Slavery Studies: Global Privacy Policy
- Effective Date
- Last Updated
1. Our commitment
Slavery Studies is a small educational project based in India. We are committed to protecting the privacy of our students and applicants worldwide. This policy explains what data we collect, how we collect it, why we collect it, and how we keep it safe in accordance with the applicable privacy laws including the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR). We process personal data only where we have a lawful basis to do so - including consent, legitimate interests related to course administration, or contractual necessity for participation in our programmes and online forums.
2. Definitions
To ensure the highest level of safety and compliance with applicable laws, we treat everyone under the age of 18 on the date of application as a minor.
“The course” refers to the Slavery Studies UWC online Short Course.
“The website” refers to our website, www.slavery-studies.org
3. What data we collect
We collect the following data from everyone who applies to Slavery Studies:
Identification data: name, date of birth, and country of residence.
Contact data: email address.
Parental data: parent / guardian’s name, email address, and language preference.
Education & background data: brief academic history and short-form responses to questions pertaining to your application to Slavery Studies.
We collect the following data from the parents or guardians of minor applicants, or from applicants themselves who are not minors:
Medical Data (optional): Information about learning difficulties, hearing difficulties, or other medical information that may affect learning (sensitive data).
Financial Data (optional): Information regarding purchasing power and financial security (sensitive data).
We collect the following data from all applicants who are interviewed for Slavery Studies:
Aptitude data: Information about how well suited you are for taking the Slavery Studies, based on the information you have provided (sensitive data).
We collect the following data from those students who are accepted to the course:
Financial Data: Information about the payment you or your parent / guardian will be able to make for Slavery Studies, or the scholarship that you would like to receive (sensitive data).
Attendance data: How many classes you have attended.
Performance data: Some basic notes about your commitment, assignments, special permissions granted, and research during the course.
Feedback data (optional): Your feedback and appraisal of the Slavery Studies course, and some sensitive data, including ethnicity, religion, and financial information.
Testimonial data (optional): A public, written testimonial, together with your name and (optionally) profile photograph.
Video / photographic data: Some online class sessions may be recorded.
We collect the following data from website users:
Cookies: small files stored on your device that help us remember your preferences and provide a more personalized experience.
Website Analytics: third-party analytics services (such as Google Analytics) to collect information about how visitors use our website. This includes data such as pages visited, time spent on the site, IP address, and general geographic location.
Contact Forms and Sign-Ups If you choose to contact us through forms on the website or sign up for updates, we may collect personal information such as your name, email address, and any details you include in your message.
We collect the following from those registered with our forum:
Forum Accounts: your name, email address, chosen username, and any optional profile information you provide.
Forum Content: Posts, comments, and resources you share in the forum.
Community Flags: Reports of inappropriate content submitted by members.
Technical Data: IP addresses, device/browser information, and log data when you access the forum.
4. How we collect data
When you apply for Slavery Studies, we will ask you to fill out an application form. This will ask you for your identification data, contact data, parental data, education & background data (3.1 - 3.4). By filling out the application form, you are giving your consent for us to store this data.
For applicants who are minors on the date of application, we will contact your parent / guardian using the email address you provide. We will ask the parent / guardian to submit your medical data and financial data (3.5 - 3.6), and to approve of the terms written in this Privacy Policy via email, so that we can proceed with your application.
By acknowledging the email, a parent / guardian is granting their explicit permission for us to collect and store all data defined in section 3, including sensitive data, (3.5 - 3.13), according to the terms written in this policy. A parent / guardian is also granting their explicit permission for you to be interviewed by us online, and for you to join our mailing list and to access social media platforms for Slavery Studies (in accordance with the social media platform’s own privacy policy). A parent / guardian may withdraw this permission at any time by writing to slavery.studies@shortcourse.uwc.org.
For applicants who are not minors, you will be asked to submit your own medical and financial data, and to acknowledge the terms written in this Privacy Policy via email. By acknowledging this email, you are giving your explicit permission for us to collect and store all data defined in section 3, including sensitive data (3.5 - 3.13), according to the terms written in this policy. You may withdraw this permission at any time.
For applicants who are granted an interview, we will ask you some questions about your application, and about how much money you / your parent / guardian would be able to pay for Slavery Studies. We will take some notes about your responses and add them to your application. If you would prefer that we not take notes, you can state this at the beginning of the call. Interview calls will not be recorded.
For applicants who are accepted to the course, we will track your attendance and take notes about your performance and engagement (3.7 - 3.8). By applying for the course, you are giving your consent for us to store this data.
For applicants who are accepted to the course and who join online classes, we may occasionally record video classes on Zoom (3.13).
Standard Classes: We do not record regular interactive classes. This is to protect your privacy and encourage open discussion.
