Privacy

Selkirk College’s approach to privacy ensures the responsible use of information and safeguards human dignity while optimizing the beneficial use of data for decision-making.

At Selkirk College, privacy risk management is a cross-organizational process. Our practice minimizes adverse outcomes for individuals and adheres to a societal standard.

The Selkirk College Privacy Steering Committee oversees and ensures the protection of personal data and privacy within the organization. The committee develops policies, procedures and practices to safeguard personal information, ensure compliance with relevant regulations and maintain the stakeholders’ trust.

Our commitments to privacy

Selkirk College is committed to:
 

  • Complying with all federal and provincial statutes and legislations governing privacy.
  • Ensuring the privacy of student and employee information.
  • Optimizing beneficial use of data while minimizing negative outcomes.
  • Respecting best practice measures and procedures to ensure the effective management of the information within the college’s custody and control.
  • Supporting ethical decision-making.
  • Minimizing embarrassment, stigmas, discrimination, economic loss and physical harm.
  • Developing a privacy management program—as required by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA)—that outlines processes for conducting privacy impact assessments, handling privacy breaches, and promoting privacy awareness and education activities.
  • Collecting and using personal information only for the purposes for which it was initially collected and if required for related purposes subsequent to this policy and requirements of the College and Institution Act and FOIPPA.
  • Working under the guidance of the Office of the Information & Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia.

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act

The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) makes public bodies more accountable by giving the public a right to access records, giving individuals a right to access and a right to request correction of personal information about themselves, specifying limited exceptions to the rights of access, preventing the unauthorized collection, use or disclosure of personal information by public bodies, and providing for an independent review of decisions made under this Act.

Selkirk College makes every effort to publicly release information and records that are of interest to the public. The public can request access to records by submitting a formal Freedom of Information (FOI) request form.

Although the FOIPPA requires Selkirk College to release requested records, in some cases, we may be authorized or required to withhold records or redact information from these records before releasing them.

Submit a Freedom of Information Request

There are two ways to submit a request.

FOI requests must include the following information:

  • Full legal name or organization
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • How you would like the record received

FOI requests must provide sufficient detail to enable an experienced employee, with a reasonable effort, to identify the records sought. If information is missing, we may be required to request clarification, which will delay the processing of your request and may result in additional fees. 

Requests should specify the type of records being requested, as well as a date range and, if known, the office or individuals where you believe the records may be found.

Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about freedom of information and privacy at Selkirk College, please contact the privacy officer.

Privacy Policies and Procedures

FOIPPA requires public bodies to make any privacy policies and any documented privacy processes or practices available to employees and, where practicable, to the public.

Report a Breach

If you suspect a privacy breach or need to report a privacy breach, please contact Selkirk College's privacy officer.