PORTSMOUTH LINKUP PRIVACY POLICY

 

Introduction 

Portsmouth LinkUP is the University’s e-mentoring platform for alumni and students. It allows you to connect with each other and share experiences and advice. As a member of Portsmouth LinkUP it is necessary for us to process your data for the purpose of the legitimate interests of the Alumni Relations and Development Team. This policy outlines what this means in practice and explains how the University of Portsmouth’s Alumni Relations and Development Team collects, stores, manages and protects the information that you provide when you join Portsmouth LinkUP.

Portsmouth LinkUP is provided free of charge to University of Portsmouth alumni and students. All users will be verified during registration before being granted full access to the site. The University of Portsmouth reserves the right to refuse access to anyone who misuses the site in any way and to delete inappropriate updates to individual profiles. Portsmouth LinkUP includes searchable alumni directories. Apart from your name at graduation, year of graduation and department, you will be able to choose how much information is made public to other alumni on the ‘your personal profile’ page.

The data we hold

The data we hold through Portsmouth LinkUP is provided by you, either during your registration to Portsmouth LinkUP or when you update your Portsmouth LinkUP profile.

How we use your information

The information you provide is used to manage your membership of Portsmouth LinkUP. Some of the information you provide through Portsmouth LinkUP is transferred to the alumni database held by the Alumni Relations and Development team. This information includes:

  • Your email address
  • Your address
  • Your current employer
  • Your current position
  • Your volunteering preferences
  • Your e-mentor status
  • Your membership status

By registering for Portsmouth LinkUP you are consenting to receive communications from the University, its Schools and Faculties and the Alumni Association, in line with the Alumni Relations and Development Team Privacy Policy. A copy of this is available on request.

Your contact details on Portsmouth LinkUP

Portsmouth LinkUP allows you to make your contact details available to all other members if you choose to do so. Where other members have chosen to make their contact details available please treat this information with respect and do not disclose it to a third party without the prior permission of that alumnus, student, staff member or offer holder. Anyone found to be contacting alumni for purposes other than friendship, mentoring and/or networking within the alumni community, for example spam, junk mail, or soliciting employment or business, will be removed from the site and their access terminated.

The Sharing of Personal Data

Portsmouth LinkUP is operated under contract by Aluminati Network Group Ltd. (Aluminati) acting under instruction as our Data Processor under the Data Protection Act 1998. Aluminati will process personal data strictly for the purposes of operating this service.  

Aluminati is registered with the Information Commissioner under membership number Z8393842.

The University of Portsmouth will never share your personal data with any other third parties. The exception to this is where we are required to do so, for example if we are asked to do so by the police and other enforcement agencies in emergencies and where crime detection or prevention can be aided by its release. In these circumstances the processing of data is necessary for the University to comply with a legal obligation.

Graduate Outcomes Survey

The Government undertakes the Graduate Outcomes survey 15 months after your graduation.  The University of Portsmouth has a statutory duty to provide your contact details for this survey.  To meet this duty, the Alumni Relations and Development Team may share your basic contact details with the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

Participation in the survey, although not compulsory, helps ensure accurate public data on the outcomes of Higher Education.  It also helps the University of Portsmouth enhance its offerings.  All information is used in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Will your data be sent or stored abroad?

The information held at the University and by Aluminati is stored on servers within the UK. The only exception to this is the data we use to send our email campaigns. This data is stored securely on a server in the USA for the limited time that it takes for the email campaign to be sent. It is then permanently deleted within one month, allowing for any contact preferences to be registered and actioned.

Data Analysis

To ensure the success of Portsmouth LinkUP we may use tools that help us to track the usage of the site. We may also track website visits and use analytical tools, such as Google Analytics, to improve Portsmouth LinkUP. This data analysis will use anonymised data and individuals will not be identifiable.

Changes to the Privacy Policy

In the interests of being transparent we may amend this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any significant changes to either this policy, or the way in which we handle your data will be communicated via the University’s website.

Further Information

Further information about how the Alumni Relations and Development Team store and use your data, how long it is held, your rights and how you can raise any concerns can be found in the Alumni Relations and Development Team Privacy Policy. A copy of this is available on request.