Privacy Policy

1. Overview

UQwest is an education technology platform designed to simplify and accelerate the course equivalency process for university exchanges. We use artificial intelligence to help students find matching courses, request approvals, and explore exchange opportunities, while helping university staff manage workflows more efficiently.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information from students, university staff, and other users of our platform. By accessing or using UQwest, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

We are committed to protecting your privacy in compliance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and other applicable data protection laws.

2. Information We Collect

UQwest collects the following categories of information:

3. How We Use the Information

UQwest uses the collected information for the following purposes:

• Process Requests: To facilitate course equivalency evaluations, exchange applications, and approval workflows between students and university staff.
• AI-Powered Matching: To use artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to match students with relevant courses, universities, and exchange opportunities based on their academic requirements and preferences.
• Account Management: To create, maintain, and secure user accounts, including authentication through Supabase Auth and single sign-on (SSO) integrations.
• Platform Improvement: To analyze usage patterns, identify technical issues, enhance features, improve usability, and develop new functionality.
• Communication: To send notifications about request updates, approval decisions, system announcements, and other important information related to your use of the platform.
• Security and Compliance: To maintain platform security, prevent unauthorized access, detect and prevent fraud or misuse, and comply with legal obligations.
• Analytics and Reporting: To provide universities with aggregate analytics and insights about exchange programs, approval trends, and administrative efficiency.

4. Data Storage and Security

UQwest takes data security seriously and implements industry-standard measures to protect your personal information:

• Secure Database: All data is stored in Supabase's PostgreSQL database, which provides enterprise-grade security with encryption in transit using TLS (Transport Layer Security) and encryption at rest using AES-256.
• Backend Security: Our backend is built on Django, a secure Python web framework, with access restricted to authorized administrators only. All API endpoints require authentication.
• Access Control: We implement role-based access control (RBAC) to ensure that university staff can only view data relevant to their institution and authorized scope.
• Password Protection: User passwords are never stored in plain text. They are hashed using industry-standard algorithms before storage.
• Regular Audits: We conduct regular security audits, vulnerability assessments, and penetration testing to identify and address potential security risks.
• Backups: We maintain secure, encrypted backups of platform data to ensure business continuity and data recovery in case of system failures.
• Monitoring: We continuously monitor our systems for suspicious activity, unauthorized access attempts, and security incidents.

While we implement robust security measures, no system is entirely immune to security breaches. We encourage users to maintain strong, unique passwords and report any suspicious activity immediately.

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

UQwest does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

6. Your Privacy Rights

UQwest respects your rights regarding your personal information. Under PIPEDA, GDPR, and other applicable laws, you have the following rights:

• Right of Access: You may request access to the personal information we hold about you, including details about how it is used and shared.
• Right to Correction: You may request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Right to Deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements or legitimate business needs.
• Right to Restriction: You may request that we limit how we process your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Right to Data Portability: You may request a copy of your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Where we rely on your consent to process data, you may withdraw that consent at any time.
• Right to Object: You may object to certain types of data processing, including processing for direct marketing purposes.
• Right to Deactivate Account: You may deactivate your account at any time through your account settings or by contacting us.
• Right to Lodge a Complaint: You have the right to file a complaint with your local data protection authority if you believe we have violated your privacy rights.

We will respond to your request within 30 days (or as required by applicable law) and may require verification of your identity before processing certain requests.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

UQwest uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience on our platform. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us recognize you, maintain your session, and remember your preferences.

For more information about cookies and how to manage them, please see our Cookie Policy or refer to your browser's help documentation.

8. Data Retention

UQwest retains personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law.

• Active Accounts: While your account is active, we retain your personal information to provide ongoing services and support.
• Academic Records: Course equivalency records, syllabi, and approval decisions may be retained longer to maintain institutional records and support future students with similar requests.
• Deleted Accounts: When you deactivate or request deletion of your account, we permanently delete your personal information within 90 days, except where we are required to retain certain data for legal, regulatory, or legitimate business purposes.
• Backups: Data contained in system backups is securely destroyed once the backup retention period expires.
• Anonymized Data: We may retain anonymized, aggregated data indefinitely for analytics, research, and platform improvement purposes. This data cannot be used to identify individual users.

9. International Data Transfers

UQwest is a global platform that serves universities and students in multiple countries. As a result, your personal information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in regions outside your country of residence, including Canada, the United States, and the European Union.

When we transfer data internationally, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including:

• Standard Contractual Clauses: We use European Commission-approved Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) for transfers from the EU/EEA to countries without adequate data protection laws.
• Adequacy Decisions: We may rely on adequacy decisions issued by data protection authorities recognizing certain countries as providing adequate data protection.
• Service Provider Agreements: All third-party service providers handling international data transfers are contractually required to maintain equivalent security and privacy protections.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

UQwest may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or other operational needs. When we make significant changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
• Notify active users via email or platform notification
• In some cases, request your renewed consent to the updated policy

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy regularly to stay informed about how we protect your information. The most current version will always be available on our website at www.uqwest.com/privacy-policy.

Your continued use of the platform after changes to this policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated terms.