The University of Ottawa collects, uses, and discloses personal information in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).

The University of Ottawa must protect all personal information that may be in its possession, including your personal information. You have the right to expect that your personal information will only be collected for legitimate, limited, and specific purposes; that the collection of your personal information will be limited to only what is necessary for the specified purpose; and that your personal information will only be used and disclosed for specified purposes.

If you know or suspect that a privacy breach has occurred, you must immediately contact the Chief Privacy Officer.

For example, a breach of privacy may occur when personal information is incorrectly disposed of, such as when a mobile device is lost or stolen, or when personal information is inadvertently disclosed, such as when an email containing personal information is sent to the wrong address.

For a detailed overview of how to respond to a privacy breach, refer to Procedure 20-8 – Privacy Breach Response Protocol.

To learn more about how the University uses personal information, read the University’s Notice of collection.

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Website privacy statement

The University of Ottawa is committed to maintaining and protecting the integrity of personal and confidential information.
Read the university’s website privacy statement

Your right to make a privacy complaint

For a detailed overview of the privacy complaint process, refer to Procedure 20-7 - Handling Privacy Complaints.

How to file a privacy complaint 

Step 1: Complete the Privacy Complaint Form [PDF, 389KB] or write a letter that clearly outlines: the nature and extent of the circumstances of your complaint; the faculty, administrative office, or service in which the problem occurred; the name(s) of person(s) involved; the date or time period when the alleged violation occurred; and what you expect the outcome of the complaint to be.

Step 2: If you are being represented by a third party, be sure to include a signed copy of the  Authorization Request Form for Representation [PDF, 489KB] when you submit your completed Privacy Complaint Form.

Step 3: Send the Privacy Complaint Form, the Authorization for Representation form (if applicable), and the application fee to the Chief Privacy Officer.

Privacy complaints will be handled in a confidential manner that is respectful to both the complainant and the respondent. The University will make every reasonable effort to maintain the confidentiality of the complaint and will limit disclosure of information about individuals to those within the University who need to know for the purposes of, or purposes consistent with, addressing the situation, investigating, or taking corrective action.

Depending on the nature, circumstances, and complexity of the complaint, the steps and time taken to process the privacy complaint may vary.

General privacy complaint process 

Step 1: An acknowledgment of receipt of the complaint is sent to the person who filed the complaint.

Step 2: The Chief contacts the person who filed the complaint to clarify the complaint or gather additional information.

Step 3: The Chief contacts the faculty, administrative office, or service and the person(s) identified in the complaint or who may have knowledge of the circumstances.

Step 4: The Chief consults other appropriate authorities within the University, e.g., legal counsel, Protection Services, Office of Risk Management, Computing and Communications Service.

Step 5: The Chief contacts the person who filed the complaint to review the matter and informs them of any steps taken to address the complaint and resolve any outstanding concerns.

Step 6: The Chief follows up with the faculty, administrative office, or service and the person(s) involved to ensure that a plan is in place to implement corrective or remedial measures, if any.

Your right to access your personal information

In most circumstances, you have a right to see any personal information about you that is held by the University. Learn how to request your personal information

Make sure to consult the personal information banks before filling out the Access Request Form [PDF, 602KB] to request your personal information.

Your right to correct your personal information

If you find that your personal information held by the University is incorrect, you have the right to ask for a correction by writing to the Access to Information and Privacy Office.

Under FIPPA, any individual who gains access to their personal information through the access request process has the right to request a correction of this information. Three factors will be considered when processing a correction request:

  • The information must be personal information;
  • The information must be inaccurate, incomplete, or ambiguous; and
  • The information is not opinion material provided by another individual.

An opinion (i.e., opinion material) provided by someone other than the individual requesting the correction is not usually subject to correction. Opinion material can be changed where it can be demonstrated that it was inaccurately recorded.

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Retention of your personal information

The University may no longer have a copy of the information you are seeking because it may have been retained and disposed of in accordance with the University’s records and retention schedule.
Learn more about the university’s record and retention schedule