EducationPlannerBC recognizes the importance of privacy and the sensitivity of Personal Information (as defined below). This policy outlines how we manage your Personal Information and safeguard your privacy.

EducationPlannerBC is committed to protecting your privacy.  EducationPlannerBC collects, uses and discloses your personal information in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) and other applicable legislation. 'Personal information' is defined broadly in the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act as recorded information about an identifiable individual, other than contact information, which is the information used to contact a person at a place of business. The purpose of this privacy statement is to inform you of the personal information that may be collected from you when visiting EducationPlannerBC and how that information may be used. This website uses Google Analytics with IP Masking to better understand how visitors engage with our sites. You can learn more here: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/.

This policy does not apply to the practices of institutions, companies or other entities affiliated with EducationPlannerBC, nor does it apply to information regarding corporations or other non-individuals.

Definitions

The following definitions are used for the purposes of this policy:

Personal Information means recorded information about an identifiable individual, and includes things such as gender, age, address information, ethnicity, financial information, registration, course, educational credit and grades information, ID numbers and any other data assigned to an individual.

Summarized Data means information records that have been combined such that the combined data reflects the attributes of a group rather than an individual.

Collection of Personal Information

This policy covers our treatment of Personal Information that we collect, either through communications or interaction we may have with you (such as emails, telephone conversations, face-to-face or written correspondence) or through our website. This policy also covers our treatment of any information shared with us by third parties.

Sometimes we may collect Personal Information about you from other sources, provided that such sources confirm to us that they are permitted to share such information, such information is publicly available, or the collection is required or authorized by law. Examples of collection from other sources include collections from:

• educational institutions who use or participate in our services and with which you are registered; and
• a government agency or registry in connection with the services we provide you and to prevent fraud, check the identity of new clients, and similar matters.

We collect Personal Information under the authority of the Ministry of Advanced Education and the educational institutions to which we provide services.

Use of Personal Information

EducationPlannerBC may collect and use your Personal Information for the following purposes:

• to open and manage your application at EducationPlannerBC and the educational institutions to which you apply;
• to deliver to you the services of EducationPlannerBC and the educational institutions to which you apply;
• to send out information on EducationPlannerBC and the educational institutions with which we do business;
• to verify the identity of persons using our planning and application services through us;
• to understand your needs and preferences for our services and those of the educational institutions with which we do business;
• to contact learners for purposes connected with their application at EducationPlannerBC and at the educational institutions with which we do business;
• to provide input or conduct surveys related to our services;
• to provide information about online and distance education courses and programs available throughout the British Columbia public post-secondary system;
• to provide support services and other learning resources for learners, faculty and course developers, staff, and administrators; or
• as required or authorized by law.

EducationPlannerBC may also use your Personal Information for purposes reasonably consistent with the above purposes.

Disclosure of Personal Information

EducationPlannerBC does not and will not sell, rent, share or disclose your Personal Information without first receiving your permission or as disclosed in this policy.

Under certain circumstances, EducationPlannerBC will disclose your Personal Information:

• when you have consented to the disclosure;
• to fulfill the purpose for which the Personal Information was collected or for a purpose reasonably consistent with that purpose;
• when the services we are providing to you require us to give information to third parties, such as the educational institutions with which you are registered or governmental bodies;
• where it is necessary to establish or collect fees;
• if we engage a third party to provide services to us (like computer back-up services, archival file storage, or client research) and the third party is bound by confidentiality obligations;
• if the information is already publicly known; or
• when we are required or authorized by law to do so.

Except where we are required by law to disclose Personal Information, where practicable we will make arrangements by agreement, instruction, or otherwise to protect Personal Information disclosed to third parties.

Summarized Data

We may also use your Personal Information to generate Summarized Data for internal use and for sharing with educational institutions and government bodies with which we do business. Your identity and Personal Information will be kept anonymous in Summarized Data. Summarized Data may be used for research, marketing, or planning purposes.

