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Privacy Statement

Privacy Notice (Online & Institutional)

Effective Date : February 01, 2026

Shortwood Teachers’ College (“STC,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) is committed to maintaining the  confidence and trust of students, staff, alumni, visitors, and other stakeholders. This  consolidated Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal  data when you interact with STC, including through our websites, student information  systems, learning platforms, and on-campus services. 

This Notice is issued in accordance with the Jamaica Data Protection Act (JDPA) 2020 and  aligns with GDPR principles and international best practices. 

Table of Contents (Click to Jump)

Personal Data We Collect

  • We may collect and process the following categories of personal data: 

    a) Identifying Information 
  • Name, Teacher/Student ID, TRN, Staff ID 

    b) Contact Details 
  • Email address, telephone number, home address 

    c) Academic and Employment Records 
  • Enrollment records, courses, grades, transcripts 
  • Employment history, performance evaluations, contracts 

    d) Health and Emergency Information 
  • Medical conditions, accommodations, emergency contacts (where necessary and  lawful) 

    e) Communications and System Usage Logs 
  • Emails, attendance records, learning management system activity, portal log-ins, audit  logs 

    f) Audio and Visual Recordings 
  • CCTV footage on College premises 
  • Recordings of classes, meetings, webinars, and official College events 

    g) Device and Tracking Data 
  • IP address, browser type, device information
  • Cookies and similar tracking technologies for website functionality, security, and  analytics 

In addition, we may automatically collect technical information such as the website you  visited before ours, the pages you access on our site, and system interaction data, which is  common practice for secure and effective website operatio

Legal Basis for Processing

STC processes personal data only where a lawful basis exists, including: 

  • Consent: Where you provide explicit and informed consent (e.g., optional  communications, recordings, special categories such as health data). 

  • Contract: Where processing is necessary for enrollment, employment, or service  delivery. 

  • Legal Obligation: Where required by law, regulation, or statutory duty. • Legitimate Interests: For institutional administration, IT security, quality assurance,  safety, and operational effectiveness, provided such interests do not override your  rights and freedoms. 

You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing already  carried out. 

How We Use Your Personal Data

We use personal data for purposes including: 

  • Academic delivery, assessment, and certification 
  • Student and staff administration and support 
  • Employment and human resource management 
  • Legal, regulatory, and accreditation compliance 
  • Campus safety, security, and welfare 
  • Communication, service improvement, and institutional planning 
  • Monitoring, training, quality assurance, and record-keeping 
  • Research, reporting, and institutional accountability (where appropriate) 

Use of Recordings 

Audio and visual recordings are used strictly for legitimate educational, security, and  administrative purposes and are accessed only by authorized personnel. 

Sharing and Third-Party Processors

STC may share personal data with: 

  • Service Providers / Data Processors: Such as cloud hosting, email, learning  platforms, and IT support providers. All processors are contractually required to  comply with JDPA standards.
  • Legal or Regulatory Authorities: Where required by law, court order, or to protect  vital interests. 

STC does not sell personal data or disclose it for third-party marketing without explicit  consent. 

Examples of Service Providers 

  • Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft 365 (email, cloud storage) 
  • Microsoft Teams or Zoom (online classes, webinars, meetings) 

Cross-Border Data Transfers

Personal data may be transferred outside Jamaica, including to cloud-based service providers.  Where data is transferred to countries not recognized as having adequate protection under the  JDPA, STC ensures appropriate safeguards are in place, such as: 

  • Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) 
  • Binding Corporate Rules (where applicable) 
  • Explicit consent, where legally required 

Your Rights Under the JDPA (2020)

You have the right to: 

  1. Access your personal data 
  2. Correction of inaccurate or incomplete data 
  3. Erasure (Right to be Forgotten), where legally permissible 
  4. Restriction of processing under certain conditions 
  5. Data Portability in a structured, machine-readable format 
  6. Objection to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing 
  7. Withdraw Consent at any time 
  8. Safeguards against Automated Decision-Making, including the right to request  human intervention 

Requests may be submitted to the Data Protection Officer (DPO). 

Data Retention

STC retains personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it  was collected, or as required by law, accreditation, or institutional policy. Data is securely  disposed of or anonymized when no longer required.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to: 

  • Operate and secure the website 
  • Remember user preferences 
  • Analyze website usage and improve services

You may manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling  certain cookies may affect website functionality

Data Security

STC implements appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect personal data,  including: 

  • Secure servers and SSL encryption 
  • Role-based access controls and authentication 
  • Regular system monitoring and vulnerability assessments 
  • Staff training and confidentiality obligations

    While no system can be guaranteed to be 100% secure, STC remains accountable and  continuously improves its safeguards in line with best practices. 

External Websites

Our websites may contain links to third-party websites. STC is not responsible for the privacy  practices or content of external sites. Users are encouraged to review the privacy notices of  any third-party websites they visit.

Children’s Privacy

STC’s services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly  collect personal data from children without appropriate authority. Parents or guardians may  contact STC to request review or deletion of a child’s personal data. 

Changes to This Privacy Notice

This Privacy Notice may be updated periodically. Updates will be published on STC’s  website with a revised effective date. Significant changes may also be communicated directly  where appropriate.