PRIVACY POLICY

Introduction and Scope of Policy 

This policy outlines how the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills (the Ministry) handles Personal Information for the delivery of the EducationPlannerBC (EPBC) program. This policy outlines the privacy practices followed when you use EPBC Services, including ensuring the accuracy, confidentiality, and security of your Personal Information and requesting access to and correction of your Personal Information. 

Definitions 

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

Contact Information means information that would enable an individual to be contacted at a place of business and includes name, position name or title, business telephone number, business address, business email or business fax number.

EPBC Services means your access to, and use of, the EPBC Website and the tools and resources available on the EPBC Website. 

EPBC Website means the centralized, government-funded website that connects students to post-secondary education opportunities and associated career paths by improving post-secondary planning and application services. 

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

Google Analytics 

The EPBC Website uses Google Analytics to better understand how visitors engage with the EPBC Website. Google Analytics collects first-party cookies, data related to the device/browser and on-site/app activities to measure and report statistics about pseudonymous users’ interactions on the websites and/or apps that use Google Analytics. For more information, see How Google uses data when you use our partners' sites or apps: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners.  

Collection, Use, and Disclosure of Your Personal Information 

Your Personal Information is collected, used and disclosed in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) and other applicable legislation. Personal Information collected from you includes information collected as a result of your visit to the EPBC Website and/or use of EPBC Services; information that you provide via your EPBC Website account and in any application to attend a post-secondary institution; information included in your communications or interaction with EPBC Services (such as emails, including the Contact Us Form, telephone conversations, face-to-face, online meetings, or written correspondence); and any information about you that is disclosed to the Ministry by third parties as a result of your use of EPBC Services. 

The purposes of the collection include: 

  1. providing you services (for example, processing your application to a post-secondary institution); 

  2. policy research and program planning or evaluation; and 

  3. your possible future use of EPBC’s transcript exchange services. 

Information is also collected through the use of audit logs and cookies. Cookies are small files stored on your computer by your web browser when using some websites. The cookies store information about your previous visits to the EPBC Website and help simplify and enhance your experience on the EPBC Website. 

A cookie may stay on your computer or device after your browser has been closed, until the cookie expires or is deleted by you. If you choose to disable cookies on your browser, it may impact your web experience with the EPBC Website including your ability to login to access EPBC services. However, you may still be able to access EPBC Services by other methods such as email. 

Access to Personal Information 

FOIPPA provides individuals the right to request access to their Personal Information subject to limited exceptions. A request to access Personal Information must be made in writing and provide sufficient detail to identify the Personal Information being sought. 

Correction of Personal Information 

A request to correct Personal Information must be made in writing and provide sufficient detail to identify the relevant Personal Information you would like to correct. If you make a request to have Personal Information corrected, any corrections will be made in accordance with FOIPPA. 

If the information you want to correct was provided by or for a third party or another public body, you may be directed to submit your correction request directly to them.  

Security of Personal Information 

Reasonable security arrangements are in place to protect Personal Information against such risks as unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, or disposal. Specifically, access to systems, applications and the collected data is restricted to authorized personnel only. 

Retention of Personal Information 

Personal information will be retained in accordance with the Ministry’s records retention requirements, for as long as may be necessary or relevant for the purpose of collection, or as may be otherwise required or permitted by law, after which time it will be made anonymous, destroyed or transferred to a relevant ministry, organization, or educational institution, as authorized. 

Changes to this Privacy Policy 

Changes to this policy may be made without direct notice to you. Any changes will be posted on the EPBC Website and will be effective as of the date of posting. 

Last posted on: September 6, 2023