Every endeavour is made to keep the information on this website as up to date and as accurate as possible. However, Universities Australia provides this information ‘as is’ with no express or implied warranty that it is accurate, current and complete.

Universities Australia accepts no liability for any loss or damage a person suffers because that person has directly or indirectly relied on any information or files accessed from this website. Please advise Universities Australia of any mistakes on this website and they will be rectified as soon as possible.

Links to websites of third parties are provided as an information service only. Universities Australia does not necessarily endorse any organisation or products that are represented on external websites.

Universities Australia will generally only disclose your information to a third party with your consent, or where the disclosure is required or authorised by law.

To assist the proper and fair application of the policy, and to assist you if you have any concerns or inquiries, Universities Australia nominates its Information Manager as our Privacy Officer to handle issues relating to privacy and confidentiality.

Purpose of this privacy policy

Universities Australia takes its obligations to protect privacy very seriously. Universities Australia is an ‘APP entity’ and an ‘organisation’ within the meaning of the Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth). The Privacy Act regulates how organisations collect, use, hold and disclose personal information. Our policy is to comply in all respects with our privacy obligations. Universities Australia is bound by the Act including the Australian Privacy Principles. The Act is available for perusal at http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2014C00076/Download

The purpose of this privacy policy is to tell you about the personal information handling practices of Universities Australia.

This privacy policy may be reviewed and updated from time to time. Changes to the privacy policy will be updated on our website.

Overview

Universities Australia:

  • collects and uses personal information only where it is necessary for one or more of our functions and activities, which include the following:
  • advocacy and policy development in relation to higher education matters
  • consultation with stakeholders, for example in relation to policy development
  • communicating with the public, stakeholders and the media about our events and activities
  • when collecting personal information, will do so only by lawful and fair means and not in an unreasonably intrusive way
  • when collecting information that is regarded under the Privacy Act as ‘sensitive information’ (eg health information), will collect it only from the person concerned and with his or her consent
  • at or before the time we collect personal information (or if that is not practicable, as soon as practicable thereafter) will provide the person it concerns with a statement outlining basic facts about us and our information handling practices as required by the Privacy Act
  • take reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information we collect, store, use or disclose is accurate, complete and up to date
  • will take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse and loss, and unauthorised access, modification and disclosure in accordance with this Policy and the Privacy Act

Collection, use and disclosure of personal information

The personal information we collect, and way we handle that information, depends on our interaction with you.

We will generally only disclose your personal information to a third party with your consent, or where the disclosure is required or authorised by law.

Universities Australia membership

The Members of Universities Australia are Australian universities, represented by their Chief Executive Officer – the Vice-Chancellor. We collect the names and business contact details of Vice-Chancellors for the purposes of providing member services, and engagement with universities on higher education issues.

Conferences

When people register to attend a conference organised by us, we will collect your name, contact details, the organisation you work for and payment details for the purposes of conducting those events. We may also collect information about your dietary requirements for catering purposes. This information will be collected directly from you (or your authorised representative) either manually (ie hard copy registration forms or over the telephone), or via websites operated by service providers on our behalf.

We may, with your consent, use and provide your contact details to third parties related to the conference (i.e. our partners such as event sponsors, speakers, organisers, hosts or facilitators) to inform you of future events or other marketing purposes.

We may also take photographs or make video recordings of individuals at events organised by us.

Media campaigns and media releases

In addition to member representatives and people who have registered for a conference, we also collect the names and contact details of other individuals who deal with us in the conduct of our functions and activities (eg stakeholder engagement on higher education issues). We may collect this information via websites operated by service providers on our behalf.

We use contact details to promote other events, campaigns and activities organised by us.

Universities Australia Board Members

We collect and hold personal information such as contact details and CVs of board members and nominees for the purposes of managing board membership and related activities.

EmployEES and contractors

Universities Australia collects and holds personal information about its current and former employees and job applicants for the purposes of managing its business and the employment of staff. We also provide some HR services for Higher Ed Services Pty Ltd (HES) and Australian Higher Education Associations, and collect and hold personal information about staff of those bodies.

The types of personal information we collect and hold include the following:

  • job applications and supporting documents (eg academic qualifications, employment history)
  • employee, referee and emergency contact details
  • salary, superannuation, leave and other employment details
  • payroll records, including bank details and taxation information
  • information in relation to employee training and performance
  • personal and financial interest details about an employee and immediate family members
  • medical certificates and other health information.

