Learnwise ‘in VLE’ AI Module Assistant Privacy Statement
1. Introduction
This privacy statement explains how the University of Westminster processes your personal data when you use the Learnwise AI Assistant (called MAIA) integrated within our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). We are committed to protecting your privacy and complying with data protection legislation.
What is Learnwise?
MAIA is an AI-powered AI Assistant designed to provide 24/7 academic support to students. It integrates seamlessly with your Blackboard VLE to answer questions about your courses, academic policies, and provide general study support.
2. Legal Basis for Processing
We process your personal data under the legal basis of public task – the processing is necessary for the University to perform its educational functions and provide student support services in the public interest.
What Personal Data Do We Collect?
When you use the MAIA AI Assistant, we may process the following personal data:
Automatically Collected Data:
- Name – from your VLE profile
- Email address – from your VLE account
- Student/staff ID – unique university identifier
- Course enrolment information – to provide relevant academic support
- Academic qualifications and progress – to tailor responses appropriately
Data You Provide:
- Questions and messages – everything you type into the AI Assistant
- Course-related queries – questions about assignments, deadlines, academic content
Important: Please do not share sensitive personal information, financial details, health information, or other confidential data in your chatbot conversations.
3. How We Use Your Data
Your personal data is used to:
- Provide immediate responses to your academic and administrative queries
- Enhance student support services through AI-powered assistance
- Analyse question patterns to improve chatbot efficiency and responses
- Monitor system performance and optimize the service
- Ensure appropriate access controls and security
4. Who Has Access to Your Data
Access to your AI Assistant conversations is strictly limited to:
- You – you can access your own conversation history while logged into the system
- Authorised university administrators – limited access for system management and support purposes only
- Technical support staff – for troubleshooting and system maintenance
All access is logged and monitored in accordance with our security policies.
5. Data Storage and Security
Security Measures:
- All data is encrypted both in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256)
- Role-based access controls with multi-factor authentication for administrators
- Regular security testing and vulnerability assessments
- Activity monitoring and audit logging
Data Location:
- All data processing occurs within European Union data centers
- No data is transferred outside the EU/EEA region
- Sub-processors are bound by Standard Contractual Clauses and Data Processing Agreements
Data Retention
- Conversation data is retained for one academic year
- System logs are retained for 90 days after contract completion
- Data can be deleted upon request during the retention period
- All data is securely deleted when no longer needed
6. Your Rights
Under data protection legislation, you have the following rights:
- Access – request a copy of your personal data we hold
- Rectification – ask us to correct inaccurate data
- Erasure – request deletion of your data in certain circumstances
- Restriction – ask us to limit how we use your data
- Portability – receive your data in a portable format
- Objection – object to processing in certain circumstances
How to Exercise Your Rights:
To exercise any of these rights or if you have questions about data processing, contact:
- Information Compliance Team: DPA@westminster.ac.uk
- Data Protection Officer: Available through the above email
7. Opting Out
If you prefer not to use the Learnwise AI Assistant:
- You can choose not to access the AI Assistant feature in your VLE
- Alternative support channels remain available through traditional university services
- Your decision will not affect your access to other university services
Third-Party Processing
The Learnwise service is provided by LearnWise.ai, who act as a data processor on behalf of the University. They use cloud infrastructure provided by AWS and Azure, all located within the EU. All third parties are bound by comprehensive data processing agreements that ensure your data is protected to the same standards we maintain.
8. Complaints
If you have concerns about how your personal data is being processed, you can:
- Contact our Information Compliance Team at DPA@westminster.ac.uk
- Raise a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk
9. Updates to This Statement
This privacy statement may be updated periodically to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The current version is always available from within the chatbot interface and on our website.
Contact Information
University of Westminster
Information Compliance Team
Email: DPA@westminster.ac.uk
Service Provider:
LearnWise.ai
(Contact details available through university administration)
This statement is effective from 1/7/25 and applies to all users of the Learnwise AI chatbot service.
10. Usage Guidelines
Remember:
- Use the AI Assistant for academic and administrative queries
- Do not share sensitive personal information
- Report any technical issues to IT support
- Conversation history is available to you during your studies
Need human support? Traditional student services remain available alongside this AI assistance tool.