The protection of student confidentiality is important to us. Please read these guidelines carefully and discuss any questions or concerns with any member of staff in the Dean of Students Office.
The Dean of Students Office keeps brief and factual records of meetings and discussions with students that comply with the Data Protection Act 2018 and adhere to the University Data Protection Policy.
The Act requires a student’s consent for records to be kept, which is sought at the first meeting. This may take the form of a note that a student's verbal agreement was provided.
Basic information is recorded to enable us to provide robust and professional advice and support to students and is securely stored in electronic and/or paper format. This data is not kept for longer than is necessary and beyond this point is securely destroyed. Please see the University's retention schedule for guidelines on how long certain types of information is kept.
We will not normally disclose verbal or written information about a student to others (inside or outside of the University) unless we have permission to do so. However, sharing information with other professionals or departments may be useful in providing the best support, for example arranging adjustments to study or referring to other support and advice services. In such a situation, we will seek students’ permission to disclose information. What we disclose and to whom will be agreed in advance.
Please note that in exceptional circumstances, for example where there is good reason to believe that a student or others are at risk of harm, it may be necessary to disclose information to other professionals, without explicit consent.
