This Records Management and Archiving Policy is necessary to ensure the safety, security and confidentiality of its student and financial and operational records. It addresses Higher Education Standard 7.3, privacy principles and other legislative requirements.
This policy has been developed to ensure the appropriate maintenance of its student and financial and operational records, including archiving and destruction. It is also intended to recognise the statutory requirements which relate to records maintenance, particularly as they relate to the period of retention of records required by its regulatory and compliance agencies.
This Records Management and Archiving Policy is necessary to ensure the safety, security and confidentiality of its student and financial and operational records. It addresses Higher Education Standard 7.3, privacy principles and other legislative requirements.
This policy applies to the Chief Operations Officer and the Director of Academic Administration and Quality Assurance and the personnel that they manage.
The College is committed to maintaining the safety and security of all its records and ensuring that private and confidential records are viewed only by the personnel authorised to access them on a need-to-know basis. The current records of the College may be categorised as follows:
Student records may be accessed by the following College personnel:
Student records may be in hard copy form, or electronic form, but frequently in both forms. The student records currently maintained by the College are described in the following table:
(At present, all student records are kept indefinitely. Records referenced with * are completed anonymously and individual students cannot be identified. Records referenced with ^ are directly accessible to students currently enrolled in the relevant course of study.)
| Information typically collected about students | Authorised Access by | Purpose for which information is collected | Archival Period |
| Application Form | (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) | Provides personal information necessary to assess student eligibility for enrolment and ongoing student contact | Indefinitely |
| Change of Course | (a) (b) (c) (d) | Records a students’ request to change course | Indefinitely |
| Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN) | (a) (b) (c) | Records the unique national student identifier allocated to students who receive Commonwealth FEE-HELP or HECS-HELP assistance | Indefinitely |
| Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) | (a) (b) (c) | Records the loan assistance that is provided to students through the Fee-Help loan arrangements | Indefinitely |
| Confidential Interview Form | (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) | Records information collected during an initial interview with a faculty member or Academic Administrator | Indefinitely |
| Course Deferral / Withdrawal form | (a) (b) (c) (d) | Records request by student to defer or withdraw from a course of study | Indefinitely |
| Declaration by Editor | (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) | Records declaration by person providing editorial assistance with an assessment task submitted by student whose first language is not English | |
| Unit Development and Improvement Survey* | (a) (b) (c) (d) | Evaluates student’s perception of the usefulness of the subject unit guide | Indefinitely
|
| Student Satisfaction Survey* | (a) (b) (c) (d) | Evaluates student’s learning experience in College and possible future life direction. This is done each semester by the Dean of Studies. | Indefinitely |
| Graduation Ceremony Survey* | (a) (b) (c) | Records feedback from graduands regarding their graduation ceremony experience | |
| Graduate Destination Survey* | (a) (b) (c) (d) | Records feedback from graduates regarding study experience and “achievements” after graduation. This is done through QLT Surveys and internal reporting and internal reporting | Indefinitely |
| Apology for Absence (no longer used) | (a) (b) (c) (d) | Used in validation of student’s attendance record, to determine that attendance requirements have been met | # |
| Minister’s Christian Character Confidential Reference Form | (a) (b) (c) (d) | Minister’s Christian Character Reference is considered in assessing student eligibility for enrolment | Indefinitely |
| Miscellaneous Correspondence: College Initiated | (a) (b) (c) | Records letters, emails and notes initiated by College Staff into either the CRM or SMS that the college uses | Indefinitely |
| Miscellaneous Correspondence: Student Initiated | (a) (b) (c) | Records letters, emails and notes initiated by students into the CRM or SMS that the college uses. | Indefinitely |
| Recognition of Prior Learning/Credit Transfer Application | (a) (b) (c) (d) | Records application details for Recognition of Prior Learning/Credit Transfer | Indefinitely |
| Register of RPL/Credit Transfer Applications and Approvals | (a) (b) (c) (d) | Records application and approval details for Recognition of Prior Learning/Credit Transfer | Indefinitely |
| Request for Assignment Extension | (a) (b) (c) (d) | Records approval/non approval to lodge assessment tasks after due date | Indefinitely |
| Request for Special Arrangement | (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) | Records approval/non approval to lodge assessment tasks after due date or if there are exceptional circumstances beyond normal extensions | |
| Request for FEE-HELP Assistance | (a) (b) (c) | Records a request for FEE-HELP Loan assistance from the Commonwealth Government via application form or enrolment form | |
| Request for HECS-HELP Assistance | (a) (b) (c) | Records a request for HECS-HELP Loan assistance from the Commonwealth Government via application form or enrolment form | Indefinitely |
| Enrolment Variation Form | (a) (b) (c) (d) | Historical Records application from student to change semester subjects | # |
| Enrolment Form | (a) (b) (c) | Records students’ subject selection each semester and provides details for calculation of tuition fees | Indefinitely |
| Unit Withdrawal Form | (a) (b) (c) | Records students’ withdrawal from subject and provides details for calculation of fee refunds | Indefinitely |
|
Unit Assessment Task Submissions |
(a) (b) (c) (d)
|
