General regulations

The data controller is the University of Louvain, whose registered office is at Place de l'Université 1, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve.

If you have any questions about the processing of personal data by the University of Louvain, you can contact its data protection officer at privacy@uclouvain.be or: 

UCLouvain Data Protection Officer
Place de l’Université 1 
Bte L0.01.07
1348 Louvain La Neuve

The following data are processed for the purposes explained in point 3 of this document:

General identification data

This includes surname, first name, place of residence, telephone numbers, personal and UCLouvain email addresses, gender, date and place of birth, marital status, nationality, passport photograph, NOMA and other UCLouvain identifiers.

These data, as part of the proper management of the student's course and administrative record, are processed in order to:

- create student files;

- ensure students are clearly identified in the management of their files;

- contact students;

- draft official documents concerning students;

- guarantee students are part of the university community within the framework of applications or management systems and allow them access to them;

- draw up electoral rolls and organise university community elections;

- ensure the administration of decision-making and participatory bodies, including statutory bodies;

- manage litigation;

- maintain an alumni network;

- manage campus buildings, offices and security;

- ensure safety and provide psychological and medical assistance;

- register student clubs and associations and manage their campus activities;

- organise and manage social and cultural events;

- issue and manage culture and fitness and sport centre cards;

- manage University Restaurants;

- manage insurance;

- fulfil all purposes specified below.
 

Data concerning the student's academic career

This includes data concerning the student's non-UCLouvain and UCLouvain academic career, learning support programmes and specific needs.

As part of the proper administration of the student's UCLouvain academic career, these data are processed in order to: 

- ensure that the admission, enrolment, re-enrolment and funding requirements are met;

- create official documents concerning the academic career;

- organise annual academic programmes and assessment periods;

- manage course materials;

- facilitate the operation of existing or new applications or management systems to which the university subscribes, including those of the libraries;

- combat fraud;

- organise entrance exams;

- organise classes, exams and tests;

- provide career advice;

- improve education quality by developing indicators and statistics;

- ensure the smooth running of the E-paysage IT platform;

- compile statistics on incoming students’ secondary schools, in line with the university's information policy on its education offer.

Data concerning the student's UCLouvain academic career may also, where appropriate, be communicated, at their request, to (Belgian or foreign) third-party higher education institutions for the sole purpose of processing the student’s enrolment application, particularly in the context of student mobility programmes.

Data concerning learning support programmes is processed to ensure the management of specific learning support programmes within the university and the preparation of various reports required by the government.

Data concerning students with specific needs is processed to ensure that applications for the recognition of specific needs status are examined by the competent bodies and to implement the necessary study-related arrangements and campus accessibility.

Financial and tuition fee payment data 

This includes financial resources, financial aid, tuition fee payment status and financial identification data.

Processing these data makes it possible to: 

- determine the tuition amount;

- monitor payment status;

- validate or invalidate enrolment in accordance with financial compliance and other obligations; and

- provide refunds.

Data on student status in Belgium

Data concerning immigration status may be collected.

These data are processed to determine the student's specific funding regime, if any, established either by virtue of international agreements or domestic legislation, as well as the amount of tuition fees that may be charged.

Medical data

Where appropriate, medical data are collected as part of medical exams required by law or regulations or as part of consultations requested by the student for health care purposes.

These data are used to create a medical file and are processed in compliance with the applicable legal and ethical obligations.

Social data

Where appropriate, data of a social nature are collected by the Student Support Service. This includes information concerning the student's family, social and financial situation, such as the notice of assessment, household composition or any other financial or social document.

These data are processed for the purposes of managing student requests for assistance and particularly for:

- investigating the student's situation objectively, so that an appropriate decision can be made regarding whether to grant or refuse assistance;

- implementing decisions and, where appropriate, ensuring payment.

Data concerning students’ accommodation 

Accommodation leases concluded with UCLouvain's Logistics and Student Accommodation Service, detailing essential elements (duration, rent, etc.), are kept together with any correspondence concerning the progress of the lease, such as outstanding rent, utility charges or incident statements.

These data are used to manage the rental of student accommodation, including the payment of rent and charges, any renewals, compliance with the lease rental conditions, lease termination and management of any debt collection procedures and disputes.

