Electronic Signing and Records

#01About this notice

This notice explains how electronic signing works when an Institution uses Academyship to send documents for signature or approval. It is written for the people who receive those documents (signers, approvers and copy recipients) and for the Institution staff who send them. ACADEMYSHIP PTY LTD (ACN 698 283 448, ABN 89 698 283 448) ("Academyship", "we", "us") provides the signing software.

This page does not replace the notice and consent for your signing request. Before you sign a particular document, the signing screen shows you an electronic records notice and asks whether you agree to receive records and sign electronically for that request. That notice has a version number, and the version you accepted is recorded with your signing record. Reading this page is not consent to anything. Nothing on this page changes what you were shown, or what you accepted, for an earlier request.

This page is an informational notice. It is not part of the Terms of Service between Academyship and an Institution, and it is not an agreement between Academyship and you. It does not change the document you are asked to sign. That document is between you and the sender, and anyone else it names. This page is not legal advice.

If something on this page seems to differ from the electronic records notice you accepted for a particular request, the accepted notice is the record of what you were told for that request. Please tell the sender about the difference. The sender can raise it with Academyship so that we can correct it.

Key terms

Signing request: a document, or a set of documents, that a sender sends through Academyship for one or more people to sign, approve or receive.
Electronic records notice: the versioned notice shown before you sign. It explains how electronic records work for that request and asks for your consent. It is sometimes called a disclosure.
Electronic record: information created, sent, received or stored in electronic form, such as the document, messages about it and the completed copy.
Evidence record: the information the signing service records about a signing request and the actions taken on it (see section 9).
Institution: the education institution or organisation that subscribes to Academyship, as defined in the Terms of Service.

#02Who is involved

Each person in a signing request has a role. The role decides what that person is asked to do and what their action means.

Roles in a signing request.
Role	Who this usually is	What this role does	What this role does not mean
Sender (the Institution)	The Institution, acting through its authorised staff.	Prepares the document and is responsible for its content. Chooses who receives it, in what order, what each person is asked to do and when the request expires. Decides whether electronic signing suits the document and which identity and authority checks are needed. Supplies any alternative way to sign, paper copies and accessible copies, handles requests to withdraw consent, and decides any cost and timing. Keeps the completed records under its own record-keeping obligations.	Using Academyship does not transfer the sender's legal responsibilities for its document to Academyship.
Signer	A student, parent or guardian, staff member, contractor or other person the sender asks to sign.	Reviews the document, accepts or declines the electronic records notice, and signs to show their intention in the way the document describes.	Signing does not prove that the signer had the authority or legal capacity the document needs (see section 5 and section 13).
Approver	Usually a person in the sender's own process, such as a manager or delegate.	Approves or rejects the document at a step in the sender's workflow. The approval is recorded in the evidence record.	An approval is not a signature on the document, and does not make the approver a party to it, unless the document itself says so.
Copy recipient	A person the sender chooses to keep informed.	Receives a copy of the document, or of the completed document, as the sender sets up the request.	Receiving a copy does not make a person a party to the document or mean they agree with it.
Academyship	ACADEMYSHIP PTY LTD, the software provider.	Provides and operates the signing service, hosts documents and evidence records for the Institution, and sends the invitations and messages that a signing request generates. Remains responsible for operating the service with due care and skill, for the security safeguards described in the Data Processing Addendum, and for its own obligations under privacy law.	Academyship is not a party to your document. It does not check the document's content or legal effect, does not witness signatures, and is not a notary or an accredited identity-verification provider. As the software provider, Academyship deals with the Institution, not with signers, about copies, alternatives and withdrawal of consent.

If Academyship itself sends you a document to sign, such as an agreement with Academyship, Academyship is the sender for that document, and what this page says about the sender or the sending Institution applies to Academyship for that document.

Witnesses

The roles above do not include an independent witness. If a document must be witnessed, ask the sender how witnessing will be arranged. Do not assume that an electronic signing step meets a legal witnessing requirement.

Institution branding

An Institution may show its own name, logo and email identity in signing screens and messages. Branding does not change the roles above, and Academyship still provides the service.

#03Invitations and identity

You will usually receive a signing invitation by email, sent to the address the sender entered. A genuine invitation identifies the Institution that sent it and tells you what you are asked to do. If you were not expecting an invitation, or it does not clearly identify a sender you recognise, do not open the link. Contact the Institution using contact details you already have, or tell us at security@academyship.com.au.

The link in your invitation is issued to you as a recipient of that request. Do not forward it. Anyone who has the link may be able to open the request and act in your place. If you think someone else has seen or used your link, tell the sender straight away.

How identity is checked

The signing service links the actions in a signing request to the recipient whose invitation link was used, together with any additional identity check the sender adds to the request where the service supports one. It does not, on its own, verify a person's legal identity against official documents, and it is not an accredited digital identity service. If a document needs stronger proof of identity, the sender is responsible for arranging it, for example by checking identity in person or through another suitable process before relying on the signature.

#04Before you sign: the document, the notice and your copy

When you open a signing request, the signing screen shows:

who the sender is, and whether you are asked to sign, approve or only view;
the electronic records notice for the request, with its version number; and
each document you are asked to sign or approve.

The signing service records a fingerprint (a cryptographic hash) of the document version presented to you, and records your signature or approval against that version. A changed document produces a different fingerprint. If the sender changes a document, the changed version needs to be signed again.

Getting a copy before you sign. Read the whole document before you sign. If you want a copy to keep or to get advice on, use the download or print option where the signing screen provides one, or ask the sender to send you a copy. You can also save or print the electronic records notice. Take the time you need. If the request is about to expire, ask the sender for more time.

#05What you agree to

Consent to electronic records

The electronic records notice asks you to agree to receive the documents, messages and copies for that signing request electronically, and to sign or approve electronically. Your consent applies to that request. It is not agreement with the contents of the document. It is not a general consent to unrelated communications, or to any use of your information beyond the request.

You do not have to agree. If you do not, you can decline the request or ask the sender for another way to complete it (see section 6).

Your intention when you sign or approve

When you adopt a signature and confirm it, you show that you intend to sign the version of the document shown to you, in the capacity the document describes. When you approve, you show your approval at that step of the sender's process.

What you are agreeing to is set out in the document itself. Signing electronically does not change what the document means. If you do not understand the document or do not agree with it, do not sign. Ask the sender first.

Authority and capacity

If you sign on behalf of an organisation, a child or another person, you are confirming that you have authority to do so. The signing service records who acted. It does not check whether that person had the authority or legal capacity the document needs. Drawing a signature, typing a name or selecting a button is not proof of legal capacity, of authority to sign for an organisation, or of parental or guardian authority.

The sender is responsible for deciding who needs to sign each document, and for checking authority and capacity where the document or the law requires it.

#06Declining, alternatives, paper and accessible copies

Declining

You can decline a signing request instead of signing or approving it. Where the signing screen asks for a reason, giving one helps the sender respond, but you do not need to share personal information you would rather keep private. Declining is recorded in the evidence record and the sender is told.

Declining a signing request does not by itself decide the underlying matter. For example, if the document is an enrolment, employment or permission form, the sender will need to tell you what happens next and whether another way to respond is available.

Asking for another way to sign

If you do not want to sign electronically, or cannot, ask the sender whether it can offer another way, such as signing on paper or in person. The sender decides whether an alternative is available, any cost and timing, and what, if any, consequences follow from not signing electronically, such as a slower process. Academyship does not make that decision for the sender.

Paper copies

You can ask the sender for a paper copy of a document or of the completed document. Contact the sender using the details in your invitation or the signing screen, say which document you want, and give the postal address or collection arrangement you would like the sender to use. Paper copies are supplied by the Institution that sent the document, not by Academyship. The Institution decides any cost and how long it will take to provide the copy.

You can also print a copy yourself from a document you have downloaded.

Accessible copies

If you need a document in another format, such as large print or a version that works with your screen reader, or you need more time to review it, ask the sender. Accessible copies are supplied by the Institution that sent the document, not by Academyship, and the Institution decides any cost and timing. If the barrier is in Academyship's signing screens rather than in the document, contact accessibility@academyship.com.au (see section 8).

Do not sign a document you have not been able to read. You can ask for an accessible copy, or decline.

#07Withdrawing consent for future electronic records

You can withdraw your consent to receive records and sign electronically. Withdrawal applies to future records. To withdraw, tell the Institution that sent the document, using the contact details in your invitation or the signing screen. Withdrawal is handled by the Institution, not by Academyship, and the Institution decides how and when it acts on your request. Messages about a signing request do not necessarily include a withdrawal option, so contact the Institution directly.

What withdrawal does and does not do:

For future records, the sender will need to use another method, such as paper, unless you later agree again to electronic records.
It does not undo a signature or approval you have already given, cancel a completed document, or change the document's legal effect.
If a signing request is still in progress, the sender may cancel it or arrange another way for you to complete it. Withdrawing consent is different from declining a particular request. To decline one request, use the decline option.
It does not recall copies already delivered to you or to others, and does not require the sender to delete records it must keep.
It does not stop the sender from contacting you in other ways it is permitted to use.

#08What you need, and accessibility

Technical requirements

To receive records and sign electronically, you need:

a device with an internet connection and a current, supported version of a mainstream web browser (see the supported environments on our Support page);
access to the email account the sender used to contact you;
software that can open, save and print PDF files, where a document or completed copy is provided as a PDF; and
somewhere to save your copies, or a printer, if you want to keep them.

The electronic records notice for your request sets out the requirements that apply to it. If a document does not display properly, or you cannot save or print it, do not sign. Ask the sender for another format or another way to sign.

Accessibility

Academyship's target for its own screens, including the signing screens, is WCAG 2.2 Level AA, as described in our Accessibility Statement. That target is not a claim that every screen or document meets it.

Signing without drawing. Where the signing screen offers a typed signature, you can type your name instead of drawing a signature. If you cannot draw or type a signature on the screen, ask the sender for an alternative.
Documents supplied by the sender. A scanned or image-only document may not be readable by screen readers or magnification software. Ask the sender for an accessible version before you sign.
Time limits. If a signing link may expire before you can finish, ask the sender to extend it or to send a new request.
Status information. We aim not to rely on colour alone to show status. Tell us at accessibility@academyship.com.au if the signing screens do.

#09Evidence the signing service records

For each signing request, the signing service keeps an evidence record for the sender. The table describes what the service records and what each item can and cannot show. Which items exist for a particular request depends on how the sender set it up and on what each recipient did.

Evidence recorded for a signing request, and its limits.
Evidence	What is recorded	What it can help show	What it cannot show on its own
Document fingerprint	A cryptographic hash of each document version presented for signing, and of the completed document.	Which version was presented and completed, and whether a later copy matches it.	That anyone read or understood the document, or that its content is lawful or suitable.
Electronic records notice	The identifier, version and fingerprint of the notice shown to you, and when you accepted or declined it.	What you were told about electronic records for that request.	That the notice was appropriate for the particular document.
Recipient details	The name, email address and any other contact details the sender entered, and your role in the request.	Who the sender addressed the request to.	That the person who acted was that person. The sender entered these details; the service did not verify them.
Actions and times	When the request was sent and, where recorded, opened; when the notice was accepted; when each person signed, approved or declined; and when the request was completed, expired or cancelled. Times are recorded by Academyship's servers.	The sequence of events in the request.	That a person read every page. "Opened" means the document was loaded, not that it was read.
Signature and form data	The signature you adopt (a drawn image or, where offered, a typed name) and any information you enter in the document's fields.	The mark you adopted and the answers you gave.	Your identity. A drawn signature is stored as an image of the mark you made. It is not a biometric identity check.
Technical information	The IP address and browser and device information (such as the browser's user-agent string) associated with each action.	Whether actions came from the same or different connections or devices, and unusual activity.	A person's identity or precise location. Networks and devices can be shared or masked.
Linked audit trail	Each event record includes a fingerprint of the record before it, forming a linked chain of events.	Whether the trail has been changed since it was recorded, when the chain is checked.	That changes are impossible, or who performed an action.

How to read this evidence. The evidence record supports the sender's records of what happened. With other information, it can help show who acted, what they were shown and when. It does not by itself prove a person's identity, authority or understanding, or that a document is valid, enforceable or suitable for electronic signing. A court, tribunal or other decision-maker will weigh it alongside all the other evidence. Academyship does not witness the signing and does not certify the outcome.

Who can see it. The sender's authorised staff can see the evidence record, according to the roles and permissions the Institution sets. You can ask the sender for the evidence about your own actions. Academyship personnel access it only for authorised purposes such as support or security investigation, as described in our Privacy Policy.

#10Signing states

A signing request, and each recipient within it, moves through states. The labels in the signing screens may be worded differently, and not every request passes through every state. The table explains what each state means in the evidence record.

Signing states, what the evidence record shows, and what each state does not mean.
State	What it means	What the evidence record shows	What it does not mean
Draft	The sender is preparing the request. Nothing has been sent.	Nothing is shown to recipients. Unsent drafts may be deleted by the sender or removed later under Academyship's clean-up processes.	That anyone has been asked to sign.
Sent	The sender has issued the request and invitations have been dispatched.	When the request was sent and to whom.	That an invitation was received. Email can be delayed, filtered or misdirected.
Viewed	Where the service records it, a recipient opened the signing link and the document loaded.	When the request was opened, with technical information about the connection.	That the document was read or understood, or that the intended recipient was the person who opened it.
Signed or approved	A signer has signed, or an approver has approved, their part of the request.	The time, the signature or approval, and the fingerprint of the version signed or approved.	That the request is complete (others may still need to act), or that the person had authority to sign.
Declined	A recipient chose not to sign or approve.	The time and any reason given.	That the underlying matter is decided. The sender decides what happens next.
Expired	The signing link or request reached its expiry before it was completed.	When it expired.	That the document or evidence was deleted. The sender can send a new request.
Revoked	Where the sender cancels a request or withdraws a recipient's invitation before completion.	When it was cancelled and by whom.	That the request and evidence were deleted. Signatures already given on a cancelled request do not complete it.
Superseded	Where the sender replaces a document with a corrected version or a new request.	That the earlier version was replaced. The earlier version and its evidence are kept.	That an earlier signed document has stopped having effect. That depends on the documents and the law.
Completed	Everyone the sender required has signed or approved, and the completed document is finalised.	The completion time and the fingerprint of the completed document. Copies are made available as the sender set up the request.	That the document is legally valid, enforceable or suitable for electronic signing.

