Who we are
The Auckland University of Technology Students' Association(AUTSA) is the recognised students' association for Auckland University of Technology under the Education and Training Act 2020. This policy covers all AUTSA services and platforms, including AUTSA (my.autsa.org.nz), AUTSA events, clubs, advocacy, and any communications we send you by email or SMS.
This Privacy Policy should be read alongside our Terms of Use and Membership Terms & Conditions.
Information we collect
When you use AUTSA, we may collect:
- Account information— your name, student ID, AUT email address, and programme of study.
- Contact details— email address, mobile phone number, and alternative email. Your mobile number may be used for SMS communications if you have not opted out.
- Advocacy case data— details you share when seeking advocacy support, including case notes and uploaded documents. This information is treated as strictly confidential.
- Event and club data— your event registrations, check-in records, and club affiliations.
- Application data— information submitted in Tautoko, grant, room booking, and other application forms.
- Technical data— IP address, browser type, and access logs for security and audit purposes.
How we use your information
- To provide advocacy, hardship support, and other student services.
- To manage event registrations and club memberships.
- To verify your identity and manage your account.
- To communicate with you about your cases, applications, events, and AUTSA services via email and SMS.
- To send event reminders, important updates, and service notifications by SMS to the mobile number on your account.
- For security monitoring and fraud prevention.
- To produce anonymised, aggregate reports on service usage.
Communications (email & SMS)
By providing your contact details to AUTSA, you consent to receiving communications from us by email and SMS. These may include:
- Event reminders and updates for events you have registered for.
- Important notices about your AUTSA membership, clubs, or applications.
- Service notifications related to your account or cases.
- Verification codes for account security.
We will not send you marketing or promotional SMS without your explicit opt-in. You can opt out of non-essential email and SMS communications at any time through your profile settings, by replying STOP to any SMS, or by contacting us. Opting out will not affect transactional messages required for your account security or active service requests.
Standard message and data rates from your mobile carrier may apply to SMS messages.
Advocacy confidentiality
Advocacy case information is strictly confidential. It is only accessible to AUTSA advocacy staff handling your case. We will never share your advocacy information with AUT, other students, or third parties without your explicit written consent, unless required by law or where there is an immediate risk to safety.
Data storage and security
Your data is stored securely in the Asia-Pacific region using industry-standard cloud infrastructure. All data is encrypted in transit (TLS) and at rest. We maintain comprehensive audit logging for all data access to ensure accountability and security.
Data sharing
We do not sell your personal information. We may share data with:
- Service providers— trusted third-party providers who help us operate AUTSA services (e.g. cloud hosting, email delivery, SMS delivery), all bound by data processing agreements.
- AUT— aggregate, anonymised membership and engagement data (never individual advocacy information), and club room booking details submitted through AUTSA to facilitate room allocation and campus operations.
- AUTSA clubs— when you express interest in joining a club (e.g. via a “Join” or “I'm interested” button), your name, email, and mobile number may be shared with that club's committee so they can follow up with you.
- AUTSA governance— the Register of Members is used for electoral and governance purposes (e.g. verifying voter eligibility) in accordance with AUTSA's constitution and the Incorporated Societies Act 2022.
Membership register
When you opt in to AUTSA membership, your name and contact details are added to the AUTSA Register of Members as required by the Incorporated Societies Act 2022. This register is maintained securely and is only used for governance purposes. You may withdraw your membership at any time. See our Membership Terms & Conditions for details.
Your rights
Under the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020, you have the right to:
- Access your personal information held by AUTSA.
- Request correction of inaccurate information.
- Request deletion of your data (subject to legal retention requirements).
- Complain to the NZ Privacy Commissioner if you believe your privacy has been breached.
Data retention
We retain your account data for the duration of your enrolment at AUT plus 2 years. Advocacy case records are retained for 7 years in line with legal requirements. Audit logs are retained for 3 years.
Contact
For privacy enquiries or to exercise your rights, get in touch through the AUTSA enquiry form or email us at autsa@autsa.org.nz.
You can also contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner at privacy.org.nz.