Doctoral Academy external supervisor privacy notice

Information you need to know

The Doctoral Academy department is part of Liverpool John Moores University. See further information on the institution.

Liverpool John Moores University is the Data Controller.

Our Data Protection Officer can be contacted at DPO@ljmu.ac.uk.

This privacy notice explains how we use your personal information and your rights regarding that information.

For information about how the wider University uses personal data please see the Privacy notice section of our website.

Information we are collecting

To support the management of external supervisory arrangements in line with the university’s Research Degrees Regulations, LJMU processes personal data relating to appointed external supervisors.

This includes personal and contact details such as your title, full name, date of birth, email address and any previous affiliation with LJMU. This information is required to support your appointment and to provide appropriate access to university IT systems.

We also collect professional information, including a link to your Curriculum Vitae, details of your current employer and place of work, and relevant employment history. This information is used to assess and confirm your suitability for appointment as an external supervisor.

Source of the personal data

Personal data relating to external supervisors is collected both directly and indirectly during the nomination and appointment process.

In some cases, information is provided directly by you, for example through your CV and correspondence by email. This information is used to support your appointment and enable access to the university’s IT eDoc system.

Personal data may also be collected indirectly via the university’s online external supervisor nomination form. This form is completed by the nominating Lead Supervisor using information taken from your CV.

Why we are collecting your data and the legal basis for this

We process personal data in accordance with the principles of the GDPR and only where there is a valid lawful basis to do so.

Your personal data is processed in order to consider your nomination and appointment as an external supervisor and to support your ongoing engagement with LJMU. This includes enabling you to carry out your supervisory role and ensuring the University meets its institutional and national obligations set out in the Research Degrees Regulations.

The lawful bases for processing your personal data are Article 6(1)(b) of UK GDPR, where processing is necessary for the performance of a contract, and Article 6(1)(e), where processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest.

These lawful bases permit the university to consider and confirm your appointment as an external supervisor and to support you in carrying out your duties for the duration of your engagement.

Who has access to this data

Your personal data will be accessed by authorised members of LJMU staff or by authorised members of staff from Cayuse who provide the eDoc system to the university where there is good reason to do so in connection with external supervisory arrangements.

This may include, but is not limited to, staff within the following roles or areas:

  • the nominating supervisory team
  • the nominating Head of Department or Director of School
  • the Doctoral Academy
  • Faculty Research Degrees Committees
  • Faculty administrative offices
  • university IT Services
  • the Complaints team
  • authorised members from Cayuse who offer technical systems support

Your name, current role or place of work, and the researcher you supervise will be visible to authorised LJMU staff via the university’s secure eDoc system.

Your name and email address will be visible to the postgraduate researcher you supervise via eDoc.

Appointment of supervisory team forms are stored securely on the university’s eDoc system and are accessible only to authorised staff, including senior management and the Doctoral Academy, where this is necessary to support academic governance and quality assurance processes. 

How the university protects your data

Personal data relating to your nomination, appointment and ongoing administrative management is collected by the nominating supervisory team, and the Doctoral Academy at the point of nomination.

Once your appointment is confirmed, this information is stored securely within eDoc. Access to this information is restricted to authorised staff who require it to carry out their role.

How long the University keeps your data

Personal data relating to your nomination and appointment as an external supervisor is retained for the duration of your appointment.

Your rights

As a data subject, you have a number of rights. You can:

  • access and obtain a copy of your data on request - this could be in a portable electronic format
  • request that the University changes incorrect or incomplete data if you think that it is inaccurate or out of date
  • request that the University delete or stop processing your data, for example where the data is no longer necessary or legally required for the purposes of processing

If your personal data has been provided by consent, you have a right to withdraw that consent at any time.

If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact the Data Protection Officer DPO@ljmu.ac.uk

If you do not provide data

Certain personal data is required in order for the university to meet its legal and regulatory obligations and to support your engagement with LJMU in the role of external supervisor.

If you do not provide the necessary information, the University may be unable to confirm your appointment or enable you to carry out your supervisory duties. In such circumstances, this may affect your ability to continue in the role and could result in the termination of your engagement.

Transfers of data outside the UK

We normally keep your personal data within the UK. In some cases, however, we may need to transfer it to another country - for example, to deliver a contract with you or to work with a partner organisation such as a university based overseas.

Whenever this happens, we make sure your information stays protected. This could be through a UK “adequacy regulation” (which confirms that the other country’s data protection laws are up to UK standards) or by putting strong safeguards in place.

These safeguards might include model contractual clauses, formal data sharing or processing agreements, or binding corporate rules. In short, even if your data travels abroad, it will continue to be treated with the same care and respect as it would under UK law.

Automated decision-making

We do not use computers to make decisions about you based solely on your personal data. Any decisions that affect you will always be made by a human, ensuring that you are treated fairly.

How to complain to the university

You have a right to complain to the university if you think it has not properly responded to your request for personal information or feel it has not handled your personal data responsibly.

If you are not satisfied with how your request for information or how your personal data has been handled, you should set out your complaint in writing to:

Maria Burquest
University Secretary and General Counsel
Legal and Governance Services
2nd Floor Exchange Station
Tithebarn Street
Liverpool
L2 2QP

or by email via DPO@ljmu.ac.uk.

How to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office

You have the right to complain to The Information Commissioner if you believe that our processing of your personal data does not meet our data protection obligations. The Information Commissioner can be contacted using the following details:

  • Post: Information Commissioners Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK95AF.
  • Telephone: 0303 123 1113.
  • Email: contact can be made by accessing the ICO website.