Use of cookies and other information collection technologies
Site usage
Email and feedback information
Further information about privacy
Thank you for visiting QUT's website. QUT is committed to protecting the privacy of users of our website. We understand that visitors to and users of this website are concerned about their privacy and the security of any information that they may provide.
The Queensland Government has established a privacy regime for Queensland public sector departments and agencies, including statutory authorities such as QUT. The privacy regime has been implemented by administrative means, with the issue of Information Standard No 42-Information Privacy (IS42) (.PDF). IS42 states that personal information held by Queensland agencies must be responsibly collected and managed in accordance with 11 Information Privacy Principles adapted from the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988.
Like many other websites, we monitor usage of the QUT site to help us to make it useful to as many visitors as possible. Consequently, our website does collect some information about users of the site, and we may also ask you for information in order to provide a service to you. Details of what we collect and how it is used are contained in this statement.
Use of cookies and other information collection technologies
Internet cookies are small strings of text placed on users' hard drives during the data exchange that happens when a browser points to a website. Cookies allow a website to store information on a user's machine and retrieve it later. Cookies and other information collection technologies can only store information that is explicitly provided by the user or visitor in the first place, or information the website already knows about the user, such as their IP address.
QUT's website uses cookies for:
- identifying unique visitors to the site for statistical purposes (that is, you will be allocated a visitor number which will be held in a cookie on your computer for a fixed period, such as 30 days. This cookie will also hold your IP address).
- proving your identity when you attempt to access a restricted part of the QUT site (generally only available to QUT staff and/or students). You will be asked to provide your QUT Access username and password to prove your identity. This information is sent across the Internet securely using a Secure Socket Layer (SSL). A cookie may then be created in your computer's memory until you shut down your browser, though sometimes it may be stored on your computer. This cookie contains the following information that is available even if you have disabled cookies:
- internal unique ID generated by QUT;
- your full name and email alias, which may be used for personalising the site as well as for emails sent from the site to you;
- your relationship with QUT (for instances, the course or unit you are enrolled in or the work areas with which you are currently associated). This is used to ensure you are authorised to access the information you have requested.
Most browsers can be set to accept or reject cookies. You can choose to adjust your browser to reject cookies or to notify you when they are being used. Sometimes, rejecting cookies results in a loss of some website functionality. For instance, you may be unable to access a secure site, such as QUT Virtual. Alternatively, rejecting cookies may mean that you may have to establish your identity a number of times across the QUT site during a visit because the server cannot recheck your identity each time you request access to a restricted area. The information required to enable rechecking of your identity (eg your password) is encrypted prior to being added to the cookie.
Site usage
When you visit QUT's website, we make a record of your visit using "single pixel gif" technology embedded in the code of each page. We log the following information, which is used for statistical purposes:
- the IP address of the computer you are using or an IP that is dynamically allocated by your internet service provider;
- the date and time of your visit;
- the pages accessed and documents downloaded;
- the file size of the pages downloaded;
- the type of browser used and screen resolution;
- the referring page (ie last page visited before entering the QUT site).
Email and feedback information
As QUT is a statutory authority in Queensland, email correspondence sent to this site is treated as a public record and is retained as required by the Public Records Act 2002 and QUT's records disposal schedule.
Email messages may be monitored by our website support staff for system trouble shooting and maintenance purposes, and some emails received by our website support staff may be forwarded to other officers of QUT for appropriate action if required. Staff of QUT will not disclose these details to third parties without your consent, except if required by law. QUT has contracted third party agents to provide some information services on behalf of the University, and personal information may be disclosed to these agents to allow them to provide such services. These agents are contractually obligated to protect the privacy of personal information. The specific privacy arrangements for these services are detailed on the relevant webpages.
Further information about privacy
Information on how QUT manages personal privacy can be found at QUT's Privacy Plan in the Governance Services webiste. If you have any questions about QUT's privacy and security practices, you can contact the QUT Privacy Contact Officer at the following address:
Policy and Compliance Manager
Governance Services
GPO Box 2434
Brisbane Qld 4001
Telephone 61 7 3138 2902
Facsimile 61 7 3138 1818
Email: privacy@qut.edu.au