Update your preferred name

Students and employees can choose to use a preferred name, rather than their primary or legal name due to reasons such as protected grounds, related to cultural background/ancestry or for safety reasons. The preferred name will be used across many school systems including SAIT issued email address, MS Teams, class lists (students) and physical SAIT ID card. If you would like to update your preferred name please contact:

Request to correct personal information

Individuals have the right to request a correction of SAIT records containing their own personal information.

Before submitting a formal request to correct your personal information, you may decide to first contact the department or office that manages the official record and that department or office will determine if there is a routine process to update and/or correct your personal information.

If you are a student and would like to notify the Office of the Registrar of a legal name or address change on your student record, please use this form.

If you are an employee and would like to notify SAIT of a legal name or address change or to make changes to other information, please visit this page.

Upon graduation, your student personal information will be transferred to the SAIT Alumni Association for the purpose of fundraising and other alumni activities. To update your contact information or if you have any questions about SAIT Alumni programs, please visit this page.

Formal requests may be submitted to SAIT by completing the Request to Correct Personal Information form and following the instructions on the form.

Formal request to access information

In some circumstances, you may be able to obtain information without using the formal access to information (FOIP request) process when that information is routinely available to the public. If the information you seek is not routinely available, you may submit a formal FOIP request to access records under the FOIP Act.

Requests may be submitted to SAIT by completing the Request to Access Information form and following the instructions on the form. Under the FOIP Act, public bodies have to respond to a FOIP request within 30 calendar days and the 30-day deadline may be extended under limited circumstances (for example, if large volumes of records are requested or if third parties need to be consulted).

If you would like to request access to your personal information, you must provide proof of your identity before any records containing your personal information are released to you.

There is no initial fee for accessing your own personal information, but you may be required to pay photocopying fees if the cost is more than $10.

If you are requesting personal information records for another person, you must provide proof that you have authority to act for that person and may complete the Authorization of Representative form and return both forms to SAIT.

If the request is for general information, this means that the request is for information other than personal information.

There is an initial fee of $25 (no GST), which must be paid before the request process starts.

If the total cost of processing your request is more than $150, SAIT will provide you with an estimated cost (fee estimate) before processing begins and you will be asked to pay a 50% deposit and the records would be provided when the fee is paid in full.

Compliance with the FOIP Act

Collection and use of personal information

SAIT collects personal information in compliance with the authority of section 33(c) of Alberta’s FOIP Act. In addition, student personal information is also collected under the authority of section 65 of the Post-secondary Learning Act. This information may be used and/or disclosed for various academic, administrative, employment and statistical and/or research purposes of SAIT and/or ministries or agencies of the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada. Social Insurance Numbers (SINs) are collected under the authority of the federal Income Tax Act when required.

SAIT collects Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) data via form, survey or questionnaire. The data collection is used to gain insights and advance our EDI initiatives including collecting information such as gender identity, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, disability status, pronouns, title, religious affiliation, Indigeneity and other identity characteristics. We use this data to help understand and serve our student and employee populations, identify and close gaps related to achievement and progression, provide accommodations and identity affirmations and to connect students with resources, EDI training and support groups such as Accessibility Services, Black Empowerment and Excellence at SAIT (BEES), Interfaith Centre, International Centre, Natoysopoyiis, Neurodiversity Alliance, Pride at SAIT, and Women in Trades and Technology (WITT).

EDI data is collected voluntarily and only accessible to authorized staff and not shared with third parties. EDI data is anonymized or kept confidential to ensure individual privacy is protected and used for internal purposes only. Learn more about our EDI initiatives.

Personal information is collected from applicants when that information is submitted to SAIT through application forms, student financial aid applications and declarations, surveys, contact forms on the SAIT website, telephone, mail, email and in-person services.

For prospective students, if you are admitted to and subsequently enroll in a program/course, the admission information in connection with your application will form part of your permanent student record.

Documents and information submitted by applicants who are not admitted will be retained in accordance with SAIT’s Records Retention and Disposition Schedule.

Personal information is collected from applicants when that information is submitted to SAIT through application forms, contact forms on the SAIT website, telephone, mail, email and in-person.

For job applicants, if you receive an offer and subsequently accept the offer of employment, the information in connection with the recruitment process will form part of your permanent employee record.

Documents and information submitted by applicants who are not offered employment will be retained in accordance with SAIT’s Records Retention and Disposition Schedule.

Student personal information is collected in many different ways, for example, when you apply for admission to a program/course, modify your online profile or contact SAIT through a contact form or email.

SAIT understands the utmost importance of protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your personal information. This information will be processed and used for academic and administrative purposes that include but are not limited to sending official correspondence, determining eligibility for admission to the program/course, facilitating enrollment, contacting you regarding SAIT programs and services, administering and evaluating institute programs/courses, the electronic production of credentials, statistical purposes, determining academic status, recording academic achievement, producing class lists, issuing student cards, processing transcript requests, maintaining tuition accounts, issuing tax receipts, notifying students of important announcements and updates, maintaining a mailing list for direct marketing purposes and market research surveys, distribution of other promotional material as approved by the Office of the Registrar, determining eligibility for student awards, scholarships and financial support, administering financial aid and government financial assistance programs.

