Privacy Notice (Online & Institutional)

Effective Date: May 8, 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)

1. Introduction

This Privacy Notice explains how Shortwood Teachers’ College (STC) collects, processes, stores, and discloses personal information, including the types of information processed and the reasons for processing it.

Shortwood Teachers’ College is an educational institution that provides teacher education, training, academic support services, research, and administrative services. This notice applies to all students, staff, contractors, visitors, applicants, alumni, and other individuals whose personal data is processed by the College.

The College acts as the Data Controller and is responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable data protection laws and principles, including lawfulness, fairness, transparency, accountability, security, and data minimisation.

2. Purpose of Data Processing

STC collects and processes personal data for legitimate educational, administrative, operational, and legal purposes, including to:

Manage student admissions, enrolment, registration, examinations, assessments, graduation, transcripts, and certification
Administer employment, recruitment, payroll, leave, benefits, training, and staff development
Facilitate teaching, online learning, research, and academic support services
Communicate institutional notices, newsletters, surveys, and emergency information
Maintain campus safety, security, and incident management procedures
Meet legal and regulatory obligations under Jamaican law and Ministry requirements
Conduct institutional research, quality assurance, and policy development
Manage health, welfare, and emergency response activities
Process approved financial transactions and related administrative functions

STC collects only personal data that is necessary, relevant, and proportionate for these purposes.

3. What Personal Data We Process

Personal data processed by STC may include:

Identification and Contact Information

Name
Date of birth
Tax Registration Number (TRN), student identification number, or other institutional identifiers
Address
Email address
Telephone number
Emergency contact details

Academic Information

Course registration information
Academic records
Examination results
Attendance records
Research participation information

Employment Information

Recruitment records
Qualifications and certifications
Payroll and tax information
Performance and training records

Sensitive Personal Data

Where necessary and legally permitted, STC may process sensitive personal data including:

Health or medical information
Disability or accessibility requirements
Biometric or identification records where authorised
Information required for welfare, counselling, or emergency support services

Such data is processed only where necessary, lawful, and subject to enhanced confidentiality and security protections.

Technical and Security Information

CCTV footage
Video and audio recordings
System access logs
Online learning platform usage information
Network and device security information

4. Video and Audio Recording

STC may collect personal data through video and audio recordings, including:

Recordings of lectures, seminars, meetings, and official events
Online classes, webinars, and virtual meetings conducted through approved platforms
CCTV monitoring is conducted on the basis of STC’s legitimate interests in maintaining campus safety, security, crime prevention, and protection of institutional property.

Recordings are used strictly for educational delivery, quality assurance, institutional accountability, dispute resolution, safety, and legal compliance purposes.

Appropriate notices and signage will be displayed where recording occurs, and access to recordings is restricted to authorised personnel on a need-to-know basis.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

STC processes personal data on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Consent – where explicit permission is required, including optional surveys, research participation, promotional materials, or recordings beyond core educational activities
Contractual Necessity – where processing is necessary to fulfil student or employment obligations
Legal Obligation – where processing is required under Jamaican law or regulatory requirements
Legitimate Interests – where processing supports institutional operations, campus safety, educational quality, fraud prevention, or service improvement, provided such interests do not override individual rights and freedoms

Where sensitive personal data is processed, STC relies on explicit consent or another lawful condition permitted under applicable law.

6. How We Protect Your Data

STC implements appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

These measures include:

Secure electronic and physical storage
Encryption and password protection
Restricted access controls
Staff confidentiality obligations and training
Secure handling of video and audio recordings
Regular monitoring, audits, and security reviews
Incident response and breach notification procedures

Where a personal data breach poses a risk to individuals’ rights or freedoms, STC will notify the relevant regulatory authority and affected individuals in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

7. Data Sharing and Disclosure

Personal data may be shared only where necessary and authorised, including with:

Government and regulatory authorities
Ministry of Education and other authorised public bodies
Approved service providers and educational platforms
Healthcare or emergency services where required
Legal, audit, and professional advisors

STC does not sell personal data or disclose personal information for marketing purposes without consent.

Video and audio recordings are not disclosed externally unless legally required or authorised.

8. International Transfers of Data

Some personal data, including information stored on cloud-based educational or administrative platforms, may be transferred or hosted outside Jamaica.

Where international transfers occur, STC ensures that appropriate contractual, organisational, and technical safeguards are implemented to protect personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

9. Data Retention

Personal data is retained only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected and to comply with legal, regulatory, accreditation, and institutional obligations.

Certain academic records, transcripts, and authorised archival materials may be retained permanently for verification, accreditation, legal, historical, and institutional recordkeeping purposes.

CCTV and routine video surveillance recordings are generally retained for 30–90 days unless required for investigations or legal proceedings.

When retention periods expire, personal data is securely destroyed, deleted, or anonymised.

10. Your Rights

Under applicable data protection laws, you may have the right to:

Request access to your personal data
Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
Request restriction of processing
Object to certain processing activities
Request erasure where legally permissible
Withdraw consent at any time where consent is the lawful basis
Request data portability where applicable

STC will respond to requests within the timelines prescribed under applicable data protection laws

Requests relating to personal data may be submitted to the Data Protection Officer.

11. Contact Information

For questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Notice or your personal data, please contact:

Data Protection Officer

Shortwood Teachers’ College
77 Shortwood Road
Kingston 8, Jamaica

Email: [email protected]

12. Updates to This Privacy Notice

STC may update this Privacy Notice periodically to reflect changes in legislation, institutional practices, technology, or operational requirements.

The most current version of this notice will be made available through official College communication channels and institutional platforms.

Shortwood Teachers’ College is committed to protecting personal data and maintaining transparency, accountability, confidentiality, and responsible data management practices in all its operations.

Privacy Statement