Privacy Statement for Students

At AP, we take privacy seriously. In this student privacy statement below, we explain this in more detail

1. Who are we?

1.1 AP as data controller

With this statement (hereinafter the "Statement") we would like to inform you about why and how your personal data are collected and processed by Artesis Plantijn University College Antwerp, a legal entity governed by public law according to Belgian law, with its registered office at Lange Nieuwstraat 101, 2000 Antwerp, and CBE number 0535.880.359 (hereinafter referred to as "we" or "AP").

Our contact information can be found in section 10 of this Statement.

We are responsible for processing the personal data that is requested and used by us. As the data controller, we will take steps to ensure that you:

remain informed about our processing of your personal data;
retain control over the personal data that we process;
can exercise your rights in relation to your personal data. More information on your rights can be found in section 9 of this Statement.Data Protection Officer

1.2 Data Protection Officer

We have also appointed a data protection officer. This is an expert in the protection of personal data who provides an additional guarantee for the correct processing of your personal data by us.

You can contact the officer through the channels mentioned in section 10 of this Statement.

2. What data do we collect about you?

By "personal data" we mean all information which refers to a specific living natural person.

Depending on the purpose of the processing, we process different types of personal data.

You can find - for each purpose mentioned under point 3 of this Statement - the categories of personal data that are used for that specific purpose. Thus, in particular in the context of our psycho-social counselling (see point 3.2 of this Statement), so-called 'sensitive personal data' may also be processed, including:

personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, religious or philosophical beliefs;
data concerning health;

3. Why do we need your personal data?

3.1 Education and student administration

3.1.1 What does it involve?

As an educational institution, we process personal data of our students as part of the courses and programmes we offer. Education and student administration, which is carried out from registration to after graduation, comprises various components and includes:

the registration of students;
concluding agreements with students;
organising educational activities
informing about class schedules;
the organisation of examinations;
keeping track of examination results;
issuing diplomas, certificates, titles and degrees;
providing information so we can communicate effectively with you by post, email and telephone, including the sending of newsletters;
...

The learning process within the university college is supported by a powerful digital learning and examination environment. In order for this environment to function optimally, we also need your personal data for the following purposes

logging on and uniquely identifying a person in these environments;
linking a person to submitted assignments
awarding points and feedback;
following up on the study process and the evolution of a student;
providing communication between the college/teacher and the student;
logging actions within these environments in order to resolve disputes, detect problems, or clarify fraud issues.

In the broader context of educational administration, we must also ensure the quality of our educational activities. Students, alumni, external experts from the professional field and international experts are involved in the process of quality assurance.

Finally, the personal data that we receive within the framework of the education and student administration, as well as the personal data that we receive from the digital learning and examination environment and the platforms linked to it, are further processed for statistical purposes, in particular to analyse our policy and education, and for scientific research. These statistics and scientific research projects are aimed at analysing and improving our education, your experience as a student and our policies.

3.1.2 What categories of personal data are processed?

We collect and process the following types of data:

identification data (name, address, telephone number, identity card number, passport number, NISS number, personal email address,...);
personal characteristics (age, sex, date of birth, country and place of birth, civil status, nationality,...);
education and training (overview of schools attended, nature of courses taken, your activity within AP's digital learning and examination environment, intended diplomas, examination results, attendance, image and audio material you upload on our digital learning and examination platforms, other information you share through submissions, reflections,...);
financial data (bank account number);
profession and occupation if you are a working student;
health data if required for your study and/or placement activities;
data that may be used to contact you in case of an emergency (e.g. mobile phone number) and data of the persons you have specified who may be contacted in case of an emergency.

3.2 Tutoring and student services

3.2.1 What does it involve?

We offer support with your studies or with assignments you have to complete, as well as guidance if you have specific needs or personal difficulties. Within the framework of our study career counselling, pathway counselling or psycho-social counselling, as well as within the framework of our financial and social support, we collect and process your personal data. Without your personal data, personalised counselling is not possible. Thus, the individual adjustments you request can only be granted and optimally organised if we have your personal data.