Lecture Recordings: Occasionally, formal lectures may be recorded for students who cannot attend. You will be notified via an automated announcement at the start. You may keep your camera off and change your display name if you do not wish to be identified in the recording. If you do not wish for the recording to take place, you (or the presenter) can say so explicitly when you join, and the recording will be stopped.
AI Note-Takers: The use of third-party AI assistants in video classes (e.g., Otter.ai) is prohibited, unless every participant in the session gives verbal or written consent at the start of the meeting. If you use an AI assistant, you are responsible for seeking this permission. Any student may request that an AI assistant be removed immediately.
Photographic screenshots: We sometimes take screenshots of Zoom classes. You will be asked for your permission before we take a screenshot, and you can turn your video off, change your name, or log out of the call, if you do not wish for the screenshot to be taken.
For applicants who complete the course, you will be asked to fill out feedback forms which include feedback and testimonials about the course, and may contain sensitive data, including ethnicity, religion, and financial information (3.11).
Students who are over 18 may be asked to write a public testimonial (3.12) about the course which will be shared on social media (possibly along with a profile picture). This public testimonial is opt-in and will not be collected or shared without your explicit permission.
For applicants who complete the course, you will be asked if you wish to join a Slavery Studies mailing list or other social media groups.
For all website users, Website Analytics (3.15) are stored on our remote server, behind 2-factor authentication. This data is visible to all website administrators. The information collected is aggregated and does not identify individual users. Cookies (3.14) are stored locally on your computer. You can adjust your browser settings to refuse cookies, but some features of the site may not function properly.
We use contact form and sign-up information (3.16) solely to respond to your inquiry or provide the requested updates. We do not sell or share this information with third parties for marketing purposes.
Forum account data (3.17) is collected directly from you when you sign up. Other forum related data (3.18, 3.19, 3.20) is collected automatically as you access the forum. This is visible to all forum moderators and web administrators of our website.
As our course and website operate globally, your data may be stored or processed outside your country of residence. We ensure appropriate safeguards, such as standard contractual clauses or equivalent protections, to maintain privacy and security.
5. Why we collect data
Identification data, contact data, education & background data (3.1 - 3.4) are collected to determine your eligibility and suitability for the Slavery Studies course.
In addition to this, your personal data and contact data (3.1 - 3.2) are collected so that we can stay in contact with you about Slavery Studies and, with your permission, add you to the Slavery Studies mailing list and other online communities. This is so that you can stay connected with opportunities and interests related to Slavery Studies.
Parental data (3.3) is collected so that we can be in contact with your parents to ensure their consent and your safety.
Medical data (3.5) is collected for the sole purpose of ensuring that your learning and wellbeing are well supported throughout the course.
Financial data (3.6) is collected for the sole purpose of determining your position on the fee scale and eligibility for a scholarship.
Attendance data and performance data (3.7 - 3.8) is collected for the sole purpose of facilitating the course and determining your eligibility for receiving a completion certificate.
The purpose of the interview is to establish the authenticity of your application, to determine whether Slavery Studies is a good fit for you, to establish how much money you could afford to pay for the course, and to answer any questions you might have about Slavery Studies. The questions we ask in your interview will primarily be based on the information stated in your application.
Feedback data (3.11) is primarily collected to help us (Slavery Studies and the UWC Short Courses team) evaluate Slavery Studies and improve the course for future years. In addition, we sometimes use short, anonymous quotes from feedback in our reports and proposal letters.
Testimonial data (3.12) is sometimes collected for publicity about Slavery Studies (4.8) on social media. This will only be collected for students over 18 years, and never without explicit permission.
Video and photographic data (3.13) is collected for the following reasons:
For guest lecture sessions, our guest lecturers might not be available at a time which is convenient for everyone in the class, and hence we sometimes record these sessions in order to share with students who missed the session.
Some guest lectures will be posted on our YouTube channel for public viewing. This will never be done without a: the explicit permission of everyone in the video call (including the presenter) or b: hiding the identities of anyone who has not given their explicit permission.
Photographic screenshots are taken for us to use in online publicity for future events. We typically do this only on the last day of the course.
In response to a safeguarding incident, we may occasionally need to share a student’s personal data, including sensitive data, with a UWC Safeguarding Officer. This will be done in confidence for the safety and wellbeing of the student.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies (3.14) are collected to help us remember your preferences and provide a more personalized experience. Website analytics (3.15) are collected to help us improve our content and user experience, and for website security.
Forum data (3.17, 3.18, 3.19, 3.20) is collected to facilitate the forums on our website and in order to allow you to post, share and communicate. Moderation data (3.19) is collected for your safety.
