Privacy and Information Access
NAIT is a public institution with thousands of students, staff, and contractors relying on us to safeguard their personal information. Their trust in us is matched by our commitment to the privacy of their information and our responsibility to provide individuals access to their personal information that we’ve collected on them.
NAIT has added the Privacy and Information Access Lead to its General Counsel Services team to manage how we collect information, respond to access to information requests, and to train staff in their responsibilities as custodians of personal information.
Legislation
Alberta has two Acts governing privacy and information access:
As a public post-secondary institution in Alberta, NAIT is subject to both Acts.
What ATIA Does
The Access to Information Act gives individuals the right to request access to records in the custody or under the control of public bodies, including NAIT, subject to limited and specific exceptions. ATIA supports transparency, accountability and access to information.
Many records may already be available through regular NAIT business processes. Before submitting a formal access to information request, you may wish to contact the NAIT department or service area most likely to hold the information.
What POPA Does
The Protection of Privacy Act sets rules for how public bodies collect, use, disclose, protect and manage personal information. It also gives individuals the right to request correction of their own personal information.
NAIT is responsible for protecting personal information in its custody or under its control and for ensuring that personal information is collected, used and disclosed only as authorized by law.
NAIT’s POPA Responsibilities
NAIT is responsible for managing personal information in accordance with POPA, including:
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collecting only personal information that is authorized and needed for NAIT programs, services and operations
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explaining why personal information is being collected and how questions about the collection can be directed
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using and disclosing personal information only as authorized
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protecting personal information with reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards
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supporting privacy awareness, training and compliance
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maintaining a privacy management program
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responding to privacy incidents and complaints in accordance with applicable requirements
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reviewing new or changed programs, services, systems and processes for privacy considerations
Your Rights
Under ATIA and POPA, you have the right to:
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request access to records held by NAIT
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request access to your own personal information
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request correction of your personal information if you believe it is inaccurate or incomplete
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ask questions about how NAIT collects, uses, discloses or protects personal information
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request an independent review by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta, where permitted under the legislation
Making Information Requests
Requesting Access to Information
A formal access to information request may be appropriate when the records you are seeking are not available through routine channels.
To make a request, you must submit the request in writing to NAIT’s Privacy and Information Access Lead and provide enough detail to help NAIT identify the records. Please fill in this form and submit it to the Privacy and Information Access Lead at privacy@nait.ca.
Access to Information Request Form
Requests for general records may require an initial fee. Requests for your own personal information generally do not require an initial fee, although other limited fees may apply.
NAIT will respond to access requests in accordance with the timelines and requirements set out in ATIA.
Requesting Correction of Personal Information
If you believe personal information about you in NAIT’s custody or control is inaccurate or incomplete, you may request a correction. In many cases, routine updates such as address, contact information or name changes can be made through existing NAIT processes. If a routine process is not available or does not resolve the issue, you may contact NAIT’s Privacy and Information Access Lead for assistance at privacy@nait.ca.
Privacy Questions, Access Requests and Correction Requests
NAIT's Privacy and Information Access Lead manages the day-to-day work under both Acts and serves as NAIT's access to information coordinator.
For questions about access to information, protection of privacy, correction of personal information, privacy incidents or NAIT's responsibilities under ATIA and POPA, contact:
NAIT Privacy and Information Access Lead
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
11762 – 106 Street NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5G 2R1
Attention: General Counsel Services, Privacy and Information Access Lead
Email: privacy@nait.ca
Phone: 780.378.5208
Resources
For more information, visit: