--- url: /privacy-policy/ title: "Privacy Policy | Student Handbook | The Graphic Design School" template: handbook-page priority: 3 wordCount: 1345 lastModified: 2026-05-22T23:31:52.307Z category: about site: "The Graphic Design School" tokenCount: 1979 --- # Privacy Policy | Student Handbook | The Graphic Design School > Privacy policy describing what student data the Graphic Design School collects, why, how it's used, retained and protected. **Keywords:** Privacy Policy, Student Handbook, The Graphic Design School, Personal Information, Unique Student Identifier, Australian Government, ASQA Standards, Privacy Act 1988, General Data Protection Regulation, Learning Analytics, Third-Party Platforms, Data Protection, International Students, National Privacy Principles, RPL and Credit Transfer What Information We Collect [object Object] Why We Collect Your Information [object Object] AI & Learning Analytics [object Object] Third-Party Platforms We Use [object Object] NCVER Disclosure (Government Requirement) [object Object] How Long We Keep Your Records [object Object] Your Privacy Rights [object Object] Marketing & Communications [object Object] How We Protect Your Data [object Object] Cookies [object Object] International Students (GDPR) [object Object] Privacy Policy We Respect Your Privacy We collect the minimum we need to teach you and keep ASQA happy. We don't sell your data, we don't run ad trackers, and you can ask us to delete your records any time — subject to the legal retention periods below. This Privacy Policy complies with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and National Privacy Principles, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and ASQA Standards for RTOs. What Information We Collect Personal Information When you enrol or enquire, we collect: Name, email, phone number Date of birth and address (required for certificate issuance) Unique Student Identifier (USI) – Australian Government requirement for nationally recognised training Educational background – for RPL and credit transfer assessment Payment information – processed securely via third-party providers (we don’t store your credit card details) Learning Data As you study, we collect: Assessment submissions – your design work and project files Progress tracking – which modules you’ve completed, when you logged in Forum posts and interactions – questions, answers, discussions Tutor feedback and grades – assessment results and comments Activity logs – for support, troubleshooting, and security Technical Data When you use our website or The Schoolyard, we collect: IP address, browser type, device information Cookies – for site functionality and analytics Session data – pages visited, time spent, navigation patterns Why We Collect Your Information We collect personal information to: Deliver training – Provide courses, assess your work, give feedback, issue certificates Meet compliance requirements – ASQA requires us to keep student records for 30 years Provide support – Help you when you have questions, technical issues, or need extensions Improve our services – Understand what’s working, what’s not, and how to get better Fulfill legal obligations – Meet Australian education regulations and consumer law AI & Learning Analytics We use AI tools to improve your learning experience. Here’s exactly how: How We Use AI Course content generation – Some learning materials are created with AI assistance (always reviewed and edited by human experts) Assessment feedback suggestions – AI may suggest feedback points, but your tutor reviews them and makes final decisions Learning analytics – Identify students who may need extra support (e.g., if you’re stuck on a module for a long time, we’ll reach out) What AI Does NOT Do Your submissions are NOT used to train public AI models (like ChatGPT or similar) Your data stays private and is only used for your education AI doesn’t grade you – Your tutor makes all assessment decisions Opt-Out Option If you’re uncomfortable with AI-assisted feedback, email privacy@thegraphicdesignschool.com and we’ll arrange alternative arrangements. No penalty, no problem. Third-Party Platforms We Use To deliver your course, we use trusted third-party platforms. Here’s who has access to what: Platform Purpose Data Shared The Schoolyard (LMS) Learning management Name, email, progress, assessments Email provider Course communications Email address Video conferencing Optional support calls Name, email (only if you book a call) Payment processor (PayPal/Stripe) Payment processing Billing info (encrypted, never seen by us) All platforms are GDPR-compliant and use secure, encrypted connections. NCVER Disclosure (Government Requirement) As a Registered Training Organisation, we’re required by law to share your data with the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). What Is NCVER? NCVER is a government body that collects national VET (Vocational Education and Training) statistics to improve Australia’s training system. What Data We Share Course enrolment details Completion status Demographic information (age, gender, location—anonymized for research) Why This Matters Your data helps government understand training outcomes, employment pathways, and how to improve the VET sector. It’s used for research and policy—not individual tracking. Can I Opt Out? You can contact NCVER directly to opt out: ncver.edu.au (Note: You can’t opt out through TGDS—NCVER manages this.) For more: See NCVER’s Privacy Policy at ncver.edu.au/privacy How Long We Keep Your Records Record Type Retention Period Assessment results, certificates, enrolment records 30 years (ASQA legal requirement) Financial records 7 years (Australian tax law) Certificates issued Indefinitely (so you can always prove your qualification) Access Your Records Anytime Email privacy@thegraphicdesignschool.com to request a copy of your data. Free, provided within 30 days. Your Privacy Rights Right to Access Request a copy of all your personal data. Email privacy@thegraphicdesignschool.com. Free, provided within 30 days. Right to Correct If your details are wrong or outdated, you can update them: In The Schoolyard: Go to your profile → Edit details Email us: privacy@thegraphicdesignschool.com Corrections made: Within 5 business days Right to Delete (Limited) You can request deletion of your data, but: We cannot delete assessment records (30-year retention is legally required by ASQA) We can delete marketing data (unsubscribe from emails anytime) We can minimize data (keep only what’s legally required, delete the rest) Email privacy@thegraphicdesignschool.com to request data minimization. Right to Withdraw Consent Marketing emails: Click unsubscribe in any email, or email privacy@thegraphicdesignschool.com Surveys: Opt out anytime Essential communications: You cannot opt out of enrolment confirmations, assessment results, or legal notices (these are required for us to provide your course) Right to Data Portability You can request your data in a portable format (CSV, PDF) to transfer to another service. Email privacy@thegraphicdesignschool.com. Marketing & Communications What We Send Newsletter: Course updates, design industry news, tips (monthly) Promotional emails: New course launches, special offers (occasional) How We Got Your Email You provided it during enrolment or when you made an enquiry You opted in via our enrolment form or website Opt-Out Anytime Click the unsubscribe link in any email Email privacy@thegraphicdesignschool.com with “Unsubscribe” in the subject line How We Protect Your Data Encryption: All data transmitted via SSL/TLS (secure connections) Secure servers: Hosted in Australia with restricted access Access control: Only authorized staff can access student data Regular backups: For disaster recovery (also encrypted) No selling data: We will never sell your information to third parties Data Breaches If a data breach occurs (rare, but we’re prepared): You’ll be notified within 72 hours We’ll explain what data was affected and steps to protect yourself We’ll report to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) Cookies We don’t do tracking cookies. Google does — via Analytics. We use a few essential cookies to keep you logged in and the site working. That’s the whole story. Here’s how to opt out of Google’s tracking entirely, which we actively encourage. What Cookies This Site Uses Type What it does Can you switch it off? Essential Keeps you logged in, remembers your place in a course, lets the site function No — the site breaks without them Google Analytics Tells Google (not us) which pages people visit. We see aggregate numbers. Yes — see below Preferences Remembers settings like “dismissed this banner” Yes, clear them any time No advertising cookies. No cross-site tracking. No third-party ad networks. We don’t resell your behaviour. How to Opt Out of Google Analytics Entirely The cleanest option is Google’s own browser add-on: Google Analytics Opt-out. Install it once and Google Analytics ignores you everywhere — not just on this site. How to Manage Cookies in Your Browser You can also block or clear cookies from your browser settings directly: Chrome Firefox Safari Edge Disabling essential cookies will break logins and course progress. Disabling everything else is fine — the site still works. International Students (GDPR) If you’re located in the EU, GDPR applies to you. Your Additional Rights Under GDPR Right to be forgotten (request full data deletion, subject to ASQA retention requirements) Right to object to processing Right to restrict processing Right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority Data Storage Your data is stored in Australia, which the EU recognizes as providing adequate data protection under GDPR. EU Representative For GDPR-related queries: privacy@thegraphicdesignschool.com