Policy on Notification of Disclosure
Policy on Notification of Disclosure
Policy on Notification of Disclosure of Personal Information to Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada is the national statistical agency. As such, Statistics Canada carries out hundreds of surveys each year on a wide range of matters, including education.
It is essential to be able to follow students across time and institutions to understand, for example, the factors affecting enrolment demand at post-secondary institutions. The increased emphasis on accountability for public investment means that it is also important to understand ‘outcomes’. In order to carry out such studies, Statistics Canada asks all colleges and universities to provide data on students and graduates. Institutions collect and provide to Statistics Canada student identification information (student’s name, student ID number, Social Insurance Number), student contact information (address and telephone number), student demographic characteristics, enrolment information, previous education, and labour force activity.
The Federal Statistics Act provides the legal authority for Statistics Canada to obtain access to personal information held by educational institutions. The information may be used only for statistical purposes, and the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act prevent the information from being released in any way that would identify a student.
Students who do not wish to have their information used are able to ask Statistics Canada to remove their identification and contact information from the national database. On request by a student, Statistics Canada will delete an individual’s contact information (name, address, or other personal identifiers) from the PSIS database. Such a request may be made:
Via telephone – Monday to Friday 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. 1-800-307-3382 or 1-613-951-7608
Via mail – Institutional Surveys Section, Centre for Education Statistics, Statistics Canada, Main Building, SC 2100-K Tunney’s Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0T6
Via email –PSIS-SIEP_contact@statcan.gc.ca
Further information on the use of this information can be obtained from Statistics’ Canada’s website.
Policy on Notification of Indirect Collection of Enrolment Data reported by Ontario Universities and Colleges to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) collects enrolment data on Ontario’s students, including personal information, from Ontario’s colleges and universities.
In particular, the MTCU requires publicly-funded:
- Colleges of applied arts and technology (hereafter referred to as “colleges”);
- Universities and university-level institutions (hereafter referred to as “universities”)
to provide regular enrolment reports to the MTCU.
Institutions federated or affiliated with colleges or universities may report their enrolments in funded programs as part of the reports of their parent institutions. A list of reporting institutions can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions Section on the MTCU’s website.
One of the major sources of data provided to the MTCU by publicly-funded colleges and universities is regular reporting on student-level enrolment-related data on students attending postsecondary education in Ontario.
The MTCU collects regular reports on enrolment to ensure the proper administration of the publicly-funded postsecondary education system in Ontario, including to administer government postsecondary funding, programs and policies, which includes planning, evaluation and monitoring activities.
The Government of Ontario provides grants to universities and colleges to assist in the provision of publicly-funded postsecondary education in Ontario. These grants, which are based primarily on enrolment data, when combined with student tuition contributions, are a major source of the funding used by colleges and universities to meet the cost of providing PSE programs, such as the costs of instruction and research, academic support services, libraries, administration and physical plant maintenance. In addition, grants are provided to support a variety of government policy and program objectives.
Enrolment data is used to determine eligibility for grants provided to postsecondary institutions and/or student, to support the determination by the MTCU of the level, duration and eligibility for government funding and the total capacity of each institution to meet provincial enrolment demand.
Colleges and universities and postsecondary agencies directly collect student information for their own purposes and are the official sources of such information.
Data is normally provided to the MTCU by colleges and universities instead of directly from individuals and as such is called an ‘indirect collection of information.’
Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Collects Limited Personal Information
The MTCU collects enrolment data at the student level from Ontario colleges and universities at predetermined points in time during the academic year through the MTCU’s Postsecondary Financial Information System - Enrolment Data Collection system.
The MTCU collects data on student enrolment and characteristics from colleges and universities, including data in areas such as:
- The credentials students are pursuing (e.g. diplomas, degrees, certificates, graduate degrees);
- Ontario Education Numbers and institutional student identification numbers;
- Programs in which students are enrolled (e.g. Arts and Science, Engineering, Health);
- Information on educational outcomes, such as year of study and graduation and enrolments between institutions;
- Types of students enrolled in Ontario’s postsecondary institutions (e.g. Canadian citizens, international students);
- Data on student characteristics, such as gender, date of birth, language spoken, permanent residence, stage of current study, and full or part-time status;
- and other data that might be required from time-to-time to administer postsecondary policies and programs.
