British Graduates School of Business
British Graduates School of Business
British Graduates School of Business

Legal

Privacy Policy

Your privacy is important to us. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal data.

Last updated: November 2024

1. Introduction

British Graduates School of Business ("BGSB", "we", "us", or "our"), located at No 19, Haig Road, Colombo 04, Bambalapitiya, Sri Lanka, is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of our students, prospective students, website visitors, and stakeholders.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your personal information when you visit our website (www.bgsb.lk), use our student portal, enroll in our programs, or communicate with us.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

  • Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, mailing address.
  • Enrollment Data: Date of birth, NIC/passport number, educational qualifications, employment history.
  • Financial Information: Payment details for program fees (processed through secure payment gateways).
  • Communications: Inquiries, feedback, and correspondence submitted through our website or email.
  • Event Registrations: Information provided when registering for open days, workshops, or events.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

  • Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, referring URLs, and navigation patterns.
  • Device Information: Browser type, operating system, screen resolution, and device type.
  • Cookies & Tracking: We use cookies and similar technologies (see Section 7).
  • IP Address: Your IP address is collected for security and analytics purposes.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

  • Processing enrollment applications and managing student records.
  • Communicating about programs, schedules, events, and updates.
  • Providing access to the student portal and online learning resources.
  • Processing payments and managing financial records.
  • Responding to inquiries and providing support.
  • Improving our website, programs, and services.
  • Sending marketing communications (with your consent).
  • Complying with legal obligations and accreditation requirements.
  • Ensuring the security and integrity of our systems.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

  • Consent: Where you have given explicit consent (e.g., marketing emails, cookies).
  • Contractual Necessity: Processing necessary to fulfill enrollment and service agreements.
  • Legal Obligation: Processing required by law or regulatory requirements.
  • Legitimate Interest: Processing necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as improving services and ensuring security.

5. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your information with:

  • Accreditation Bodies: Qualifi, CQHE, and Nqual for program accreditation and certification purposes.
  • Partner Universities: For top-up degree programs and study abroad pathways.
  • Service Providers: Trusted third parties that assist with payment processing, email communications, and website hosting.
  • Legal Authorities: When required by law, court order, or governmental regulation.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including:

  • Student Records: Retained for 7 years after graduation or withdrawal, as required by accreditation standards.
  • Financial Records: Retained for 6 years in accordance with Sri Lankan tax regulations.
  • Marketing Data: Retained until you withdraw consent or unsubscribe.
  • Website Analytics: Retained for up to 26 months.

7. Cookies

Our website uses cookies — small text files placed on your device — to improve your browsing experience. We use:

  • Essential Cookies: Required for the website to function properly (e.g., session management).
  • Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our website (e.g., Google Analytics).
  • Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences.
  • Marketing Cookies: Used to deliver relevant advertisements and track campaign performance.

You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings or our cookie consent banner. Disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.

8. Your Rights

Depending on applicable law, you may have the right to:

  • Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
  • Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal retention requirements).
  • Restriction: Request that we restrict the processing of your data.
  • Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
  • Objection: Object to the processing of your data for direct marketing purposes.
  • Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 11.

9. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These include:

  • SSL/TLS encryption for data in transit.
  • Secure server infrastructure with regular security updates.
  • Access controls and authentication for staff and systems.
  • Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments.

While we take all reasonable precautions, no method of data transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.

10. Children's Privacy

Our website and services are not directed at individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us:

  • Data Protection Officer
  • Address: No 19, Haig Road, Colombo 04, Bambalapitiya, Sri Lanka
  • Phone: +94 117 221 192
  • Email: [email protected]

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, or applicable laws. Any changes will be posted on this page with the updated "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.