Within the framework of our 'Reporting point transgressive behaviour’ we collect personal data of all persons involved in the reported behaviour.

3.2.2 What categories of personal data are processed?

We collect and process the following types of data, which may include so-called sensitive data:

identification data (name, address, telephone number,...);
personal characteristics (age, sex, date of birth, civil status,...);
education and training;
migration background (nationality);
family composition;
data concerning health;
data relating to philosophical and religious beliefs;
data relating to sexual behaviour or orientation; data on solvency (assessment of income and financial status);
living arrangements (details of consumption of goods or services, behaviour of the individual or his family,...);
leisure activities;
housing characteristics of the individual or his family;
occupation and job of the individual or his family;

3.3 Cookies on our website

AP websites use cookies. Cookies are small text files stored on your device and similar technologies. More information can be found in our cookie statement.

3.4 Wifi network of AP

As a student you may use the AP Wi-Fi network. When you do so, the following data is collected: the student number you use to log in, the MAC address that identifies your device and your surfing behavior (such as the type of information you are looking for and preferences for certain websites).

We collect this data in the legitimate interest of preventing possible misuse of the network. If illegal activities take place from our Wi-Fi network, we can block access to the student number that was used to log on to the network.

In general, this data is not shared with others, unless there is illegal use of the network, or suspicion thereof. In that case, the data may be passed on to the judicial authorities and, if necessary, to our professional advisers.

4. Do we require your permission for processing?

Personal data can only be processed lawfully if it is based on a legal basis. Consent is only one possible legal ground, besides (i) the legal obligation to process, (ii) the necessity of the processing for the performance of a contract, (iii) a public interest, and (iv) a legitimate interest.

Our processing of your personal data, which we carry out for the purposes mentioned in point 3 of this Statement, has the following bases:

We are legally obliged to process certain data.
This is the case for the processing that takes place on the basis of the obligations that we have as an educational institution as stipulated in the Codex Higher Education
The use of your personal data is necessary for the execution of the agreement you enter into with us as a student or, at your request, to take the necessary steps to enter into an agreement with us.
We have your explicit and free consent to use your personal data for a specific purpose.

If we need your consent for any processing, particularly when sensitive personal data is received in the context of student services, tutoring and/or individual adjustments, we will ask you for your specific consent prior to the processing.

5. Who else do we share your personal data with?

Your personal data will not be shared with other persons, with the exception of the following:

Only our employees who effectively need access for the performance of their duties are granted access to your data. These persons act under our supervision and responsibility.
Your fellow students can only look up your e-mail address and education.
In addition, we also use specialised external suppliers to carry out certain processing activities on our behalf, such as IT services, lawyers and bailiffs. In particular, in the context of our digital learning and examination environment, we use external providers of specialised platforms such as Panopto and Turnitin. As these third parties have access to personal data as part of the services we request, we have put in place technical, organisational and contractual measures to ensure that your personal data is only processed and used for the purposes set out in section 3 of this Statement.
Under certain conditions, we may provide government agencies and public administrations, higher education institutions and external organisations (such as an external medical service) with your personal data, but only if this is directly related to the studies, in the interest of the students and access to the labour market.
Within the framework of internship activities and/or external evaluations (jury,...) we provide the internship site and/or the evaluators with your personal data, but only insofar as this is necessary for this internship site and/or the evaluation.
Only if we are legally obliged to do so will your personal data be provided to the police, investigation services and the courts.

Certain data may also be passed on to the following persons, but only if you have given your permission, such as

the passing on of study results to your secondary school;
passing on certain data to student restaurants (e.g. concerning allergens) and facility managers;
passing on personal data to the press.

6. Where will the data be stored and processed?

Your data will not be transported outside the EU and in any case we ensure that the minimum legal requirements and security standards are respected at all times.

If we foresee that your data will be stored and processed outside the EU, we will explicitly state this and ensure that the same level of protection is applied as applies within the EU.

7. How long do we store your personal data?

7.1 General

We will only store your data for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which the data is used as stated in section 3 of this Statement.

