Data Protection Policy

Gem-A needs to collect and hold certain personal details for administrative and academic purposes. These details include such things as name, address, fee payments, courses studied and data to do with examinations, assessments and course results. We cannot provide our educational or membership services without such information. The data controller for your personal data is The Gemmological Association Great Britain (Gem-A).

We use your details to:

• process applications
• provide services to applicants, members and students
• carry out research to help us plan and improve our services
• produce statistical information to help us plan and improve our services

We are committed to the data-protection principles of good practice for handling information. All personal information is held in secure computer and manual files and we will only transfer data on a ‘need-to-know' basis so that we can support our academic and other services to you.

Members

If you are a Gem-A member, we will hold your details so that we can provide you with our publications and other information relating to Gem-A, its services, membership benefits and events. We may communicate with you by post, fax, telephone or e-mail. We will only pass on your details to third parties who are our subcontracted financial, IT, event or other consultants to the extent necessary for them to undertake the services for which they are contracted. Information is not transmitted outside the European Economic Area (EEA) unless the mailing address we hold for you is outside of the EEA. If you are a Fellow of the Gemmological Association (FGA) or have been elected to Diamond Membership (DGA), Gem-A may list your name along with date of election and town and country of residence on its website or in its publications, if you have agreed for your name to be listed on a prior membership application form. Such information may be accessed internationally. Gem-A will never sell your details for any purpose and will take all reasonable care to keep your details secure.

Students

If you are a Student enrolled on any of our courses, we will hold and use your personal details as described with our Members’ Data Protection policy (above). In addition, we may retain information regarding your progress through our course(s), marks and grades, and correspondence or comments by you, your tutors or our examiners. We may also disclose your personal details to third parties who have agreements with Gem-A for the provision of our educational or membership services such as tutors, examiners or local representatives.  Such third parties may be outside the European Economic Area (EEA) if you live, or are studying or taking our examinations, outside the EEA. When you graduate, Gem-A may list your name along with date of graduation and town and country of residence on its website or in its publications, plus a note of any special prize, Merit or Distinction, unless you specifically request otherwise. Such information may be accessed internationally. Other individual marks or grades will not be listed or made public in any way.

Tutors and Representatives of Teaching Centres

If you are involved in teaching on any of our courses, other than as an employee of Gem-A, or have been designated as the representative of one of our Gem-A Allied Teaching Centres, we will retain your details as with our Members’ Data Protection policy (above). In addition we may disclose your details to students or potential students and to other tutors, examiners or third parties who have agreements with Gem-A for the provision of our educational services. Such disclosure may include listing your contact details on our website or in publications. As a tutor or representative of a Gem-A Allied Teaching Centre, you must also agree to abide by our Data Protection policy with regard to student or member information with which you are entrusted.

Credit and Debit Card payments

Credit card or debit card information used for payments of services and other goods supplied by Gem-A is confidential and held in a secure storage.

Credit Card Payments online

Payments by credit or debit card for services and other goods supplied by Gem-A are collected over a secure link. The personal information you provide is used to process your online payment and to refund any monies due to you. When you make a payment online, Barclays Bank standard software is used, which encrypts your information.

Set up Direct Debit

The Direct Debit Information you provide using a direct debit form is subject to the Provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998. Gem-A will use the information received to process your enquiry. Information will remain confidential and is protected by the provisions of the Data Protection Act.

If you require further details about our Data Protection Policy, please contact the Data Controller at Gem-A head office.