Privacy Management Program
Alberta’s Protection of Privacy Act requires public bodies, including post secondary institutions, to have a Privacy Management Program in place. This requirement reflects a shift toward a more proactive approach to privacy that expects organizations not only to follow the rules, but to actively demonstrate how they protect personal information in their day-to-day operations.
A Privacy Management Program brings structure and accountability to this work. It ensures that privacy is not handled on an ad hoc basis, but is supported by clear practices, defined responsibilities, and ongoing oversight. At Medicine Hat College (MHC), this means bringing together the policies, procedures, and practices that guide how personal information is handled.
Privacy is considered across all areas of the college, whether we are delivering programs, supporting students, managing records, or using new technologies. Rather than addressing privacy only when issues arise, we strive to build it into our processes from the beginning. This proactive approach helps prevent problems, reduce risk, and meet our legal obligations while building trust with our community.
Our Commitment to Privacy & Transparency
At MHC, protecting personal information is an important part of how we serve our students, employees, and the broader community. Beyond compliance with Alberta’s Protection of Privacy Act, our Privacy Management Program reflects our commitment to transparency, accountability, and respect for the individuals who trust us with their information.
The college takes privacy seriously and is committed to meeting its legislative obligations while continuously improving its practices. This includes proactively updating processes, strengthening supports, and ensuring that students, employees, and community members have confidence in how their personal information is collected, used, shared, and protected.
A key part of protecting privacy is understanding what information we collect and why. The college maintains a bank of the personal information, including what personal information is held, whose information it is, how it is used, and where it is stored. This information bank supports the appropriate classification and safeguarding of information and helps ensure it is only accessed and used for authorized purposes.
Program Details:
Privacy is a shared responsibility across the college, with leadership providing direction and support to ensure privacy remains a priority. The President and CEO is the head of the public body under Alberta privacy legislation and has delegated the duties related to the privacy management program to the Privacy Officer.
The Privacy Officer provides guidance, responds to privacy related questions or concerns, and supports the college in managing privacy risks effectively. By clearly assigning responsibility and maintaining oversight, we strengthen our ability to protect personal information across all areas of the institution.
MHC’s Privacy Officer also serves as the Access to Information Coordinator and is responsible for duties legislated under Alberta’s Access to Information Act.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding information or privacy, please contact the Privacy Officer at InformationandPrivacy@mhc.ab.ca.
MHC uses a combination of administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal information. This includes clear policies and procedures, mandatory staff training, secure information systems, and controlled access to records and facilities.
These safeguards are designed to prevent unauthorized access, use, or disclosure, while still allowing information to be used appropriately to support learning, college operations, and student success.
Mandatory information and privacy training is required for all new employees upon hire and is completed annually for existing employees. This ensures that employees understand their privacy responsibilities and are aware of how to handle personal information appropriately in their work.
Some types of personal information require additional protection, particularly when the information is highly sensitive or when large volumes are involved. In these situations, the college applies enhanced measures such as privacy impact assessments, increased oversight, and more detailed controls around how information is collected, used, or shared. This includes careful review of new initiatives, technologies, and data practices to ensure privacy risks are identified and addressed early in the planning process.
Click here for in-depth information regarding the following safeguards and protections employed by MHC:
- Privacy Breach Reporting
- Information & Data Classification Levels
- Automated Systems
- Non-Personal Data
Privacy is not static, and neither is our approach. The college regularly reviews and updates its Privacy Management Program, along with related policies, procedures, and practices to reflect changes in technology, programs, and legislative requirements.
This ongoing review helps ensure that our privacy practices remain effective and that the college continues to meet its obligations under Alberta privacy legislation, as well as the expectations of students, employees, and the broader community.
The Privacy Management Program is reviewed on an annual basis or more frequently in response to legislative changes, emerging risks, or identified gaps in practices.
Individuals have the right to access their own personal information and to request corrections if they believe information held by the college is inaccurate or incomplete. The college has processes in place to support these requests in a timely manner.
If you believe your personal information held by MHC is incorrect, please contact the relevant department if known. If you are unsure where to direct your request, you may complete the Access and Correction Request Form and submit it to InformationandPrivacy@mhc.ab.ca.
**PDF Form here**
More information about access to information requests can be found on the college’s Access to Information page.