Bohol Northern Star College ("BNSC", "we", "us", or "our") operates the BNSC Student Portal mobile application (the "App"). We are committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal and academic information. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you use the App.
1. Information We Collect
A. Personal and Academic Information
To provide you with secure access to your student records, we retrieve and process information associated with your official college enrollment:
- Identifiers: Student Number, Full Name, Username, and Email Address.
- Academic Records: Enrolled subjects, grades, schedule, study load, and academic status (e.g., Dean's Lister applications).
- Profile Assets: Uploaded student profile pictures (2x2 photos).
B. Financial and Billing Information
- Ledgers & Statements: Current balances, previous balances, assessment forms, and tuition fee details.
- Payment Details: When requesting digital payment verification, we process uploaded transaction receipts and OR numbers. We do not collect or store credit card details or bank account credentials directly within the App.
C. BNSC Confess (Anonymous Confessions)
We provide BNSC Confess as a space to express yourself anonymously. Our systems treat this data specifically:
- Confession Content: The text content, category, mood, and selected anonymous avatar of your confession.
- Anonymity Guard: Confessions are displayed anonymously to other students. While your student ID is stored securely in the database to prevent abuse and spam, it is strictly hidden from public views, reactions, and bookmarks.
D. Direct Messaging and Support Chat
- Chat Logs: Conversation history, message text, timestamps, read receipts, and attachments (such as images) exchanged between you and support officers or fellow students.
E. Authentication and Security Data
- Security Credentials: Passwords, security PINs, and session tokens.
- Biometrics: Face ID or Fingerprint data used for quick login. Biometric templates are stored securely by your device's hardware operating system (Secure Enclave/Keystore) and are never transmitted to our servers.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the collected information for the following purposes:
- Core Services: Displaying your academic standing, class schedules, and billing assessments.
- Communication: Facilitating support messaging and real-time announcements.
- Identity Verification: Processing security PIN setups, password updates, and biometric authentication.
- Platform Safety: Monitoring BNSC Confess submissions and messenger communications to prevent harassment, abuse, or unauthorized access.
3. Data Storage and Retention
- Location: Your data is stored on secure servers managed by Bohol Northern Star College IT/MIS Department.
- Local Storage: Session tokens, custom shortcut preferences, and locally-cached announcements are stored on your device using encrypted storage and
SharedPreferences. - Retention: Academic, enrollment, and payment history is retained in accordance with the university records retention policy and national academic guidelines. Anonymous confessions and support messages are kept until deleted by the user or the administration.
4. Information Sharing and Disclosure
We respect your privacy and do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may disclose your information only:
- With Academic Staff: Authorized university personnel (EDP, MIS, Registrar) who require access to perform institutional tasks.
- For Legal Compliance: If required by law, court order, or government regulation, or to protect the safety and security of the college community.
5. Security of Your Data
We implement strict administrative, technical, and physical security measures to safeguard your data, including:
- Secure HTTP connections (HTTPS/SSL) for all API transmissions.
- Industry-standard hashing algorithms (HMAC-SHA256 and bcrypt) for credentials and PIN protection.
- Access controls to prevent unauthorized database querying.
6. Your Rights
As a student, you have the right to:
- Access and review your personal profile and academic records through the App.
- Request correction of inaccurate personal details by contacting the BNSC MIS Office.
- Manage your app-specific data (e.g., clear shortcut customizations or reset security PINs).
7. Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, please contact: