Submitting a Subject Access Request

Any person who believes that the University is holding personal information about them can apply to view it by making a Subject Access Request (SAR).

However, the right of access is subject to a number of legal exemptions. In some cases, we may not release the information, or the information in its entirety. This may be because the data is subject to an exemption under the Data Protection Act, or if doing so will release personal data relating to other individuals.

When submitting a SAR, there are several things to consider that will help accelerate the process:

1. Please be as specific as possible when completing the form to ensure you get exactly the information you need
2. We recommend not using AI to construct your request as AI-generated requests frequently include errors on this topic, and will often make them unnecessarily complex, delaying your disclosure
3. If you are a University of Bath student or member of staff, please use your University email address as this will speed up verification
4. You are under no obligation to explain why you are making your request, but doing so can help us to find the information you require

If you have any questions, difficulties or concerns, please email the Data Protection team to schedule a confidential call or view the extensive guidance on the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) website.

A SAR can be submitted to the Data Protection team using any method you prefer but we recommend downloading and completing our Subject Access Request form. Once you have done so, email the completed form to dataprotection@bath.ac.uk or mail it to us at ‘Data Protection Officer, Wessex House 8.17, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY’.

Please note that requests are normally free to submit but an exception may apply for unfounded or excessive requests. In such an event, we would be very clear if any charges would be applied before any work takes place. 

Requests from third parties, parents or sponsors

We will only release personal data on a third party if the Data Subject has given their express written consent to us doing so.

This means that University staff are not allowed to discuss a student's welfare, progress, or other personal data with parents or sponsors, unless the student has given their explicit permission in an email from a recognised student account.

Next steps

We will acknowledge a completed Subject Access Request within 5 working days of receiving it and will return the requested data without undue delay, generally within one calendar month from the moment a request is submitted.

Should there be any issues preventing us from keeping to this timeframe, we will provide you with details and let you know as soon as possible.

If we find the requested data and can share it, we will normally disclose this to you electronically.

Making a complaint

The University of Bath strives to collect and process personal data with integrity and transparency. However, if you feel that these standards have not been met, please refer to the University of Bath’s complaints procedure.