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Privacy Notice - Student Applicants / Potential Student Applicants

Part 1: Generic Privacy Notice Information

Durham University has a responsibility under data protection legislation to provide individuals with information about how we process their personal data. We do this in a number of ways, one of which is the publication of privacy notices. Organisations variously call them a privacy statement, a fair processing notice or a privacy policy.

To ensure that we process your personal data fairly and lawfully we are required to inform you:

  • Why we collect your data
  • How it will be used
  • Who it will be shared with

We will also explain what rights you have to control how we use your information and how to inform us about your wishes. Durham University will make the Privacy Notice available via the website and at the point we request personal data.

Our privacy notices comprise two parts – a generic part (i.e. common to all of our privacy notices) and a part tailored to the specific processing activity being undertaken.

Data Controller

The Data Controller is Durham University. If you would like more information about how the University uses your personal data, please see the University’s Information Governance webpages or contact Information Governance Unit:

Email: info.access@durham.ac.uk 

Information Governance Unit also coordinates responses to individuals asserting their rights under the legislation. Please contact the Unit in the first instance.

Data Protection Officer

The Data Protection Officer is responsible for advising the University on compliance with Data Protection legislation and monitoring its performance against it. If you have any concerns regarding the way in which the University is processing your personal data, please contact the Data Protection Officer:

Andrew Ladd, email: info.access@durham.ac.uk 

Your rights in relation to your personal data

Privacy notices and/or consent

You have the right to be provided with information about how and why we process your personal data. Where you have the choice to determine how your personal data will be used, we will ask you for consent. Where you do not have a choice (for example, where we have a legal obligation to process the personal data), we will provide you with a privacy notice. A privacy notice is a verbal or written statement that explains how we use personal data.

Whenever you give your consent for the processing of your personal data, you receive the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Where withdrawal of consent will have an impact on the services we are able to provide, this will be explained to you, so that you can determine whether it is the right decision for you.

Accessing your personal data

You have the right to be told whether we are processing your personal data and, if so, to be given a copy of it. This is known as the right of subject access. You can find out more about this right on the University’s Subject Access Requests webpage.

Right to rectification

If you believe that personal data we hold about you is inaccurate, please contact us and we will investigate. You can also request that we complete any incomplete data.

Once we have determined what we are going to do, we will contact you to let you know.

Right to erasure
  • You can ask us to erase your personal data in any of the following circumstances:
  • We no longer need the personal data for the purpose it was originally collected
  • You withdraw your consent and there is no other legal basis for the processing
  • You object to the processing and there are no overriding legitimate grounds for the processing
  • The personal data have been unlawfully processed
  • The personal data have to be erased for compliance with a legal obligation
  • The personal data have been collected in relation to the offer of information society services (information society services are online services such as banking or social media sites).

Once we have determined whether we will erase the personal data, we will contact you to let you know.

Right to restriction of processing

You can ask us to restrict the processing of your personal data in the following circumstances:

  • You believe that the data is inaccurate and you want us to restrict processing until we determine whether it is indeed inaccurate
  • The processing is unlawful and you want us to restrict processing rather than erase it
  • We no longer need the data for the purpose we originally collected it but you need it in order to establish, exercise or defend a legal claim and
  • You have objected to the processing and you want us to restrict processing until we determine whether our legitimate interests in processing the data override your objection.

Once we have determined how we propose to restrict processing of the data, we will contact you to discuss and, where possible, agree this with you.

Retention

The University keeps personal data for as long as it is needed for the purpose for which it was originally collected. Most of these time periods are set out in the University Records Retention Schedule.

Making a complaint

If you are unsatisfied with the way in which we process your personal data, we ask that you let us know so that we can try and put things right. If we are not able to resolve issues to your satisfaction, you can refer the matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Website: Information Commissioner’s Office

Part 2 - Tailored Privacy Notice for Prospective Students

Student Applicants / Potential Student Applicants: Type(s) of personal data collected and held by the University and method of collection

We will collect personal details such as: name, address, qualifications and support needs. To comply with the Equality Act 2010 and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we will also ask for Special Category Data such as religion, race and disability.

Personal data is collected from the application, open day booking form and/or any forms you submit to us as well as face-to-face, email or telephone contact you make with the University and its representatives. 

We also receive information sent to us by UCAS. For further information regarding this, please visit the UCAS website at www.ucas.com.

In addition, we will collect and process your personal data for the purposes applications on Durham University's eCommerce & Events Management portal.