Beyond the reasons stated in section 5 (and the conditions stated in section 6), we do not share your data with anyone.
6. How we store your data
All data associated with your application (3.1 - 3.8) is stored on a Google server (Google Workspace for Non-Profits). Please see the Google Privacy Notice to understand how your data is treated by Google. This data is only accessed by the Slavery Studies course director, and by Slavery Studies volunteers who have shown a valid police clearance certificate.
When communicating with a parent / guardian who does not speak English, we may share personal data (not sensitive data) with a trusted translator to aid in communication. This will be done in person, and the translator will not have permission to store personal data.
Some feedback data (3.11) is stored on a Google server (see 5.1). Other feedback data (including sensitive data) is stored on an Airtable server. Please see the Airtable Privacy Policy to understand how your data is treated by Airtable.
If you opt-in to sharing a public testimonial on social media, you will need to take note of the privacy policy of whichever social media platforms you have given your permission to share on (most likely Instagram, but possibly others).
Likewise, if you sign up for any social media community related to Slavery Studies, your data will be subject to the privacy policy of that social media platform.
Feedback data is shared with the UWC Short Courses team. Please see the UWC Privacy Policy to understand how your data is treated by UWC.
Video and photographic data (3.13) is stored on a personal, password protected computer. If students give their explicit permission, then it is uploaded to the private class folder on a Google server, so that it is visible to the rest of the class (5.9.a). All video classes (and interviews), whether recorded or not, are held using Zoom. Please see the Zoom Privacy Policy to understand how your data is treated by Zoom.
For video recording data that is uploaded to YouTube with explicit permission (5.9.b), please see the YouTube privacy policy to understand how your data is treated.
For website data (3.14, 3.15, 3.16) We retain this data for a limited period necessary to analyze trends and improve our services. Personal information submitted through forms is kept only as long as needed to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected. We take reasonable steps to protect the information collected through our website, including encryption and secure hosting. However, no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Forum data (3.17, 3.18, 3.19, 3.20) is stored on secure servers with access controls. Account information is retained while membership is active.
This privacy policy may contain links to third-party sites not operated by us. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party services. By using this service, you understand and agree that we are not responsible for any data misuse by these external parties.
7. How long do we keep your data
Sensitive data (3.5 - 3.8) is permanently deleted within 60 days of the course ending.
If you opt in to our mailing list, we keep your name and email address indefinitely. You can unsubscribe at any time.
All other course data is deleted within 1 year of the course completion.
Forum related data is stored until deleted by the member or removed for moderation reasons. Members may request deletion of their account and associated posts; we will make reasonable efforts to honor such requests.
8. Your rights
Regardless of your location, you have the right to:
Request a copy of your personal data.
Correct any inaccurate data.
Request that we delete your data at any time (“The Right To Be Forgotten”).
Withdraw your consent, which will stop all future data processing.
9. Non-discrimination
We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable U.S. law. We are committed to providing equal access to our services and ensuring that all individuals are treated with fairness, dignity, and respect. Retaliation against individuals who raise concerns or complaints of discrimination is strictly prohibited.
10. Forum Community Standards, Parental Consent, and Safeguards
Code of Conduct: All members agree to keep discussions respectful, constructive, and free from harassment, discrimination, or hate speech. Violations may result in warnings, suspension, or permanent removal.
Moderation: Posts are not pre-approved, but moderators may review flagged content and remove inappropriate material. The forum may use automated tools to detect spam or harmful content. These systems assist human moderators and do not make binding decisions. Users may request a review of any moderation action by contacting the Grievance Officer.
Parental Consent: Members under 18 must have parental or guardian consent to participate. We encourage parents/guardians to supervise their child’s use of the forum. We take reasonable steps to confirm such consent and to protect minors from inappropriate content or interactions.
Visibility: Forum content is visible only to approved members and is not indexed by search engines.
Responsibility: Members are responsible for the content they post. By participating, you agree not to share sensitive personal information of yourself or others.
Safeguards: We take steps to protect minors and vulnerable members, including moderation, flagging systems, and account approval processes.
11. Grievance redressal
Liam Goodacre serves as the Grievance Officer. If you have any concerns or wish to exercise your rights, please contact the Grievance Office at slavery.studies@shortcourse.uwc.org. We will acknowledge all requests within one working week.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we make significant changes, we will notify registered users by email or by posting a notice on the website. The updated policy will take effect on the date indicated at the top of the page. By continuing to use our website and forum after the effective date, you acknowledge and agree to the updated terms. If you do not agree to the changes, you may discontinue use of the site or request deletion of your account.
We aim to keep this policy clear and accessible to all participants. If any section is difficult to understand, please contact us for clarification or alternative formats.