Disclosure of personal information

Personal information including demographic data may also be disclosed as part of SAIT’s operational purposes or as required or permitted under law. Admission, registration and academic achievement information will form part of the student and/or employee record as an applicant, student or alumnus and may be disclosed to the following internal and external areas:

  • academic and administrative units at SAIT;
  • the SAIT Students' Association (Saitsa, non-profit organization) and the SAIT Alumni Association for contact purposes and membership services;
  • Canada Revenue Agency for reporting under the federal Income Tax Act;
  • Statistics Canada for reporting under the federal Statistics Act;
  • Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Education for statistical, funding, planning and market research purposes; and
  • accrediting and certifying bodies for auditing purposes

Student Information Waiver Form

SAIT requires your consent to authorize the release of your official student record to third parties (refer to procedure AD.1.1.2 Confidentiality of Student Information for exceptions).

  1. Complete the information waiver form; and
  2. Submit the signed form to the Office of the Registrar (OTR) via email to inquiry@sait.ca.

Online and web privacy

It has become commonplace for organizations to analyze visitor behaviour on their websites in order to improve the browsing experience. SAIT, like many other organizations, collects visitor information through user interactions, such as filling out online forms and participating in online chat. This data is also obtained through the use of cookies.

SAIT uses visitor information gathered from its websites in the following ways:

  • improve visitor experience online with SAIT's websites, email correspondence, or SAIT's social media platforms
  • measure the performance of advertising campaigns
  • improve the content structure and information architecture of the website
  • analyze when its websites are used to determine key messaging times
  • enhance SAIT's marketing and communications efforts, through customer relationship modelling, with prospective and established students, customers, partners and clients
  • interpret information gathered to tweak and improve SAIT's services, products, courses, and program offerings

A “cookie” is a small text file that is stored and later retrieved on your device when you return to the SAIT website. Cookies provide necessary website functionality, enhance the browsing experience, to collect information about how online visitors use our website and to assist in targeted promotional efforts. Information is collected on an aggregate basis to gain insight on the website traffic including geographic location and interaction with the website.

SAIT respects the privacy of online visitors to our website. SAIT makes use of different types of cookies and other similar technologies when you access our website. If you decide to accept all cookies, you are also permitting the placement of first-party cookies (such as Google Analytics cookie) and third-party cookies (such as Google advertising cookies). SAIT also utilizes a tool called HotJar to gain insights into visitor behaviour on its website.

Online visitors, through their devices, have the ability to enable or disable the use of cookies with the exception of strictly necessary cookies which do not require consent. If you would like to adjust your cookie preferences or opt out of the Google Analytics feature you may wish to adjust your security settings and/or manage your advertising settings, on your device.

Personal information and other necessary information is collected through online forms and live chat.

Online forms and live chat are tools available for online visitors to engage directly with SAIT staff to:

  • ask a question/request more information
  • join an email list
  • register for a program, course or event
  • book a SAIT facility or resource
  • provide a calculation
  • request contact from SAIT regarding a specific service
  • create visitor customized content

Online forms

Personal information may be collected when online visitors provide this information on SAIT online forms.

Primarily, visitor-submitted information via forms is used by SAIT to complete the immediate goal of that form, such as program registration.

Additionally, the time and content submitted by an online visitor may be used by SAIT to create subsequent customized customer relationship messaging tailored to that online visitor.

Live chat

Live chat allows online visitors to interact in real-time with SAIT support desk staff during designated business hours. During off-hours, online visitors have the ability to send information or ask a question and SAIT may provide a response on the following business day.

Primarily, visitor-submitted information via live chat is used by SAIT to address the immediate needs of that specific visitor.

Additionally, visitor information submitted via live chat is used to enhance SAIT’s website content.

SAIT uses Google Analytics to collect and analyze information about the use of our website and online visitors have the ability to opt out of having cookies placed for the purposes of Google Analytics. All information gathered is anonymous. Specifically, no visitor behaviour information on a SAIT website can be enabled to be personally identifiable to any specific visitor.

The information generated in web analytics includes, among other things:

  • How visitors get to SAIT's website (paid advertising, organic search results, or other acquisition channels)
  • How visitors engage with SAIT's website(s) as a whole (navigate, time on site, page they entered or exited from, and click on defined calls to action)
  • Where visitors are coming from based on geographic regions
  • How often visitors go to a webpage(s) based on hour, day, month
  • What technologies visitors are using to access a SAIT website including desktops/laptops, tablets, or cell phones
  • How visitors are engaging with SAIT web page-specific content through the use of heat mapping (clicks, cursor movement and page scrolls on a specific page(s), and/or anonymously documented user sessions on the SAIT website)

Federal Canada’s anti-spam legislation (CASL) was enacted to regulate the sending of commercial electronic messages (CEMs) and reduce the transmission of unsolicited email/electronic messages (spam).

Learn more about how SAIT complies with Canada's anti-spam legislation.

Contact us

Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
Attention: FOIP Coordinator
1301 - 16 Avenue NW
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2M 0L4


Telephone: 403.389.2707

Email: foip.coordinator@sait.ca

Our Organization