UNSW Student Privacy Statement

Learn how UNSW protects your personal information and when it may be shared.

Personalise

UNSW is committed to safeguarding your privacy and information

We have implemented measures to comply with our obligations under the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW) ("the Act"). All staff are bound by the Act and by the UNSW Privacy Management Plan.

_{Note: The Student Privacy Statement was updated on 6 May 2026.}

How we manage your personal information

Collection of your personal information
Use of your personal information
Disclosure of your personal information
Students undertaking online assesments

We collect your personal information directly from you during your application, enrolment and throughout your time as a student. We may also collect it from other sources, but only with your consent or where authorised by law.

Personal information collected includes:

Name, student number, date of birth, home address, and other contact details
Photograph for your Student ID card
Program of study, fee payments, financial assistance, and scholarships
Examination, assessment, and results information
Information relating to disciplinary or conduct matters

Security and retention of your personal information

We store your personal information in University-managed systems and in systems operated under license or agreement. Service providers of such systems are contractually bound by the University’s privacy and security requirements. Access to your personal information is limited to University employees and contractors who have a legitimate reason to access the information.

We are required by law to retain records containing personal information for certain periods depending on the type of record.

The personal information is collected only for purposes directly related to the University’s legitimate functions and activities. You will be informed of any consequences if requested information is not provided.

This information is used to manage your enrolment, deliver your academic program and extra-curricular activities, provide student services, and support the University’s planning and quality improvement. This includes:

corresponding with you
informing you about University programs and events
facilitating and enabling programs relevant to your enrolment or candidature, such as cross institutional study, student exchanges, study abroad, student placements, and internships
enabling enrolment in courses provided by an alliance institution
facilitating and enabling access to scholarship programs for which you may be eligible
providing associated services such as security, parking, information technology and residential services
facilitating assistance where reasonably required for your safety and security
placing your name on the UNSW student electoral role to enable your participation in student elections
facilitating staff training, research and statistical analysis, and systems development and testing
conducting data analysis to develop and improve the University’s marketing, student services and student recruitment activities
upon graduation placing your name, degree and date of conferral on the publicly-accessible UNSW Graduate Register, and adding your personal information to the University’s Alumni database (to the extent required for the purposes outlined in the Alumni Privacy Statement).

The University will seek your consent prior to the use of your personal information for any other purposes, except where that other use is authorised or required by law. If you give your consent you may subsequently withdraw your consent in writing at any time.

Your personal information will be disclosed by the University where necessary to support the uses outlined on this page. Where personal information is disclosed, it will be done only to the extent necessary to fulfil the purpose of such disclosure.

Organisations such as professional bodies, hospitals or government agencies for you to undertake a practical experience, assessment or similar activity relevant to your degree program
Other educational institutions for any cross-institutional study, student exchanges, study abroad, and alliance program enrolment undertaken by you
UNSW controlled entities (e.g. UNSW College) where you are, have been or will be engaged with that entity
Arc@UNSW Ltd as part of a UNSW student electoral roll for the purpose of student elections
Transport for NSW, for travel concessions offered to you
Contracted service providers which the University uses to perform services on its behalf and who are bound by the University’s privacy and security requirements (some providers being located outside New South Wales and/or Australia for which, as a result, personal information collected by the University may be transferred outside of New South Wales and/or Australia).
The University may also disclose your personal information where authorised or required to do so by law, including:

to government departments such as the Australian Taxation Office, Department of Education and Training, Department of Human Services and Department of Home Affairs
to contracted service providers of government departments or agencies e.g. disclosure for the conduct of QILT student experience surveys conducted on behalf of the Department of Education and Training
to agencies and organisations involved in quality assurance and planning for higher education such as the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) and the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA)
where disclosure is authorised or required by subpoena, search warrant or other statutory instrument
to a law enforcement agency where such disclosure is necessary to investigate an offence where there are reasonable grounds to believe that an offence may have been committed
where the University believes on reasonable grounds that the disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the life or health of you or another person.

The University will seek your consent prior to the disclosure of your personal information for any other purposes, except where that other disclosure is authorised or required by law. If you give your consent you may subsequently withdraw your consent in writing at any time.

Online assessment tasks and examinations may involve the monitoring of the computer equipment or digital devices used by students.

Monitoring may be conducted by the University or by contracted service providers acting on the University’s behalf. Monitoring activities may include session recording or live supervision and may involve the collection and storage of the following types of information:

personal data
biometric data
images, video, and audio recordings
device and computer specifications
software components and system processes
network and communication data

Where an online assessment or examination is monitored by a contracted service provider, that provider may be required to directly collect, process, and store the categories of information listed above for the purpose of administering the assessment and maintaining its integrity.

Your rights to your personal information

You may request access to, or amendments (including corrections or deletions) of, your personal information held by the University. Amendment may be subject to legal obligations requiring the University to retain certain records, such as under the State Records Act.

As a student, you can view and update much of your personal and enrolment information via myUNSW.

If the information you wish to access or amend is not available in myUNSW, or if you wish to withdraw consent for a specific use or disclosure, please contact: The Nucleus: Student Hub

Protect your personal information

UNSW students should be aware that some commercial agents may try to access personal information, including addresses, by pretending to be University staff or contacting family members.

To keep your information safe:

Be cautious when sharing personal details with unknown callers
Always ask for the caller’s name, position, and official UNSW telephone extension
If you’re unsure, hang up and call back using the University’s official contact numbers to verify the request

Staying alert not only protects your own personal information but also helps safeguard the privacy of fellow students.

Find out more about scams

Have a question?

For guidance on how UNSW manages personal information, general privacy enquiries, or to make a privacy complaint, please contact the UNSW Privacy Officer.