Once you enrol, we use information about you for a variety of purposes. The main purposes are set out below. Depending on the nature of your course or use of University facilities, there may be additional reasons why we use your information which are specific to your course, school or service we offer. You will be informed about these locally as appropriate.

For the administration of your studies

We use your information to deliver and administer all aspects of your education (including any placements with external providers), including for identity verification and visa/immigration checks; teaching, assessment and quality assurance purposes; considering and approving academic progression and managing academic appeals; managing resits; considering any applications for extenuating circumstances; and determining and confirming awards. Where relevant e.g. for PhD students, we monitor, evaluate and support your research activity. We also maintain records of your studies and academic achievements. To provide an enhanced student experience, we may use software to analyse the information we hold about you within a number of different systems to create a profile of your engagement and academic achievements throughout your course. This profile helps us to identify if you may benefit from additional support. In any such instances, staff supporting your studies may contact you to discuss any additional support we can offer.

Financial administration

We will use your information, as provided by you or by funding bodies, to administer all financial aspects of your relationship with us and any funders, where relevant. This includes managing and collecting payments for course fees, accommodation, car parking, fines, bursaries and other support allowances, as well as for debt recovery purposes in the event money is owed to the University. We may use external debt collection agencies for this purpose.

Operation of the University’s regulations, procedures and codes of practice

We will use information about you if you make, or are the subject of, a complaint or allegation involving another student, member of staff or external party under any of the University’s rules, regulations, procedures or codes of practice. Information will be used to investigate complaints or allegations, manage the outcomes and put in place any remedies, including additional support or disciplinary measures. This includes investigating cases where academic misconduct is suspected (which includes suspected plagiarism, cheating or collusion), fitness to study and fitness to practise cases (where this is relevant to your course). The investigations mentioned here may also involve using information about any criminal convictions you receive during the time you are enrolled, in order to determine whether or not you are able to continue on your course (for example, where a particular type of conviction may prevent you from undertaking mandatory placements) or to determine any steps that should be taken in the context of helping to provide a safe community in which staff and students can teach and learn, and in which we can safeguard children (those under 18 years old) and vulnerable adults.

We will also use information about you to monitor your attendance and engagement at physical and online teaching sessions for the purposes of complying with the University’s Academic Regulations and, where relevant, the requirements of your visa. Information is generated from systems you use to scan in at face-to-face teaching sessions, and systems such as Microsoft Teams which are used to deliver online teaching sessions. We may also use Microsoft apps such as Insights, which allows your lecturer to see your learning activity within a specific Teams space.

Security and crime prevention

The University operates a CCTV system for security and crime prevention purposes, which includes the use of body worn video devices. The CCTV system covers University buildings (inside and outside) and public areas across our campuses. Your images are likely to be captured by the CCTV system while you are on, in, or near University premises. CCTV footage will be used to maintain the security of the University community, enhance public safety, prevent and detect crime and apprehend and prosecute offenders. CCTV footage may be used, where there is a lawful basis, in the investigation of complaints and allegations made under the University’s rules, regulations, procedures and codes of practice.

The University may also use your information to carry out welfare checks, maintain a safe environment around the University campus and University accommodation and investigate complaints or concerns.

Some buildings, such as the Library, have security access controls and collect data from your student card to show when you enter and leave.

Delivery of facilities and services

We will use your information to provide you with services and facilities such as an IT service, library, accommodation, parking permits, sports centre, clubs and societies (via the Students’ Union) and a careers service. All students and graduates are automatically eligible to receive ongoing support from the Careers Service. The Careers Service uses your information to provide specialist careers advice, mentoring, help with CV preparation and advertising and informing you of job vacancies.

Provision of a student wellbeing service

The University offers a variety of support to students via its Student Services team. Student Services uses your information to provide wellbeing support, including counselling and mental health support. It also provides a disability support service. If you declare a disability during the enrolment process or at any other time, unless you are solely studying at one of our partner institutions, the information will be passed to the Inclusive Support Team who will contact you to discuss your support needs and any reasonable adjustments which may need to be put in place. The team will discuss with you how we might need to share your information to put reasonable adjustments in place and you will be given the option to say that you want information about your disability to remain confidential.

Communicating with you

We will use your information to communicate effectively with you via email, post, telephone, text (SMS), social media or other methods, as appropriate. We will send you messages about a variety of things such as the administration of your course, timetable changes and events and activities happening at the University. If you are studying at a partner institution, we will also send you updates about our partnership and the status of your programme. We will keep you informed of important updates using newsletters, circulars or other methods. We may also send you messages about University services and facilities. If you are an Initial Teacher Education student, we will contact you about continuing professional development as a newly-qualified teacher. You can opt out of receiving communications which are considered to be marketing by contacting Academic Registry. Only some of the communications we send are marketing.

Research, reporting and statistics

We will use and analyse your information to compile statistics and to undertake surveys and market research to help with corporate planning, reporting and University administration. We will use external agencies to carry out market research on our behalf. We will also use your information to participate in surveys run by external agencies, such as the National Student Survey (NSS) and Graduate Outcomes. Participation in these surveys will involve us sharing your information with those running the surveys.

We will also use your information for statutory reporting purposes to external agencies, where required, such as the information we disclose about all students to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), as well as for purposes associated with our ongoing registration with the Office for Students

Your information will also be used for research purposes, including research by UCLan staff for planning and development purposes, and UCLan researchers for the purposes of academic research. We may also use your information to participate in research carried out by third parties including those unrelated to UCLan, such as research that would benefit current and future UCLan students or the student population generally, or research that would help formulate government policy. Your information will only be used in this way where the law allows us to and we consider it appropriate under the circumstances.

Monitoring and compliance

We will use your information to ensure and monitor our compliance with legislation including laws relating to equality, health and safety and immigration. We will also use your information to monitor our compliance with regulatory requirements set by external agencies.

Providing an alumni service

When you complete and pass your course, you automatically become a member of the University of Central Lancashire Alumni Network and will be provided with information about its services. We will use information about you from your student record to populate our alumni system and offer you an alumni service, which includes keeping you informed of University news, publications and events, career opportunities, academic and professional development opportunities and much more. Further information is available in the Alumni Privacy Notice. You can opt out of receiving communications from the alumni service at any time by contacting the Alumni team.

Privacy notices