# BACKGROUND

Northern College must respect the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), last amended April 19, 2021. The purpose of this legislation is both to open a window on government and to ensure that the privacy of all residents is protected.

| | |
|---|---|
| Type | PDF |
| Size | 72 KB |

[Open original PDF →](https://www.northerncollege.ca/uploads/2025/07/A18-Student-Academic-Records-Freedom-of-Information.pdf)

Referenced from: [Student Handbook](/pages/students/handbook/)

## Document text

<!-- image -->

SUBJECT

## BACKGROUND

Northern  College  must  respect  the  Freedom  of  Information  and  Protection  of  Privacy  Act (FIPPA), last amended April 19, 2021.  The purpose of this legislation is both to open a window on government and to ensure that the privacy of all residents is protected.

The Act has two main objectives:

1. It provides all persons with a legal right of access to information contained in the records of government ministries, agencies, boards, commissions and corporations.
2. It sets out the standards of privacy protection that must be met by all of these institutions when they collect, use and disclose information of a personal nature.

The  Act,  therefore,  provides  a  balance  between  allowing  the  widest  possible  access  to government information and respecting the right of each individual to personal privacy.

## POLICY

Information  is  collected  from  applicants  and  students  by  Northern  College  under  the  legal authority of the Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Act (ONCAAT Act), 2002 and Ontario Regulation 34/03.  The information is used for the administration and statistical purposes of  the  College  and/or  the  ministries  and  agencies  of  the  Government  of  Ontario  and  the Government of Canada.

## SCOPE

For students, the purpose of FIPPA is to protect the privacy of individuals with respect to personal information about themselves held by institutions and to provide individuals with a right of access to that information.

Information published by Northern College in brochures, information booklets and manuals does not fall under the Act and can be publicly distributed.

| ISSUE DATE   | SUPERSEDES   | MANDATORY REVIEW DATE   | REFERENCE   | SECTION   |   PAGE OF |   PAGE OF |
|

---

<small>Source: [https://www.northerncollege.ca/uploads/2025/07/A18-Student-Academic-Records-Freedom-of-Information.pdf](https://www.northerncollege.ca/uploads/2025/07/A18-Student-Academic-Records-Freedom-of-Information.pdf)</small>