If you make an enquiry to us about studying with Falmouth University, this privacy notice provides information on how we use your personal data in relation to that enquiry. This is supplemental to the main page on our website about data privacy

FAQs

If you make an enquiry to the University this privacy notice will apply whether you choose to continue with an application to study or not. If you do decide to make an application with us you will be given a link to the Student Applicant Privacy Notice which will explain how we might process your data during the application process. This notice will still apply to your data which we process as part of your enquiry and this notice will still be relevant even after you have made an application.

The University will process the following data when you fill in one of our forms, such as ordering a prospectus, register for an open day or other contact forms used throughout our website:

  • Your name, contact details and date of birth
  • The subjects or areas of study in which you are interested in
  • Whether or not you are an international, UK or EU student
  • Your domicile
  • The year you are interested in starting a programme of study with us
  • Details about your current or predicted academic attainment
  • Your registration for and attendance at a University event such as an open day
  • Records of all communications between the University and yourself
  • If you are from a low income household
  • If anyone from your family has been to university
  • If you are from a military family

Sometimes we may need to process special category data of sensitive personal data, but only with your permission and only when absolutely necessary to help with your enquiry, attendance at an event or application. Special category data is never used in the selection or interview process for programmes of study and is only ever used to ensure we remain accessible to people, no matter their background or personal circumstances.

The University needs to process this personal data for a number of reasons in order to deal with your enquiry. Specifically, we will process your data:

  • To provide you with information you have requested about the University, our courses, our facilities, the local area and to help you make an informed decision as to whether you want to apply to study with us
  • To make sure we communicate with you in the right way and the manner you have requested
  • To invite you to visit the University either in person or via an online event
  • To provide you with information about our visits to your country or area for various events
  • To fulfil and monitor our legal responsibilities such as equality law, immigration law and in the interest of public safety
  • To compile statistics and carry out research in relation to our enquiries to better understand trends and manage our marketing and application processes and strategy
  • To identify students eligible for our Raising Aspirations programme as part of our commitment to Widening Participation
  • To fulfil and monitor our legal responsibilities, for example, under equalities, immigration and public safety legislation

If you tell us about a disability, we will pass this to our Accessibility Team who will contact you to offer support and let you know how you can access our services. You will be provided with further details about how your data will be used for this purpose through the Accessibility Team's data gathering forms.

We use software to help us improve your online experience, such as profiling and analytics software. We will never use profiling to make automated decisions about you, and we will only ever use data gathered by this software to improve our practices and approach to potential applicants.

We ask for your consent when you submit your personal data within one of our online forms for the purposes set out above. You can withdraw this consent at any time by using the unsubscribe button in any email or by letting us know via one of our communication channels. You cannot withdraw consent for the exceptions set out below.

When we use your data to compile statistics and conduct research, your data will be anonymised so that you can't be individually identified. Additionally, if we are processing your data for any of the following purposes you may not be able to withdraw consent:

  • Processing in the public interest
  • For scientific or historical research or statistical purposes
  • For the purposes of the University's legitimate business interests such as managing and developing its business

Special category personal data will only be processed with your explicit consent or where it is necessary for:

  • The establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims
  • Protecting your or another person's vital interests
  • Archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes

Your information will be used throughout the University with only those staff who need to process your personal data for the purposes set out above.

Your personal data is also shared as necessary in an organised and confidential basis with several external organisations which assist the University with handling enquiries and student applications and with sending you information in the post. Where this is the case, we will have formal agreements in place with any third party organisation and they will be acting in accordance with our instructions and will not process your data for any other purposes other than what we have asked them to do. Sometimes your personal data is processed by these organisations outside the European Economic Area (usually because they use cloud systems provided by companies such as Microsoft or Google). If this is the case then we always ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to ensure the confidentiality and security of your personal data.

We will never share your personal data with external organisations for marketing their products or services. We do not sell your personal data and never will, to anyone, under any circumstances.

  • The Department for Education (DfE) - if we should add this under 'Relevant Government Departments'
  • Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) - if we should add this under 'Relevant Higher Education bodies'
  • The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) - if we should add this under 'Relevant Higher Education bodies'
  • Their current school, academy or college - if we should add this under 'Relevant Higher Education bodies'

If you decide not to apply to study with us, any data you provide to us as part of your enquiry will be kept for 5 years after your indicated year of entry and is destroyed in the September of that year.

If you decide to apply for a programme of study with the University then your enquiry data will be kept in line with our applicant privacy notice which will also be provided to you at the point of application.

HEAT records are kept until the individual is 30, or if they go to university 15 years after graduation. This is because it's about impact of progression, so we may work with, and record details, of any student from Year 7 upwards to identify if/when they enrol in HE or their progression after graduation.

Your rights

To find out more about your rights, please visit our privacy page

Does this page get updated?

This privacy notice is effective from the 15th of July 2020 and is reviewed annually. If we need to make changes, we'll let you know via email.