Because the need to store data may vary by data type as well as by purpose of processing, the actual retention periods may vary significantly. For example, you will understand that we keep certain personal data for a long time in order to ensure that you will be able to provide proof of your qualifications in later life (e.g. in connection with your pension).

Please note that the criteria we take into account in determining retention periods include the following:

how long is the personal data needed to provide the requested service?
have we established and announced a certain specific retention period?
have we obtained consent for a longer retention period?
do we have a legal, contractual or similar obligation to retain the data?

As soon as your data is no longer needed and we have no legal obligation to keep it, we will delete it permanently or, if this is not possible, we will make it anonymous in our systems.

Your personal data will, however, be kept and used as long as necessary to comply with our legal obligations, to settle disputes or to enforce our agreements.

7.2 Contact information of alumni

Only if you have given your permission, your contact details will be included in our alumni database after graduation, in order to inform you of our activities. You can withdraw your consent at any time.

8. How do we protect your personal data?

Your personal data are considered strictly confidential. We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect the personal data provided and collected against destruction, loss, unintentional modification, damage, accidental or unlawful access or any other unauthorised processing of personal data.

9. What are your rights and how can you exercise them?

9.1 Your Rights

9.1.1 Right of access to your personal data

You are always entitled to access and inspect your personal data that we process. We will provide you with one copy free of charge of this personal data if you request it.

9.1.2 Right to correct your personal data

You always have the right to have incorrect, incomplete, inappropriate or outdated personal data removed or corrected.

If you dispute the accuracy of the personal data, you may request a restriction of the processing for a period that allows us to verify the accuracy of the personal data. When you have obtained the right to the restriction of processing, we will no longer carry out any transactions with the personal data in question, apart from storing the data.

9.1.3 Right to withdraw your consent

When the processing is based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw this consent at any time.

9.1.4 Right to object to certain processing operations

If your personal data is processed on the basis of a legitimate or public interest, you have the right to object to the processing of your personal data.

9.1.5 Right to delete of your personal data

You have the right to obtain, without unreasonable delay, the deletion of your personal data in the following cases

when your data is no longer needed for the purposes for which it was collected or processed; or
when you withdraw your consent and no other legal basis for the processing exists; or
when you object to the processing and no compelling legitimate grounds exist for the processing; or
your data have been processed unlawfully; or
when your data must be deleted due to a legal obligation.

Study results will not be deleted. In this way, if documents are lost by you, we will be able to provide a certificate later.

9.1.6 Right to transfer personal data

With regard to the processing of your personal data on the basis of your permission or because it is necessary for the execution of the agreement with you, you can ask us to transmit your personal data - in a structured, common and digital form - to you so that you can save them for personal (re)use, or to transmit these personal data directly to another data processor, if this is technically possible for us.

9.1.7 The right not to be subjected to automated decision making

You will not be subject to automated individual decision making by us, including profiling.

9.2 How to exercise?

In order to exercise the rights mentioned above, you can submit a written request to us in the following manner:

by e-mail: gegevensbescherming@ap.be;
in writing to the following postal address: Lange Nieuwstraat 101, 2000 Antwerp, for the attention of the Data Protection Officer.

When exercising your right, we request that you clearly indicate which right you wish to invoke and which processing(s) you oppose, if any, or which consent you wish to withdraw.

10. How can you submit questions or complaints?

If you have a question or complaint about our processing of personal data, you can contact us via the following channels:

by e-mail: gegevensbescherming@ap.be;
in writing to the following postal address: Lange Nieuwstraat 101, 2000 Antwerp, for the attention of the Data Protection Officer.

If you are not satisfied with our answer, if you have remarks concerning the exercise of your rights or if you think that our processing of your personal data is not in accordance with the legislation, you have the right to complain about this to the Data Protection Authority. All information can be found at https://www.dataprotectionauthority.be.

11. Amendments to this Statement

We may amend or supplement this Statement as we consider necessary.

If any important changes are made to this Statement, the date it is updated will be modified and we will also notify you through the normal information channels.

We also encourage you to periodically review this Statement to be informed of how we are handling and protecting your personal data.

Disclaimer: in case of discrepancies between the language versions of the Privacy Statement, the Dutch language version prevails.