NorQuest College creates and maintains student records necessary to meet administrative and academic needs. We collect, retain, use, disclose, and dispose of all information collected in accordance with related departmental/program business practices, official manuals of the college, provincial/federal legislation pertaining to access to information and protection of privacy, and the following policies and procedures:
The official student record is maintained by the Office of the Registrar for a period of three years after final activity (withdrawal, completion, or graduation). Information of a permanent nature is captured on the electronic record and includes transcript information, final grades, withdrawal information, anecdotal information, and, in some instances, final summaries of clinical/work experience/reference documentation. Once the three-year criterion has been met, the electronic record becomes the permanent student record.
The official student file and official student record are under the custody and control of the Office of the Registrar, which is accountable for the management of these records. Additional records relating to students may also exist in academic areas and in personal information banks elsewhere in the college. Original completed student releases, consents, waivers, and other agreements must be sent promptly for placement on the official student file in the Office of the Registrar.
An official transcript of the student academic record is created, maintained, and held under the custody and control of the Office of the Registrar. This is considered confidential information and will not be released without the student's written consent unless required by law.
The official transcript includes the official student name(s) and address, student ID number, courses, grades, academic standing statuses, and credential(s).
An official transcript is generated and mailed to the student upon graduation from a program. Copies can be obtained upon request from the Office of the Registrar. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that his or her contact information remains current.
An unofficial list of grades assigned for courses attempted during the current term, including any grades for previous terms, can be generated at any time by accessing MyQuest.
Name and address are considered confidential and used only for official college business. Having students’ current name, address, and contact information on file with the college is critical to effective college communications with students and alumni.
All name changes must be submitted in writing and accompanied by at least one of the following official government-issued identification forms:
Only a current ID document or card will be recognized as valid. An expired ID document or card will not be accepted for a name change.
Students may change their address and telephone number by:
The Alberta Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act is provincial legislation that applies to all personal information collected, used, and disclosed by the college. All records in the custody or control of the college are subject to FOIP, except those records explicitly excluded by the Act.
The FOIP Act aims to balance the public’s right to access records with the individual’s right to privacy. The purposes of the FOIP Act are to:
To view the legislation or get official information on the Act, visit the FOIP website.
For more information on FOIP at NorQuest College, contact the Compliance Office at 780.644.6292 or 780.644.5956 or at compliance@norquest.ca.
Personal information is defined in FOIP Act under section 1 as recorded information about an identifiable individual, including but not limited to:
In accordance with the FOIP principles that ensure individuals have a right to access and correct personal information about them, and in an effort to foster openness and accountability with the clients we serve, students may view and/or correct their student records or portions thereof by making an appointment at the Office of the Registrar. Students requesting access to their entire student record are advised to allow up to 48 hours for the retrieval of records. Copies of any documentation requested may be subject to a fee in accordance with the FOIP Act. Contact the Office of the Registrar for full details.
The Alberta FOIP Act contains provisions authorizing or requiring public bodies to disclose personal information in their custody and control for a range of reasons. Disclosure of personal information without the express prior written consent of the student is sometimes necessary in the course of conducting college business to provide support during their educational experience. Such disclosures occur only where required by the FOIP Act. Authorities for the disclosure of personal information are found in the FOIP Act under section 40, "Disclosure of Personal Information" by Public Bodies.
One specific authority under the FOIP Act, is the disclosure of personal information collected by a public body when it is for the purpose for which it was collected or compiled or for a use that is consistent with that purpose. In addition, disclosure of personal information may occur without the prior written consent of the student, subject to acceptable consistent use standards, emergency and law enforcement situations, information-sharing agreements, participation in common or integrated programs and services, or other agreements that comply with the disclosure authorities of the FOIP Act. With exceptions, the FOIP Act allows you to request that your personal information not be used in certain circumstances. If you do not wish to have your information used for the purposes described in the following examples, contact the Office of the Registrar.
Examples of disclosure that require a request to discontinue use include:
Inquiries directly related to the collection, use, and disclosure of student personal information should be directed to the Compliance Office.
Students have responsibilities in ensuring college information is kept private, and protecting NorQuest systems. These responsibilities include:
To facilitate research that supports program and service planning and quality improvement initiatives at NorQuest College and that enhances understanding of Alberta's and Canada's post-secondary educational systems, NorQuest College may release student contact and other personal information to external agencies without prior written consent, but within the allowable provisions of the FOIP Act. These agencies include Statistics Canada and Alberta Advanced Education.
Surveys that NorQuest College participates in include the Graduate Outcome Survey for Advanced Education, the Enhanced Student Information System (ESIS) Survey for Statistics Canada, and the National Graduate Survey (NGS) for Statistics Canada. Students who do not wish to have their information used for ESIS or NGS are able to ask Statistics Canada to remove their identifying information from the national database.
Further information on the use of this information can be obtained by: