonymised application statistics that will be retained in perpetuity for the purposes of long-term monitoring and evaluation.

Personal data specifically relating to a criminal conviction

How we obtain this data

You may be asked to disclose whether or not you have a relevant unspent criminal conviction after you have chosen one of our degrees as a firm or insurance choice.

If you apply to a degree in Pharmacy or Social Work and Applied Social Sciences you may be asked about wider spent or unspent convictions and at a different stage of the process.

If you disclose that you have a conviction you will be asked to separately provide details of that conviction.

What data we hold

We hold your yes/no declaration once you have made it. If you disclose a conviction we also hold any additional information you provide to us at our request.

How we use this data

Yes/no declarations may contribute in an anonymised form to statistics and reports in the same manner as other personal data outlined under 'Personal data for your application' on this page.

Information regarding a criminal conviction will only be used as described in our policy on applicants with criminal convictions.

How we share this data

Data in this category will never be shared except as described in our policy on applicants with criminal convictions or with government authorities or law enforcement officials if mandated by law.

How we store and retain this data

Your initial declaration will be stored and retained in the same manner as other personal data in your application (outlined under 'Personal data for your application' on this page).

Any other information you provide will be stored only in hard copy.

If you do not ultimately enrol as a student as a result of your application then this personal data will be retained for 1 year following the date on which your course would have begun.

If you join the University, any data in this category will be confidentially retained by the Postgraduate Taught Admissions Team in line with our policies for current student data.

Other sensitive (‘special category’) personal data about you

How we obtain this data

We may ask you about your personal characteristics during your application and your application will not be affected should you choose to not disclose some or all of this data.

What data we hold

As part of your application, you may be asked to disclose data about your personal characteristics such as:

• your sex
• your race or ethnicity
• your religion or belief
• your sexual orientation

How we use this data

Unlike other personal data from your application (outlined under 'Personal data for your application' on this page), these types of data will never be used when considering the admissions decision on your application.

We may use your gender to provide you with relevant information about your student experience but otherwise we will also not use this data to contact you.

This data will be used anonymously to produce statistics to monitor and evaluate admissions processes and outcomes within the University.

How we share this data

We may share the data we hold about you with:

• other departments within the University of Bath, such as academic departments, Student Services, Widening Participation and Student Recruitment Teams, Computing Services, Academic Registry
• government departments responsible for funding apprenticeships
• government authorities or law enforcement officials if mandated by law
• third party service providers who process data confidentially on our behalf for the purposes we have outlined

Your data may contribute in an anonymised form to reports that we provide to:

• external enquirers making Freedom of Information requests relating to our admissions data
• government departments and government bodies, such as the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), ESFS, Ofsted and the Office for Students (OfS)
• external bodies conducting public research on admissions trends

How we store and retain this data

This data will be stored and retained in the same manner as other personal data in your application (outlined under 'Personal data for your application' on this page).

This personal data may be used to produce anonymised application statistics that will be retained in perpetuity for the purposes of long-term monitoring and evaluation.