Copies of Student’s submitted work eg Assignments, Project Reports. These are kept in the Online Learning Platform currently used by the college
|
^ 10 years |
| Grievance and Complaints Record | (a) (b) | Records a students’ complaint or grievance and provides details of investigation and resolution | Indefinitely |
| Register of Disabilities and Interventions | (a) (b) (d) | Records details of students’ learning disabilities and interventions | Indefinitely |
|
Unit Guides
|
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) | Records detailed information about courses, such as assessments, learning outcomes and credit points | 10 years |
| Tax File Number and / or Certificate of Application for a Tax File Number | (a) (c) | Records TFN, in the current SMS, the vehicle by which HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP debt records are maintained by the Australian Tax Office on advice from the College | Indefinitely |
| Unique Student Identifier | (a) (b) (c) (e) | The USI is the student’s individual education number for life, for all courses undertaken in Australia | Indefinitely |
Students have the right to request a statement describing the information held in their personal files. On receipt of such a request, the College has the obligation to supply in a timely manner, a statement which describes:-
Students (including past students) who wish to access their personal records are required to notify the College and arrange an appointment to view their records. In extenuating circumstances a student may delegate this authority in writing on the approval and verification of the Dean of Students. Students will be provided with access to their records, in particular hard copy records and printed versions of softcopy records but the following limitations would apply:-
The current finance and operational records maintained by the College may be categorised as:
The financial and operational records of the College may be accessed by the following College Personnel on a need-to-know basis:
e) Director of Academic Administration and Quality Assurance or Delegate; and
f) Governing Board members, including sub-committee members.
The financial and operational records may be in hard copy form, or electronic form, but frequently in both forms. The financial and operational records currently maintained by the College are described in the following table:
| Information typically collected with respect to Finance and Operations | Authorised Access by | Purpose for which information is collected | Archival Period |
| New Employee Details Form | (a) (b) (c) | Records details of name, address, contact details, disabilities, allergies, emergency contact Records TFN, Bank Account Details, Superannuation Fund Details | 7 years |
| Staff Employment Contract | (b) (c) | Records individual employment contract details | 7 Years |
| Donor Details [electronic storage-Reckon, CiViCRM] | (b) (c) (d) | Records personal details of financial supporters | 7 years |
| Donations [electronic storage-Reckon, CiViCRM] | (a) (b) (c) (d) (f) | Records donations from supporters or confidential donors | 7 years |
| Accounts Receivable | (b) (c) (f) | Records receipts for services rendered | 7 years |
| Accounts Payable |
(b) (c) (f)
|
Records invoices for services rendered | 7 years |
| Institution Payment Summary | (b) (c) (f) | Records Income from FEE-HELP, HECS-HELP, CSPs | 7 years |
| Student Fees [Electronic storage-Reckon, Paradigm] | (b) (c) (d) (f) | Records student’s personal payments for tuition fees, etc. | 7 years |
| Active Direct Debit Authorities | (b) (c) (d) | Records current, active Direct Debit Authorities | 7 years |
| Approved Annual Budgets | (a) (b) (c) (f) | Records budget preparation documents and final approved budget details | 10 years |
| Monthly Cash Flow Reports | (a) (b) (c) (f) | Records actual income and expenditure, and budget comparisons | 10 years |
| Audited Annual Financial Statements | (a) (b) (c) (f) | Records details of the Audited Annual Financial Statements | # |
| Partnership Proposals – related Parties | (a) (b) (e) (f) | Records details negotiations with respect to proposed educational partnerships of alliances | 10 years |
| Agreements, Memorandums of Understanding | (a) (b) (c) (e) (f) | Records details of agreements and MOU’s with respect to educational partnerships and alliances | # |
(# Records referenced with # are kept indefinitely.)
As the College is a small educational institution, all student records shall be kept permanently. This arrangement exceeds the minimum retention period (30 years) required by accreditation and registration agencies with respect to students’ educational records. Financial Records shall generally be kept for seven (7) years. This arrangement exceeds the minimum retention period (5 years) required by Audit and Government Regulatory Agencies and the Australian Taxation Office.
Other budget, cash flow and Partnership agreement records shall be maintained for a period of ten (10) years.
Destruction of records after the required retention period shall be supervised by the Director of Academic Administration and Quality Assurance with respect to student records, and by the Chief Operations Officer with respect to all financial and operational records. Records identified for destruction shall be secured in locked “confidential wheelie bins” and collected by a corporate records destruction company which guarantees their confidential destruction.
We disclose personal information about our students to:
The College discloses whether a graduate has completed an award to any member of the general public via requests for verification of qualifications.
The College is required by law to provide personal information about our students to:
We also make class lists available to other students enrolled in the same unit.
Disclosure without consent or prior notification
In very limited circumstances, privacy principles permit disclosure without consent or prior notification, for example, if we are asked for the information in connection with a police investigation; if we receive a writ, subpoena or similar document legally requiring us to disclose the information; or if disclosing the information will prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to a person’s life or health. These circumstances are extremely rare.