Access to and Correction of Personal Information

Individuals have the right to know what Personal Information EducationPlannerBC has collected about them, how that information is being used and to whom it has been disclosed, as well as to verify and amend that information if it is incorrect. Upon receiving a written access and/or correction request, and where the identity of the requestor can be confirmed, information held by EducationPlannerBC that is identifiable to the requestor, as well as information on all use and disclosures of that information, will be released to the requestor within 30 days, except where that release is not required or is prohibited by law, and if necessary EducationPlannerBC will correct the Personal Information of the requestor.

Where appropriate, EducationPlannerBC may instead transfer your request to a third party government body or educational institution if the information was provided by or for that third party, that third party was the first to obtain the information, or the information is in the custody or control of that third party.

Can I Be Denied Access to My Personal Information?

Your rights to access your Personal Information are not absolute. We may deny access when denial of access is required or authorized by law.

Website and Email

You control what Personal Information you provide to EducationPlannerBC. You can visit the EducationPlannerBC website without registering or providing any Personal Information at all.

We cannot guarantee the confidentiality or security of any email communications or information sent by you to us via email. If you wish to send us confidential information, please notify us first to make arrangements.

EducationPlannerBC monitors traffic patterns, site usage, and related site information and may collect or compile certain information that is not personally identifiable in order to make EducationPlannerBC more useful by learning about the number of visitors and by monitoring traffic patterns and the types of technology that visitors use.

• The web browser and operating system you are using;
• The date and time of the visit;
• The pages or services accessed;
• If you were on another website before visiting EducationPlannerBC, the URL (web address) of that previous website if it referred you to EducationPlannerBC;
• The URL (web address) of the first website you visit immediately upon leaving EducationPlannerBC if you were referred to that website by EducationPlannerBC;
• The Internet Protocol (IP) network domain name (e.g. shaw.ca) and address (e.g. 192.10.100.20) of the computer you are using. IP address and domain are identifiers that may be used to distinguish between users and identify your internet service provider or your computer itself.

EducationPlannerBC, via its websites, will notify you if cookies will be collecting additional information from you. A cookie may remain on your computer after the Internet session finishes (until the cookie expires or is deleted by you).

EducationPlannerBC collects personal information under the authority of section 26(c) of FOIPPA.

Cookies

We are committed to providing personalized products and services to you. In order to do so, EducationPlannerBC uses cookies to store information about you. A cookie is a small amount of text that is sent to your browser from a web server and stored on your computer’s hard drive. EducationPlannerBC uses cookies to tell us that you have visited our site before. They help us simplify and enhance your experience on our website.

Is My Personal Information Secure?

EducationPlannerBC takes reasonable steps to ensure that your Personal Information is kept safe from loss, unauthorized access, modification, or disclosure.

Retention of Personal Information

Personal Information will be retained in accordance with this policy only for as long as may be necessary or relevant for the purpose of collection, or as may be required or permitted by law, after which time it will be made anonymous, destroyed or transferred to a relevant government body or educational institution with which you are registered, unless you request we continue to retain your information. Information that you may provide to EducationPlannerBC that is in excess of what is necessary for the identified purpose of collection will not be retained by EducationPlannerBC.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

Since EducationPlannerBC regularly reviews all of its policies and procedures, we may change this policy from time to time and such changes will be effective from the date of revision and posting on our website.

Applicable Law and Venue

This policy will be governed by the laws of the Province of British Columbia and the laws of Canada applicable therein, excluding any conflict of laws rules that would otherwise apply another body of law. This policy constitutes and contains the entire agreement between you and EducationPlannerBC with respect to its subject matter and supersedes any prior oral or written agreements.

If any provision of this policy is held to be illegal or unenforceable, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that this policy will otherwise remain in full force and effect and enforceable.

Responsibility for Privacy

Ultimately, you are responsible for maintaining the secrecy of your passwords and/or any Personal Information in your possession. Always be careful and responsible regarding your Personal Information.

Last updated: May, 2017