Information law, data protection and governance

Stay on top of the legal landscape with our practical consultancy service – specifically designed for the needs of the education sector. Part of our consultancy service.
Alternatively contact the team:
In a digital-led education world, staying compliant with a complex network of legal duties can be a challenge.
From copyright in digital resources to the protection of student data, from complying with subject access requests to implementing the Prevent agenda, you need clear, practical guidance on how legislation affects you – both now and as you develop your practice.
And when laws change – as with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – you may also need support to help ensure you still comply.
To help you navigate these complex and developing issues, we offer a consultancy service on information law and its application to technology – based on our knowledge of the law and understanding of the education sector’s needs.
How our service helps you
Our consultancy service is designed to help you:
Remain compliant in a changing landscape
Whether you’re changing your educational practice or staying ahead of changes in legislation such as the GDPR, our expert support can help you stay compliant.
At Jisc, we have experts on a wide range of issues – whether that means improving digital inclusivity to stay compliant with equality legislation; improving your web filtering to comply with the Prevent agenda; or understanding how data protection affects your approach to learning analytics.
Get advice designed for the needs of the education sector
As an education organisation, it can be difficult to access advice that’s tailored specifically for your status. We’ve considered these issues and aim to offer guidance that meets your needs.
How the service works
We can provide practical support and assistance to help you manage your legal obligations in areas such as data protection and copyright:
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
To comply with the GDPR, you’ll need to review why information is held, how it is collected, when it will be deleted or anonymised, and who may access it.
We’ll work with you to diagnose and understand where support is needed. Based on that analysis, we’ll identify and describe packages of work – and pathways to compliance.
Copyright law
It’s vital to understand how copyright law applies to education – not least so you can make the most of licensed materials.
We’ll review your approach to copyright practice, to give you confidence that your use of teaching and learning materials is compliant. And we’ll help clarify how copyright exceptions can facilitate the use of learning technologies such as lecture capture.
We also offer guidance on information security policies, subject access requests, freedom of information and the safety of users online.
We can design for you a range of bespoke support to enable you to take the steps required to ensure your legal compliance.
For example, our experts can provide hands-on project support; in-house training workshops; and process and document reviews.
Or, we can act as a "critical friend" to determine and promote best practice, and we can help staff take responsibility for compliance in areas such as:
- Cloud computing
- Safeguarding learners online, including social media
- Use of data for research, including text and data mining
- Using cookies
- Recording lectures
Next steps
To get started, contact your account manager or email the consultancy team.