Personal data are kept in accordance with the applicable legal provisions or purposes for which they were collected.

For any questions on this subject, students are invited to contact the UCLouvain Data Protection Officer at privacy@uclouvain.be.

4. Further purposes

Access to data within the university

Administrative department employees have access to data to the extent strictly necessary for the performance of their duties. 

Access to these data is based on individual and limited access authorisations. Persons with access are subject to an obligation of confidentiality.

This implies:

- the obligation not to access or seek to access data that are not strictly necessary for the performance of their duties;

- a ban on disclosing personal data of which they are aware other than as necessary for the performance of their duties. 

Transmission of data to third parties

As part of its obligations, the university may transmit personal data to third parties if it is contractually or legally obliged to do so.

The following may have access to personal data:

1. University subcontractors

They provide services on behalf of the university, including managing telephone calls, sending postal mail, making badges, printing documents, etc.

Subcontractors are granted access to data on the basis of signed contracts that specify their obligations in terms of data security and confidentiality.

2. Belgian public authorities

As part of its legal obligations, the university may transfer students’ personal data to the Belgian public authorities, including the Délégué du gouvernement de la Communauté française (French Community Government Delegate).

3. Internship organisations and institutions

It communicates identification and academic data to the organisations and institutions where the student is doing an internship.

4. Insurance organisations

It provides insurers with the identification details of a student whose particular situation requires specific cover.

5. Conseil des Recteurs francophones (CRef)

For statistical purposes, it communicates data concerning students' academic progress to the Conseil des Recteurs francophones (CRef, Francophone Rectors Council).

6. Third-party higher education institutions

It communicates to (Belgian or foreign) third-party higher education institutions, at their request, data concerning the identification and academic career of the student within the university, for the sole purpose of ensuring the management of the application which may be requested by the student concerned, in particular within the framework of student mobility programmes.

7. Police, judicial or administrative authorities

Public authorities may have access to personal data when there is a legal obligation to do so or in order to guarantee the integrity of goods and persons within the University of Louvain.

8. Académie de Recherche et d’Enseignement Supérieur (ARES)

Some data are supplied to the French Community Higher Education and Research Academy (ARES) via the ARES E-paysage platform, which provides access to authentic labelled data sources supplied by higher education institutions and the administration. For more information on this subject, please consult www.ares-ac.be/fr/vie-privee/e-paysage. 

The Agence pour l'Evaluation de la Qualité de l'Enseignement Supérieur (AEQES, Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) and other third parties (administrations, funding bodies, publishers, public bodies, insurance organisations, etc.) may also have access to personal data.

As the data controller, UCLouvain implements appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect students' personal data against alteration, accidental or unlawful loss, use, disclosure or unauthorised access.

These measures include:

- appointing a data protection officer;

- creating an information systems security unit;

- raising awareness of confidentiality requirements among our employees who have access to personal data;

- securing access to our premises and IT platforms; 

- implementing a general IT security policy;

- securing access, sharing and transfer of data and information; and

- ensuring high standards of data protection when selecting subcontractors and partners.

As provided for by the applicable legislation (Articles 15 to 23 of the GDPR), UCLouvain students who can prove their identity have the right to:

1. obtain, free of charge, a copy of the personal data concerning them that are processed by the university and, where appropriate, any available information on their purpose, origin and destination;

2. obtain, free of charge, the rectification of any inaccurate personal data concerning them and the completion of any incomplete data;

3. obtain, subject to the conditions laid down by the regulation and free of charge, the deletion of personal data concerning them;

4. obtain, subject to the conditions laid down by the regulation and free of charge, a restriction on the processing of personal data concerning them;

5. obtain, free of charge, the portability of personal data concerning them that they have provided to the university, i.e. receive the data in a commonly used structured format, provided that the processing is based on consent or on a contract and is carried out using automated processes;

6. object, subject to the conditions laid down by the regulation and free of charge, for reasons relating to their situation, to the processing of personal data concerning them;

7. lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Authority. 

To exercise these rights or for any questions relating to the protection of personal data, students are invited to send an email to privacy@uclouvain.be, being as specific as possible about the subject of their request. We will reply as soon as possible.