Enrolment reports provided to the MTCU by each college and university contain data elements which contain limited personal information as defined in the Ontario’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). Personal information provided to the MTCU, which includes an Ontario Education Number (OEN) for postsecondary students, is protected by the MTCU in compliance with FIPPA.
The MTCU requires that enrolment reports be audited annually and reserves the right to verify any information provided by an institution.
Use of Information Collected by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
One of the major sources of data provided to the MTCU by colleges and universities is in regular reporting of student-level enrolment-related data on students enrolled in postsecondary education.
The MTCU requires this data to ensure the proper administration of the publicly-funded postsecondary education system in Ontario.
Regular reports on enrolment are needed to administer government postsecondary funding, programs and policies, including planning, evaluation and monitoring activities.
Enrolment data is used to determine eligibility for grants provided to postsecondary institutions and/or students. Enrolment data reports support the determination by the MTCU of the level, duration and eligibility for government funding and the total capacity of each institution to meet provincial enrolment demand.
The MTCU does not collect or use personal information if other information will serve the intended purpose. Data containing personal information is depersonalized when this data is used for statistical analysis or integration with other data sets where elemental level data is required to develop a meaningful and accurate evidence base.
Legal Basis to Collect Information
Nipissing University is required to disclose personal information such as Ontario Education Numbers, student characteristics and educational outcomes to the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development s. 15 of the MTCU of Training, Colleges and Universities Act, R.S.O.1990, Chapter M.19, as amended. The MTCU collects this data for purposes such as planning, allocating and administering public funding to colleges, universities and other post-secondary educational and training institutions and to conduct research and analysis, including longitudinal studies, and statistical activities conducted by or on behalf of the MTCU for purposes that relate to post-secondary education and training. Further information on how the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development uses this personal information is available on the MTCU's website.
Further information on the collection and use of student-level enrolment-related data can be obtained from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities website:
http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/ (English) or http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/fre/ (French) or by writing to the Director, Postsecondary Finance and Information Management Branch, Postsecondary Education Division, 7th Floor, Mowat Block, 900 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M7A 1L2.
The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities is authorized to collect the OEN for the purposes of the provision of education services, education administration, funding and planning under s. 266.3(3) of the Education Act.
Privacy & Security
The MTCU is committed to protecting privacy in relation to personal information included in the enrolment data collected from each college and university. With regard to the personal information it collects, the MTCU is bound by privacy protection rules under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and takes all necessary steps including depersonalization for use of data for analysis and adoption of physical, technical and administrative safeguards for protection of personal information collected.
Enrolment data included in the PFIS system is accessed only by authorized Ministry officials in order to carry out their administrative responsibilities. Only a restricted number of Ministry officials have access to the personal information in the PFIS data reported by each university or college.
The MTCU retains electronic version(s) of current and historical enrolment and graduation data in accordance with the Government of Ontario’s records retention policy and maintains administrative, technical and physical safeguards in an effort to protect against unauthorized access, use, modification and disclosure of personal information.
The MTCU stores electronic records off-site as part of its disaster recovery procedures.
For more detail regarding the collection of personal data by the MTCU please refer to the Frequently Asked Question Section of the MTCU’s website.
For further information, please contact:
Director, Postsecondary Finance and Information Management Branch
Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
900 Bay Street, 7th Floor, Toronto ON M7A 1L2
Phone: 416-325-1952
Fax: 416-325-1959
Policy on Notification of Indirect Collection of Enrolment Data reported to Collaborative Partner Organizations
A number of Nipissing University programs are offered on a joint or collaborative basis with partner organizations unrelated to the University. To facilitate the efficient administration of these programs, limited personal information related to course registration can be exchanged with these partner organizations. This information can include names, addresses and other contact information, student identification numbers and basic demographic data to support enrolment reporting for the partner organization. In all cases, the partner organizations are required to follow the provisions of PIPEDA and FIPPA that the University is subject to.
Policy on Notification of Data reported to Student Organizations
The Nipissing University Students’ Union (NUSU), as well as constituent organizations authorized by them, may obtain listings of students for purposes of communicating with their membership. Students’ contact information is shared with their respective student union to enable them to, for example, obtain health insurance on students' behalf, to create voters’ lists for student elections and to provide other services as they see fit. Listings will be provided by the Office of the Registrar upon written request signed by an authorized officer of NUSU with the understanding that the information will not be disclosed to third parties except as noted above, and will not be used for solicitations or commercial purposes.