Protection of Privacy
The University of Waterloo gathers and maintains information used for the purposes of admission, registration, and other fundamental activities related to being a member of the University community and to attending a public post-secondary institution in the Province of Ontario, Canada.
Information submitted by applicants during the application process as well as any other information placed in their student record will be protected, used, and released in compliance with Ontario's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (R.S.O. 1990, c. F.31) and the University of Waterloo's policies.
Information applicants provide during the admissions process is collected under the authority of the University of Waterloo Act, 1972, and is needed to verify qualifications and determine eligibility for admission.
Application and admission information will form part of the student record and will be used to admit, register, and graduate students; record academic standing; administer awards and financial aid; authorize library access; and administer and operate academic, athletic, recreational, residences, alumni, and other University programs.
The University also collects specific and limited personal information on behalf of the Federation of Students and the Graduate Student Association. This information is used for membership administration, elections, annual general meetings, and the administration of student benefit plans and is disclosed to the two organizations solely for those purposes. Students should contact the office of either group if they have any questions about this matter.
Faculty or College of enrolment, programs of study, sessions registered, awards based on academic merit, degrees received, and dates of convocation are released upon request to authenticate students' current or past status at the University of Waterloo. Students who prefer that such information not be released are to advise the Registrar's Office or the Graduate Studies Office in writing, as appropriate.
Co-op students' grades, résumés, co-op work histories, and citizenship status (as required by federal employers) will routinely be provided to prospective co-op employers as part of the interview process to facilitate co-op work term employment.
Information on admission, registration, academic standing, and graduation may also be disclosed and used for statistical and research purposes by the University, other post-secondary educational institutions, and the provincial and federal governments.
Questions about the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information by the University, should be directed to the Freedom of Information and Privacy Coordinator, Secretariat, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1. The email address of the Freedom of Information and Privacy Coordinator is fippa@uwaterloo.ca. See also University of Waterloo Policy 19: Access to and Release of Student Information; University of Waterloo Information and Privacy homepage.
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Disposal of Records
All documents submitted to support admission become the property of the University and will not be returned.
Supporting documents submitted by undergraduate applicants who do not eventually register are destroyed one month after the first day of the term of application. Supporting documents submitted by undergraduate applicants who do register are retained for the duration of their studies, and destroyed two years after their final term of registration.