The University of Westminster is the Data Controller of the personal information collected at enrolment, via your ID card through card readers, log-in to the VLE and in the SEA system.
Any specific issues relating to the SEA system can be addressed to the Student Engagement and Attendance Team.
General information on personal data protection and your data subject rights are available on the University’s data protection web pages and any data protection issues you may have can be raised with the Information Compliance Team by contacting them at [email protected].
When you enrol with the University, you agree to use your ID card to swipe in when you attend timetabled classes on-site (lectures, seminars, workshops, labs, etc). You also agree to log-in to the VLE to engage with timetables classes running online. This agreement forms the legal basis of our processing of your personal information, both to enable your ID card, VLE log-in and collect data in the SEA system, the purpose of which is to gain an understanding of your level of engagement with your studies, and ensure we are able to support students who may be at risk from withdrawing or not successfully completing their course, so all students have every opportunity and likelihood of doing well and achieving success. Attendance at timetabled classes can be a significant factor in success, and any intervention we may make on the basis of SEA information will have that outcome in mind. We may also use this information in other processes where evidence of attendance is important, for example in some financial processes, or if you have a sponsor, or where otherwise allowed by law.
The period for which the personal data will be stored will be as follows:
- Status of completion of studies, withdrawal, exclusion: +2 years from the academic session of the end date for students on a visa
- Status of completion of studies, withdrawal, exclusion: +1 year from the academic session of the end date for all students not on a visa
The provision of personal data through SEA is a contractual requirement, part of the agreement a student makes with us when they join us, as stated above.
If you have failed to use the SEA system as required for scheduled classes, after a period of non-attendance and non-engagement, your Personal Tutor, Student Engagement and Attendance Team or the Visa Compliance Team will contact you to check how you are and if there are any areas which you might need support with. They will ask you to contact them if you would like support so that they can signpost you to the right place or put the right person in contact with you. For example, you might need a chat with your Personal Tutor, some financial advice or want to take up some of the services offered by the Students' Union.
If you continue to miss classes your attendance record will be reviewed with your Personal Tutor, Course Leader (or member of your Course Team), the Student Engagement and Attendance Team and you will be contacted again.
If you have a student visa, the Visa Compliance Team will contact you if you miss classes. You can find more information about this on the Student Engagement and Attendance FAQs page.
Only persons authorised by the University will have access or receive SEA system information, including authorised staff, IT support staff and staff of service providers.
None of the personal data in the SEA system will be transferred to a third country or to an international organisation outside the EEA.
Last updated March 2024.