Limiting Collection and Retention of Personal Information
The personal information collected must be limited to those details necessary for the purposes identified by the RASC and/or to further the aims of the RASC, which include the promotion and advancement of astronomy and allied sciences.
The RASC will only collect, use, or disclose Personal Information that is necessary for the Identified Purposes (see "Why We Collect") or as required by law. If we require Personal Information for any other purpose, you will be notified of the new purpose, and subject to your consent, that new purpose will become an Identified Purpose. The RASC will only collect Personal Information by fair and lawful means. We will retain Personal Information only as long as necessary for the fulfillment of the Identified Purposes: Financial Information for 7 years, as per Accounting Practices, membership applications and other information related to astronomy, astronomical activities and the aims of the RASC, for as long as the RASC may from time to time determine is necessary. These are then shredded or deleted, as appropriate.
Information is collected by the Executive Secretary, Membership and Publications Coordinator, Centre Treasurers and/or Membership Coordinators, Estore, and other members in pursuit of the aims of the RASC, which include the promotion and advancement of astronomy and allied sciences.
Who Sees the Data
- The Master Membership data is seen by the following: Executive Secretary, Membership and Publications Coordinator , MPA Computer Consultant , National Executive, Webmaster and List Manager,
- Membership data pertaining to individual Centres is seen by the above plus some or all of the Centre's executive, but especially the Centre Treasurer and/or Membership Coordinator.
- Membership data pertaining to mailings to members is seen by the distributors (Canadian and US) plus the Executive Secretary and the MPA Computer Consultant if problems arise.
- Membership data pertaining to various activities of the RASC and its members may be seen by other members or the public.
- Membership data received on the Estore is seen by the Membership and Publications Coordinator, and may also be seen by the Executive Secretary as well as the Estore Manager.
- Membership data received on the GA program for the RASC Annual Meeting is seen by the GA Committee, and Program Manager; the information received is not of the whole membership database. The GA Committee changes yearly; information collected each year, is kept till the next year for emailing notice purposes.
- Non-member and subscriber data is seen by: Executive Secretary, Membership and Publications Coordinator, MPA Computer Consultant, National Executive, and a mail house when sending a promotional mailing.
Our Employees
In the course of daily operations, access to private, sensitive and confidential information is restricted to authorized employees (i.e. Executive Secretary and the Membership and Publications Coordinator) who have a legitimate business purpose and reason for accessing it. For example, when you call us, our designated employees will access your information to verify who you are and to assist you in fulfilling your requests.
As a condition of their employment, all employees of the RASC are required to abide by the privacy standards we have established. They are also required to work within the principles of ethical behaviour and must follow all applicable laws and regulations. Employees are informed about the importance of privacy and they are required to agree to a code of conduct that prohibits the disclosure of any customer information to unauthorized individuals or parties.
Unauthorized access to and/or disclosure of customer information by an employee of the RASC is strictly prohibited. All employees are expected to maintain the confidentiality of customer information at all times and failing to do so will result in appropriate disciplinary measures, which may include dismissal.
Outside Service Suppliers
At the RASC, we sometimes contract outside organizations to perform specialized services such the mailing/shipping of our publications. Our trusted service suppliers may at times be responsible for processing and handling some of the information we receive from you.
When we contract our suppliers to provide specialized services, they are given only the information necessary to perform those services. Additionally, they are prohibited from storing analyzing or using that information for purposes other than to carry out the service they have been contracted to provide. In fact, our suppliers are bound by strict contractual obligations that have been designed to protect the privacy and security of your information. Furthermore, as part of our contract agreements, our suppliers and their employees are required to protect your information in a manner that is consistent with the privacy policies and practices that we have established.
Publicity, Public Relations and Promotion
In pursuit of the aims of the RASC, which include the promotion and advancement of astronomy and allied sciences, members or employees or other authorized by members or employees of the RASC may discuss, reveal, present or otherwise disclose personal information related to the membership history, activities, interests, awards and participation details, including, but not limited to, information about members' astronomical equipment, opinions, intellectual property, activities and accomplishments, contributions to mailing lists, discussion forums, chats or other events, both offline and online, to other members or to the public, directly or through any communication medium.
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