We generally collect personal information directly from the person. We may collect information from third parties such as an employee’s supervisor or co-workers, recruitment agencies or previous employers. In relation to HES staff, information may be collected from, and disclosed to, HES as the employer. Information may be disclosed to third parties such as the Australian Taxation Office and superannuation funds for the purposes of managing employment.

In relation to contractors and service providers, we generally collect your name, business contact details, ABN, bank details and other relevant information directly from you for the purposes of managing contracts (including payment) and our business generally.

Disclosure of personal information overseas

Universities Australia will generally only disclose personal information to an overseas entity with your consent, or if the disclosure is required or authorised by law.

Sometimes personal information may be held by our service providers on databases located overseas. Where this occurs, we take steps to ensure that there are appropriate security arrangements.

Storage of personal information

The security of your personal information is important to us. Any personal information you choose to provide will only be used for the purpose for which it was provided and will not be disclosed to other persons or organisations without your prior consent, or unless the disclosure is authorised or required by law.

We hold your personal information in a combination of hard copy and electronic files and databases.

Use of our website

Website security

When you enter sensitive information (such as credit card numbers) on our website, we encrypt that information using secure socket layer technology (SSL), and we follow generally accepted industry standards to protect the personal information submitted to us, both during transmission and once we receive it.

If you have any questions about security on our website, please contact our Information Manager.

Google Analytics

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Inc. (Google). Google Analytics uses cookies and JavaScript code to enable analysis on usage of this website. The data collected about your use of this website, (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored on Google’s servers. Google will use this data for the purpose of compiling reports on website activity for us and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage.

Google will not collect personal information about you and the reports provided by Google to us will only contain aggregate non personal data about your use of this website. (These reports may contain data relating to pages viewed, files downloaded or the completion of online subscriptions). We will use the data collected by Google Analytics to improve the functionality of this website.

Cookies and similar technology

This website also uses cookies to collect information about your access to the website and the services we provide and, although they do identify a user’s computer, they do not, of themselves, personally identify users. Cookies are pieces of information that include a unique reference code that a website transfers to your device to store and sometimes track information about you. A number of cookies we use will last only for the duration of your web session and expire when you close your browser. Other cookies are used to remember you when you return to the Site and last for longer.

Requests for access to and correction of your personal information

You have a right of access to your personal information.

You may request copies of the personal information we hold about you by writing to us or contacting us during our usual office hours.

There is no charge for lodging a request for access to your information, but we may make a small charge for our time involved in providing this access and for associated costs such as photocopying. Access may be withheld, or provided in particular ways, where the Privacy Act allows this to be done.

If you are aware that your personal information we hold is out of date, incomplete or inaccurate, please let us now. We will correct any incorrect personal information and we will not refuse to make a correction without giving you our reasons. However, if we do refuse to make a correction, we will take reasonable steps to place with the disputed information a statement from you saying that in your opinion it is out of date, incomplete or inaccurate.

Privacy complaints

You may make a complaint to us if you consider that we have breached our obligations under the Privacy Act or the Australian Privacy Principles, or otherwise have concerns or queries in relation to how we have handled your personal information. To make a complaint or enquiry, please contact us on the following details:

Email: [email protected]

If you do not receive a response from us, or you are not satisfied with the outcome, you may make a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). Information about how to make a complaint to the OAIC is available on the OAIC website.

Copyright

Universities Australia supports and encourages the dissemination and exchange of publicly funded information and endorses the use of the Australian Governments Open Access and Licensing Framework (AusGOAL).

All Universities Australia material on this website – except:

  1. the Universities Australia logo
  2. any other material protected by a trademark, and
  3. unless otherwise noted

– is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Attribution is requested as: Universities Australia 2014

Universities Australia has undertaken reasonable enquiries to identify material owned by third parties and secure permission for its reproduction. Permission may need to be obtained from third parties to reuse their material.

Written requests relating to the copyright on this website should be addressed to:

The Manager, Copyright and Information Policy

Universities Australia

1 Geils Court, Deakin

ACT 2600 Australia

T: +61 2 6285 8100

F: +61 2 6285 8101

[email protected]