Encountered or suspect a privacy breach or potential data incident? Report this immediately to privacy@unbc.ca and your supervisor. You will receive a response on how to take appropriate measures to respond to a privacy breach.

Students, employees and the general public have the right to make requests for their own personal information or impersonal factual information in the custody or control of the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC). Access to information at the UNBC is governed by British Columbia's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) [RSBC 1996 c.165], and in some departments additional provincial statutes and regulations, or provincial and national licensing and research bodies which are required for that department to operate. 

Information management is every UNBC employee's responsibility. Contact privacy@unbc.ca if you need support making decisions pertaining to collection, access, use, protection, disclosure and disposition of information.

At UNBC, The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) determines:

 1. Freedom of Information

  • the right for the public to request any information under the custody and control of the university.
  • parameters that the university must use to sever records to protect personal privacy, business interests, conservation of heritage sites, and confidential information.
  • parameters that the university must use to disclose information of public interest

​2. Protection of Privacy

  • acceptable limits to the collection, use, disclosure, and disposal of personal information by departments of the university
  • the right for the public to ensure accuracy of their own personal information and request correction
  • the responsibility of the university to make reasonable efforts to protect personal information from unauthorized access
  • whistle-blower protection
  • the responsibility of the university to make categories of records available to the public without request
  • parameters that the university must apply when disclosing personal information for research purposes
  • parameters that the Northern BC Archives and Special Collections must apply when disclosing personal information for archival and historical purposes

3. Agreements, Assessments, and Information Recovery

  • the right for individuals to request the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia review responses that UNBC has made to individuals' Freedom of Information requests.
  • the right for individuals to request an adjudicator review responses that the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia has made from an investigation of UNBC's response to a Freedom of Information request.
  • the responsibility UNBC has to conduct Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) for proposed activities, initiatives, programs, projects and systems.
  • the responsibility UNBC has to generate Information Sharing Agreements (ISAs) with other public bodies and agencies in cases involving regular disclosure of personal information.
  • the right for UNBC to demand that information disclosed unintentionally to a third party, or taken from UNBC, be returned or provide evidence that the information has been securely destroyed. 
  • the right for UNBC to set fees for Freedom of Information request services.

If you have any questions about how the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act applies to UNBC, please e-mail privacy@unbc.ca with your questions.