  • Languages For All 

Under the Event Management domain:

  • Event Durham
  • College & Common Rooms
  • Post Offer Visit Days 

This personal data may contain ‘special category’ data as described in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Such special categories may include information about your physical health (including allergies and intolerances), disability, and religion-related requirements (e.g. Halal, Kosher etc.).

Student Applicants / Potential Student Applicants: Lawful basis

Personal data will only be processed when the law permits this to happen. Most commonly personal data will be processed in the following circumstances:

  • Where you have given us your consent
  • In order to fulfil our obligations to you as part of the admissions process
  • Where we need to comply with a legal obligation
  • To protect your vital interests or those of another person (for example, in the case of a medical emergency)
  • In order to perform a task carried out in the public interest

Student Applicants / Potential Student Applicants: How personal data is stored

The information will be stored in a customer relationship management (CRM) system and Banner student records system. Access to these systems is restricted to authorised personnel only and all admissions staff receive regular training to ensure that your data is handled appropriately and legally.

In addition, where telephone calls are made to us during the application process, we may record these for accuracy, dispute resolution and staff training purposes.  You will be made aware of this, and calls will be retained for 30 days before automatic deletion.

Student Applicants / Potential Student Applicants: How personal data is processed

Information provided to us will be used to support you in considering and making an application to Durham University and to enable the University to consider your application for entry to our programmes. Once admitted, your admissions record will be used to create your student record. We collect statistical admissions data for the purposes of identifying trends, forecasting and monitor progress.

Student Applicants / Potential Student Applicants: Who the University shares data with

Information is shared with relevant parties within the University for the purposes outlined above. In addition, specific data may be shared with the following for the purposes specified:

  • UKVI – if you require a visa to study in the UK, the University will supply required information to the Home Office in order to provide you with a Confirmation of Acceptance of Study (CAS) number. This number is required as part of the visa application process.
  • UCAS – if you apply to Durham University through UCAS, the University will notify you of its decisions through the UCAS portal UCAS Track. In order to do this, information relating to your application will be shared in accordance with their requirements and published privacy notice (please see www.ucas.com).
  • Scholarships/funders – If you are applying for or have been awarded a student loan or scholarship, we may share information with your funding body, with your consent, in order to facilitate the payment of these funds.
  • Approved International Agents – if you register an interest with the University as an enquirer outside of the UK, we may pass your details to one of our approved agencies, who may contact you to ask if you would like their assistance with your application. You are under no obligation to employ them to work on your behalf.
  • QS Enrolment Solutions (QSES) for the purposes of providing support to enquirers. This includes the QSES CRM, Acoustic and Twilio software.
  • Third parties that process data on behalf of the University to support it in fulfilling its obligations and responsibilities to and relationship with you (e.g. software and system providers) including;  Dynamics 365, ClickDimensions, Gecko, EventsAir, Enroly, Student Pulse

Student Applicants / Potential Student Applicants: How long personal data is held by the University

The University has a Records Retention Schedule that specifies how long data will be held for.

Student Applicants / Potential Student Applicants: Visitors to our websites/webpages

When someone visits www.durham.ac.uk  we use a third party service, Google Analytics, to collect standard internet log information and details of visitor behaviour patterns. We do this to find out things such as the number of visitors to the various parts of the site. This information is only processed in a way which does not identify anyone. We do not make, and do not allow Google to make, any attempt to find out the identities of those visiting our website. If we do want to collect personally identifiable information through our website, we will be transparent about this. We will make it clear when we collect personal information and will explain what we intend to do with it.

Student Applicants / Potential Student Applicants: Use of cookies

A cookie is a simple text file that is stored on your computer or mobile device by a website's server and only that server will be able to retrieve or read the contents of that cookie. Cookies allow websites to remember user preferences, choices and selections, such as what's in your shopping basket. Durham University also make use of the Google Analytics service to understand how you navigate around our site.

Durham University do not use cookies to collect personal information about you.

For more information about the use of cookies on Durham University's website, or to set your cookie usage preference, please see our  Cookie Notice.

Student Applicants / Potential Student Applicants: Links to other websites

This privacy notice does not cover the links within this site linking to other websites. We encourage you to read the privacy statements on the other websites you visit.

Student Applicants / Potential Student Applicants: Further information

If you have any questions which you feel have not been covered by this Privacy Notice, please email us or write to: 

Recruitment and Admissions, Durham University, Mountjoy Centre, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LE United Kingdom

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(Updated June 2025)