Privacy Policy

Introduction

This notice should explain when and why the Students’ Union may collect your personal data, how we use it and the conditions under which we may disclose it to others and how we keep it secure.

From time to time we may change this notice so please ensure that you check our website regularly.

If you have any questions about this policy and our privacy statement please contact the Students’ Union via email, studentsunion@bbk.ac.uk or by writing to Birkbeck Students’ Union, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX.

 

Who are we?

We are the Students’ Union for Birkbeck, University of London. We are a registered charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered Company Number 06661477 and Registered Charity Number 1142614. Our organisation exists to work in partnership with Birkbeck, University of London to ensure that all students are democratically represented to the University, to enhance both your academic and co-curricular activities. We do this by electing student officers who lobby the university on behalf of students to ensure that Birkbeck students get the best possible experience.

Birkbeck Students’ Union is a data controller separate to Birkbeck, University of London and will make decisions about how we use any personal data we collect from you.

 

How do we collect information about you?

We obtain information from the University which allows you to access the Birkbeck SU website by checking your university credentials to check your student status. We will also obtain information about you when you contact us by using our social media platforms or when you contact us in person (booking appointments with our Support Service for example).
 

Lawful basis for processing data

1. Consent – Website cookie data.
2. Contract – MSL, Advice UK, BUCS, Microsoft, SurveyMonkey, SurveyHero, Native. These are all covered by contracts with relevant third-parties.
3. Legal – AGM and Elections & Referenda voting are covered by the 1994 Education Act.
4. Legitimate Interest – Membership records, Support Service records, Club & Society registration details, Course Rep records and Newsletter subscriptions (including Clubs & Socs mailing lists).
    

What type of information do we collect?

As an enrolled student at Birkbeck, you are automatically a member of the Students’ Union. We collect and use data relating to your personal details including special category data such as information related to your ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and disability status.

 

How is your information used?

We may use your information to:

• Meet our statutory and legal obligations (carrying out Student Elections, informing our members of our Annual General Meetings)
• Provide information about Students’ Union campaigns and services, such as the Welcome Fair
• Offer support and assistance in dealing with support casework
• Process orders that you have submitted (purchasing items on our website)
• Dealing with entries into a competition
• Seek your views or comments on the services we provide
• Seek your views or comments on services provided by Birkbeck, University of London
• Notify you of changes to our services
• Send you communications which you can opt out of. These may include information about campaigns, appeals, other fundraising activities, promotions of our events and activities
• Process a job application
• Society and Club membership subscriptions
• Recording engagements with our democratic processes
• To process your advertising enquiry with our media partner native

We are legally required to hold some types of information to fulfil our statutory obligations (for example details of elected student representatives). We will hold your personal information on our systems for as long as is necessary for the relevant activity, or as long as is set out in any relevant contract you hold with us.

 

Who has access to your data?

Staff within the Students’ Union have varying degrees of access to some if not all of the information we may hold on you for the purpose of carrying out the activities listed above.

Information collected by our Support Service is only accessible by members of staff within that team. An advisor will not share any information with a third party outside of the service without the student’s full consent.

We will NOT sell or rent your information to third parties.

We will NOT share your information for marketing purposes.

When you are using our secure online payment page, your payment is processed by a third party payment processor, who specialises in the secure online capture and processing or credit/debit card transactions. If you have any questions regarding secure transactions, please contact us.

 

Your rights

Everyone has rights associated with how their personal data is used and processed. These rights include:

• To be informed what personal data about you the Students’ Union holds and what it is used for
• To access your personal data
• To update the personal data the Students’ Union holds about you
• To be informed how the Students’ Union is complying with its obligations under the Act
• To complain to the Data Protection Officer if you believe that the Data Protection policy has not been followed
• To complain to the Information Commissioner if you believe that the Data Protection Act has not been followed
• To have personal data erased where there is no compelling reason for us to keep the data

You have the right to access any personal data that is being kept about you either in electronic or paper files. Requests for access to personal data will be dealt with as quickly as possible and either way within 1 month required by law. Please make any such requests to studentsunion@bbk.ac.uk or in writing to:

Birkbeck Students’ Union
Malet Street
London
WC1E 7HX

For requests dealing with data obtained and accessible only by the Student Support Service, please contact su-advice@bbk.ac.uk

You also have the right to request to be withdrawn as a member of the Students’ Union and therefore not to be included in any communications such membership would normally entitle you to receive such as Election or Annual General Meeting notifications.

 

Profiling

We may analyse your personal information so that we can contact you with information relevant to you.

We will analyse personal and sensitive information and profile it into categories or protected characteristics to enable the Union to hold elections for those positions which require a qualifying characteristic, such as Disabilities Student Leader.

 

MAY 2024