Privacy awareness | Privacy Office | Seneca Students

Privacy is everybody’s business

Here at Seneca, privacy is everybody’s business and we all need to be committed to following smart privacy practices when collecting, using, storing, transferring, retaining and disclosing personal information in our custody and control.

Key Developments in Access and Privacy - David Goodis, Assistant Commissioner, Information and Privacy Commissioners Office/ON

Watch David Goodis’ January 27, 2020 presentation on Ontario’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), which includes information on public sector access and privacy obligations, recent decisions by the Commissioner's Office, and reported privacy breaches. 

Seneca’s privacy notice

To learn more about Seneca’s privacy practices visit:

Privacy Notice

What is personal information (PI)?

Any recorded information about an identifiable individual and includes: home address;  phone number; email address; identifying numbers (student or employee); sexual orientation; ethnic origin; race; religion; age; sex; education, financial, employment, medical, psychiatric, psychological or criminal history; personal opinions of, or about, an individual; personal correspondence; name where it appears with or reveals other personal information.

Employee name, title, and records about routine work matters are not usually considered personal information.

Ontario privacy legislation resources

To learn more about Ontario’s privacy legislation, and the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (the body appointed by the government to ensure organizations comply with legislation) visit:

Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario

Record keeping best practices

• A record is any record of information however recorded, whether by electronic means, in print form, on film, or otherwise.
• Ensure that confidential information is protected against unauthorized access. Store confidential records in a secure location such as a locked filing cabinet, or on a secure server.
• Dispose of confidential information securely, and ensure that any personal information to be destroyed has been authorized for disposal.  Do not place confidential material in recycling bins.
• Distinguish college records with long term value from transitory records which are of short term value and have no continuing operational, informational, evidential or historical value. As a general rule, destroy transitory records as soon as they have served their primary purpose.
  • Transitory Records are records that are required to perform a routine action/duty, or to prepare a final record. These records are needed for a short period of time in order to complete the action/duty. Records kept for convenience/information purposes by an office that does not have primary responsibility for keeping the record are also considered transitory.
• Retain records of personal information for at least one year; however, the minimum retention period for certain types of records is usually dictated by legal, fiscal and statutory requirements, and administrative or operational needs.