One of our primary functions is educating students. Consequently, we collect and hold personal information about students for the purposes of administering their academic progress and to facilitate access to support and information services, such as counselling, library and information technology services. The nature of information we hold about current and former students includes:

  • personal details, including date of birth, postal and permanent home address, emergency contact information
  • statistical information, including equity group membership and educational background
  • admission, enrolment, course progress and attendance records
  • records relating to student examinations and assessment, including student grades
  • records relating to industrial experience, practicums or clinical placements undertaken by students
  • details relating to payment of fees and charges and/or HECS contribution (which may include tax file number information)
  • records relating to student welfare matters, including use of student support services in areas such as health, disability, learning assistance and personal and careers counselling; and student complaints and grievances
  • records relating to applications for and award of prizes, scholarships and grants and other forms of student assistance
  • library borrowing records
  • graduation records, including information on graduate employment outcomes
  • immunisation status and first aid qualifications (for students in specified courses only)
  • records of student members on University and faculty committees.

The major repository of personal and academic information related to students is the student management system. Additional information regarding student activity may also be found in other electronic systems including our corporate records system QRecords, Research Master and Razor's Edge.

Student records may also be held by other organisational units. The faculty which administers the course in which the student is enrolled may hold records relating to the management of prizes and scholarships, work experience and clinical and teaching placements, and immunisation status. Records relating to student welfare matters or student usage of services will be held by the organisational unit which provides the service (for example, Health Services, Teaching and Learning Support Services, Library).

University staff are granted access to these records only as required to carry out their duties. As a general principle, nominated data custodians are responsible for managing access and security arrangements to data for those systems within their control.

Access to student records held in other parts of the university is necessarily more limited, both by functional requirements, and occasionally, by the need to treat these other records with greater confidentiality. In general, access to these records will be limited to the staff of the organisational unit concerned, although the records may be released to other staff where appropriate and authorised.

Where necessary, student personal information will be disclosed outside the university to:

  • government departments, including the Australian Taxation Office, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Centrelink and Department of Immigration and Citizenship
  • Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (and other tertiary admission organisations in other states)
  • external organisations in which students undertake industrial or clinical placements or professional experience
  • consultant student service providers (for example mailing houses)
  • student's financial institution (where required for payment of student fees and charges)
  • law enforcement, intelligence gathering or revenue protection agencies (where reasonably necessary for the enforcement of the criminal law or of a law imposing a pecuniary penalty, or for the protection of the public revenue).