1. PREAMBLE

Primary responsibility for administering this policy rests with the Registrar and with the Associate Provost, Graduate Studies, within the framework established by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. This responsibility is shared and extends to Faculty Associate Deans and their counterparts at the Colleges, and to any other offices or individuals deemed by the Registrar or Associate Provost, Graduate Studies to have a legitimate need to access student information (e.g., Co-operative Education & Career Services); such offices or individuals become responsible for the security and confidentiality of the student information they acquire in the course of their work.

While nothing in this policy precludes individuals as identified above from responding to requests for student information on an informal basis, responsibility for provision of information in response to a formal FIPPA request resides with the Registrar and the Associate Provost, Graduate Studies.

'Student information' refers to information related to a student's academic record at UW (including the Colleges and the information on which the admission decision was based), as well as to biographical and personal information, including digitized student identification photographs, whether in hard copy, electronic or some other form.

2. ACCESS TO STUDENT INFORMATION

Access is generally restricted to UW instructional or administrative staff with a legitimate need, such as for processing, information or analysis purposes, or for academic advisement purposes. Grades, résumés, co-op work histories, and citizenship status (as required by federal employers) are routinely provided to prospective co-op employers as part of the interview process to facilitate co-op work term employment. Normally, instructors are limited to accessing grade information when writing letters of reference.

Access to data pertaining to financial assistance under the Ontario Student Assistance Program, to other forms of assistance based on financial need, or to individual earnings is restricted to Student Awards staff and financial aid officers in the Registrar's Office or the Graduate Studies Office and to staff in the Office of Institutional Analysis & Planning. Access to information on scholarships or other awards based on academic performance is extended to those responsible for administering such programs in the Faculties or Colleges. Relevant information is routinely provided to government agencies involved in the administration of scholarship or financial aid programs or to other agencies for a same or consistent purpose and congruent with the reason the information was collected.

Students may access information pertaining to them in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Formal records of academic achievement (e.g., transcripts, graduation diplomas) will not be provided to the student if the student has outstanding debts to the University.

3. POSTING OF STUDENT GRADES

Provided the identity of individual students is protected, an instructor may convey information about student academic performance (e.g., grades on assignments, mid-term or final examinations) by posting results in a public place such as an office door, bulletin board or course website. Final examination and final course grades shall not be posted before the final examination period ends.

4. RELEASE OF STUDENT INFORMATION TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC

Responsibility for releasing student information (e.g., transcripts, grade reports, letters of standing) to members of the public is restricted to the Registrar and the Associate Provost, Graduate Studies (or their delegates). In this policy, 'members of the public' means any person or agency other than the student and those UW faculty and staff with a legitimate need to access student information. A student's parents, spouse, other relatives, employers, landlords, associations and members of other educational institutions or agencies are considered members of the public.

Faculty or College of enrolment, programs of study, sessions in which a student is or has been registered, awards based on academic merit, degrees received and dates of convocation are released by staff in the Registrar's Office or the Graduate Studies Office, upon request, to authenticate a student's current or past status at UW. Students who prefer that such information not be released are to notify the Registrar's Office or Graduate Studies Office, in writing.

The University routinely creates student address directories to facilitate communication among students; students may direct the Registrar's Office or the Graduate Studies Office to suppress their names from such directories. All other student information is considered private and confidential and normally will not be released to members of the public, except with the student's prior written consent, or on the presentation of a court order, or otherwise as required by law. Other information includes, but is not limited to, social insurance number, date of birth, marital status, details of individual courses (including courses in which the student is enrolled, and grades awarded).

Requests for access to student information for research or operational purposes will be adjudicated by the Registrar or Associate Provost, Graduate Studies, as appropriate. Generally, statistical material drawn from student information may be released without individual student consent when the following criteria are met:

• the intended use of the data stated in the request is judged to be appropriate;
• the agency involved is judged to be an appropriate recipient of the data;
• the identity of individual students cannot be determined in any data released;
• the research proposal has received the appropriate ethics review and approval; and
• the Registrar or Associate Provost, Graduate Studies has the right to review the results of any research or analysis based on the data provided and to comment on the use of the data prior to publication.