UAC privacy policy
When you apply to the Universities Admissions Centre (NSW & ACT)(UAC) you provide a lot of personal information, sometimes including health information.
UAC recognises the importance of protecting personal information and is bound by the following legislation:
- Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW)
- Privacy Act 1998 (Cth) as amended in the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000 (Cth)
- Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW).
This means that UAC must uphold the NSW State Information Protection Principles, the National Privacy Principles and the NSW Health Privacy Principles. UAC is committed to upholding these principles and has implemented policies and procedures to ensure these principles are met.
What information does UAC hold?
The type of personal information UAC holds includes:
- your contact details (including name, address, telephone number, email address)
- your date of birth
- your gender
- your citizenship details
- details of your education achievements
- details of your professional qualifications
- information related to any disability you may suffer
- information related to your health or the health of a family member
- information about the highest educational attainment of your parent(s)
- details of your proficiency in English
- your HSC and other examination results
- your Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR)
- your status as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
UAC will only collect information for lawful purposes related to its function.
How does UAC hold this information?
Your personal information is held in an archive database at UAC.
If you are a current NSW Higher School Certificate student, your Year 12 results will be held along with Year 12 results from other states and territories in Australia, in an archive database at UAC. If you are eligible for an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) or a Limited ATAR, these will also be held in the database. Your results, including your ATAR if you are eligible, will also be held on similar archives at tertiary admissions centres in other states in Australia. Results held on these archives will only be accessed by the relevant tertiary admission centre if you initiate an application for tertiary study through that centre, or if you submit an application for tertiary study directly with an institution participating in that centre.
How does UAC use this information?
UAC uses this information to process applications for admission to tertiary education institutions. This includes providing universities, other tertiary institutions and tertiary admission centres in other states and territories in Australia with the information that you have provided to us. UAC may also disclose this information to the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), or its successor, as lawfully required.
UAC publishes offers in the media on the official offer publication dates. If you do not wish for your name and the course you have been offered to be published, you must write to the Managing Director.
What about third parties?
To perform certain business functions, UAC may contract the services of third parties, such as printing specialists.
In these circumstances, where necessary, some of your information may be shared with these third parties for the express purpose of undertaking the specified service and for no other purpose. The same National Privacy Principles bind these contractors as UAC.
Your information may also be shared with any authorised representative/s that you have nominated, and with any organisations with which we are required by law to share the information.
UAC does not buy or sell mailing lists.
Declaration
All UAC applicants are asked to sign a Declaration which, among other things, outlines what UAC does with your personal information in the application process.
Collection of personal information
UAC collects personal information and, in some circumstances, information regarding your health, or information about someone other than yourself, for the purpose of processing your application for admission to tertiary institutions.
If you are providing personal information about someone other than yourself, you should tell them about the UAC Privacy Policy.
While your personal information is generally collected from you, UAC also collects information about you from other educational institutions that you have attended.
UAC provides your personal information and, where applicable, your health information, to tertiary institutions to which you make an application for admission.
If you do not provide personal information where required in your application, UAC will not be able to process your application.
You are able to gain access to any personal information and health information that is held about you by UAC.
Any questions regarding privacy at UAC should be forwarded in writing to:
The Managing Director
UAC
Locked Bag 112
Silverwater NSW 2128.
How do I access my information?
Under the National Privacy Principles, you are generally entitled to access the information UAC holds about you, but we will require proof of identity - and some requests can be refused. The time it takes to respond to your request depends on the type of information you require, and a fee may be charged.
You may be able to access some personal information on UAC's website using your UAC application number and UAC PIN. No personal information is posted on the internet.
What do I do if the information UAC holds about me is incorrect?
Please tell us. We want our records to be accurate, complete and up to date. Unless we disagree with you about the accuracy or completeness of a record, we will generally correct it upon request, or suggest alternative arrangements for updating our records.
What do I do about a breach of privacy?
To make a complaint about an alleged breach of your privacy, write to the Managing Director, and explain what has happened.
If possible, include the name/s and position/s of staff at UAC or at the institution/s who have contacted you. Include your UAC application number and copies of any correspondence that illustrates your problem.
The Managing Director will ensure that your concerns are investigated and will write to you as soon as possible. Your application will not be jeopardised in any way.
What are my rights?
The institutions that participate in UAC are committed to observing a Code of Ethical Practice. The Code is designed to protect the rights of applicants, as follows:
1. Participating institutions must NOT use UAC data to:
- contact you unless you have included a course at the institution concerned among your preferences or
- transfer information about you to third parties such as university companies.
2. Participating universities may contact you for specific purposes, such as to:
- advise you about changes to the course or to the selection criteria or methods since the UAC Guide was published
- advise you about dates, times and other arrangements for special selection tests
- advise you about changes to the availability of the courses
- provide you with additional information about the institutions and/or courses
- advise you about the likelihood of your receiving an offer.
When contacting you by email, institutions must provide accurate information about the sender of the message and a way for you to unsubscribe so that you do not receive such messages in the future.
3. Institutions must consider all preferences equally.
4. Participating institutions that do contact you must not pressure you to modify the order of your preferences or to change the preferences shown on your application.
5. If you application is successful you will receive an official offer of admission from UAC. Offers will be notified by mail and can be accessed on this website. Participating institutions may advise you about the likelihood of receiving an offer, but the only official offer made will be through UAC.
6. You may seek access to personal information collected by UAC about you. Access may, however, be denied as permitted under relevant privacy laws.
How can I contact UAC?
Read About UAC for contact details or write to:
The Managing Director
Universities Admissions Centre (NSW & ACT)
Locked Bag 112
SILVERWATER NSW 2128
telephone: +61 2 9752 0200
fax: +61 2 9752 0777
email: privacy@uac.edu.au
Changes to this Policy
UAC reserves the right to review and amend this policy from time to time and to notify you by posting an updated version on this website.
How do I find out more?
For more information about privacy and the National Privacy Principles, visit the website of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.