Updated: December 2025
Introduction
Bucks Students’ Union (“we”, “our” or “us”) promises to respect any personal data you share with us, or that we get from other organisations, and keep it safe. We aim to be clear when we collect your data and not to do anything you wouldn’t reasonably expect from us.
As a membership organisation, we want to continue the relationship with our members after you graduate and to keep you informed with news from the Students’ Union, alumni events, graduate opportunities and to keep you connected with the alumni network at Buckinghamshire New University.
This privacy statement outlines what personal data is processed by the Union, in relation to its alumni members, the legal basis for processing personal data, storage and retention requirements, and the data subject’s rights regarding their data.
Definitions
Personal data is any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (‘data subject’). An identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identified, such as a name, an identification number, cardholder data, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.
Sensitive personal data includes information relating to racial or ethnic origin, disability, political opinions, religious beliefs, trade union membership, health, sex life and criminal convictions. The processing of sensitive personal data is subject to much stricter conditions.
Processing means any operation or set of operations which is performed on personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, organisation, structuring, adaption or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction.
Data controller is the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which, along or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.
Data processor is a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which processes personal data on behalf of the controller.
Consent of the data subject means any freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous indication of an individual’s wishes by which they, by a statement or by a clear affirmative action, signifies agreement to the processing of personal data relating to them.
Responsibilities
Our responsibility
In accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), Data Protection Act (2018), and Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, Bucks Students’ Union is the data controller. That means we are legally responsible for the personal data that we collect and hold about you.
The senior person responsible for ensuring that the Students’ Union is compliant with relevant data protection laws is the Data Protection Officer. The Data Protection Officer for Bucks Students’ Union is the Head of Communications and Marketing.
The Union agrees that personal data shall be:
• processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner, in relation to the data subject
• collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes and not further processed in a manner that is incompatible with those purposes
• adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary in relation to the purpose(s) for which they are processed
• accurate, and where necessary, kept up to date
• kept in a form which permits identification of data subjects for no longer than is necessary for the purpose(s) for which the personal data is processed
• processed in a manner that ensures appropriate security of the personal data, including protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage.
Your responsibility
As a student, it is your responsibility to ensure that all personal data provided to the Union is accurate and up to date. You should also ensure that you have read and understood the applicable data privacy statements and how these apply to you as a member of Bucks Students’ Union. You can either call us on 01494 601 600 or email sudataprotection@bnu.ac.uk if you have any concerns.
Where we collect information, about you, from
We collect information in the following way:
When you register to become an alumni member
At the point of finishing your accredited course at Buckinghamshire New University, you will have the opportunity to ‘opt-in’ to the alumni network, that is managed through Bucks Students’ Union.
At the point of registration, we will gather certain personal information about you and your course. The legal basis for collecting and processing your data is consent, which will be gained at the point of registration. From this point, we are responsible for the storage, protection and processing of the data which we will undertake within the parameters of everything included in this privacy statement. The data that you provide to us will form our core central record of your alumni network membership.
What personal data we collect and how we use it
As a member of our alumni network, you will be asked for various personal data at the point of registration. We will use this personal data to keep you informed of alumni activities, events and opportunities. When you take part in alumni activities, we will keep a record of this to improve our understanding of the membership and to ensure we are delivering the best possible service to you.
The personal data that we will gather during the registration process, includes:
• your name
• your personal email address
• your date of birth
• a contact number.
In addition, when you register to attend any of our alumni events, we may ask for additional information, such as:
• information relating to your health, if you are taking part in specific activities
• any disabilities, so we can provide assistance, if required.
We will mainly use your data to:
• keep you up-to-date with alumni activities, events, general information, opportunities services and relevant offers
• provide you with the services or information you asked for
• administer your membership
• keep a record of your relationship with us
• understand how we can improve the alumni network.
Building profiles of alumni members and tailored communications
From time-to-time, we use segmented techniques to ensure our communications are relevant and to provide an improved experience for our members. This may, for instance, include segmenting alumni members based on graduation year and course. This will enable us to target our resources effectively and help us to deliver appropriate services and information to our alumni members.
How we keep your data safe and who has access
Personal data collected and processed by us may be shared with Students’ Union employees and may also include departments within Buckinghamshire New University.
When we allow access to your information, we will always have complete control of what they see, what they are allowed to do with it and how long they can see it. We do not sell or share your personal information for other organisations to use.
We undertake regular reviews of who has access to information that we hold to ensure that your information is only accessible by appropriately trained staff.
We will only ever share your data in other circumstances if we have your explicit and informed consent.
Marketing and communications preferences
Alumni membership communications
As an alumni member, and at the point of registration, you give us explicit consent to collect and process your personal data. You are also confirming that you have an interest in hearing from us about activities, events, opportunities, services and other alumni information. Occasionally, we may include information from partner organisations or organisations who support us in these communications.
Controlling what you want to hear about
We make it easy for you to tell us how you want us to communicate, in a way that suits you. We will mostly communicate by email but there will be clear links, usually at the bottom of any emails that we send, to ‘opt-out.’ If you don’t want to hear from us, that’s fine. You can either opt-out by clicking on the relevant links or by letting us know directly by contacting us on 01494 601 600 or sudataprotection@bnu.ac.uk
Keeping your information up-to-date
If any of your details change, and you want to update your alumni membership record, you can let us know by contacting us on 01494 601 600 or sudataprotection@bnu.ac.uk
The Students’ Union operates a Data Protection and Information Security Policy which is supported by a practical handbook for our employees. All employees handling data are required to undertake general data protection training and third-parties handling data are required to provide a contract which meets the requirements of the Information Commission’s Office
Your right to know what data we hold about you, make changes or ask us to stop using your data
Data protection laws, and in particular the UK GDPR, gives individuals greater control over their personal data. We have an obligation to enable and facilitate the exercise of data subject’s rights, relating to:
• right to be informed
• right of access
• right to rectification
• right to erasure
• right to restrict processing
• right to data portability
• right to object
• rights related to automated decision-making, including profiling
We will consider requests relating to any of the rights listed above in accordance with all relevant and applicable data protection laws and regulations.
If you want to access your information, you should aim to complete a Subject Access Request Form with a description of the information you want to see and the required proof of your identity, by post, to Bucks Students’ Union, Queen Alexandra Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP11 2JZ. Although you can request access to your data in several ways, we will still need to you to verify your identity to ensure we are releasing data that we hold on you to the correct person.
It is preferred that requests to any other rights, including the rectification of personal data that we hold on you, is made in writing to ensure that we maintain accuracy in the data we hold on you.
If you have any questions, or if you would like to exercise your rights on any data that we hold on you, please send them to sudataprotection@bnu.ac.uk. For further information see the Information Commissioner’s Office –guidance document.
Changes to this statement
We may change this privacy statement from time-to-time. If we make any significant changes in the way we treat your personal information then we will make this clear on our website or by contacting you directly.
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know by contacting sudataprotection@bnu.ac.uk