#11Copies, link expiry and retention

Copies after signing

When everyone the sender requires has signed or approved, the request is completed. You should then receive the completed document, or a link to download it, as the sender set up the request. The sender decides who receives copies of the completed document, which can include copy recipients who did not sign. If you do not receive your copy, ask the sender.

Save or print the completed copy when you receive it, and keep it somewhere safe. It may contain personal information.

Links expire; records are kept separately

Signing links expire. After a link expires, or the request is cancelled, you can no longer use that link to view or sign. Ask the sender to send a new request if you still need to act.
Download links for completed copies may also stop working after a period.
The expiry of a link does not delete the document or the evidence record. These are kept as part of the Institution's records.
Academyship does not promise that you can view a document online indefinitely, or through an old link.

How long records are kept

The Institution decides how long it keeps signed documents and evidence records, subject to the law that applies to it and its agreement with Academyship. Academyship keeps them in the Institution's workspace for the Institution while its account is active. After that, they are handled under that agreement, including the export period and deletion process described in our Terms of Service and Data Processing Addendum, subject to legal holds and legal retention requirements. Our Data Retention, Export and Deletion page explains how retention, link expiry and deletion differ.

Asking for a record later. Ask the sender, because it controls the record and supplies copies. If your question is about Academyship's own handling of your personal information, contact privacy@academyship.com.au.

#12Corrections, cancellations and disputes

Corrections and replacement versions

The signing service is designed so that a completed document is not edited after completion. Its fingerprint is recorded at completion, so a later change to a copy can be detected by comparing fingerprints. If a completed document contains an error, the sender should issue a corrected document or an amendment as a new signing request. The original completed document and its evidence record are kept as the record of what was signed at the time. Whether a corrected document replaces the original depends on the documents and the law, not on the software.

Before completion, the sender can cancel a request and send a corrected version. A signature given on an earlier version applies only to that version and is not carried over to the corrected one.

Cancelled and revoked requests

If the sender cancels a request or revokes your invitation, your link stops working. The request and its evidence record are kept and show that the request was cancelled.

If you think something is wrong

Contact the sender promptly if you think that:

someone signed or approved in your name, or used your link;
the document you received differs from the one you signed;
you signed by mistake, or signed the wrong document; or
the evidence record about you is inaccurate.

The signing service does not automatically reverse a completed signature. What happens next is a matter for you, the sender and the law that applies. If you suspect that someone gained unauthorised access to an account or a signing link, also tell us at security@academyship.com.au. Where the Institution asks, or the law requires, Academyship will preserve the relevant records and cooperate with an investigation, in line with our Privacy Policy and Data Processing Addendum.

Signing in someone else's name without authority, or altering a document or its evidence record, may be unlawful. Our Acceptable Use Policy prohibits misuse of the platform.

#13Children, guardians and representatives

Whether a person can sign a particular document depends on the document and the law, not on a setting in the platform.

Guardian links are not general signing authority. A link between a guardian and a student in an Institution's portal shows a relationship the Institution has recorded for portal access. On its own, it does not prove that the guardian may sign every kind of document for the student, such as a contract, a medical or activity permission, or a financial commitment.
Students under 18. A person under 18 may not have legal capacity to make some agreements. The rules differ by type of document and by State or Territory. The sender decides whether a parent or guardian must sign instead of, or as well as, the student, and whether a counter-signature or independent witness is needed.
Adult students sign for themselves. A guardian link does not authorise a parent to sign for an adult student unless there is a separate legal basis, such as the adult student's own authority.
Custody and safeguarding restrictions. Before sending a document to, or relying on a signature from, a parent or guardian, the Institution should check any custody orders, court orders or safeguarding restrictions it knows about.
Representatives. If you sign as an attorney, agent or officer of an organisation, you are confirming your authority to do so. The sender may ask for evidence of that authority.

If you are a student and unsure about a document, you can ask a trusted adult or your Institution for help before you sign, or decline. If a signing request makes you feel unsafe or pressured, you can tell your Institution or contact safety@academyship.com.au yourself. You do not need an adult to do this for you. In an emergency, call 000.

#14Is electronic signing right for this document?

Electronic signatures are commonly used and can be legally effective in Australia, but not for every document or in every situation. Under Commonwealth, State and Territory electronic transactions laws, an electronic signature generally needs a method that identifies the person and shows their intention, that is as reliable as appropriate for the purpose, and that the person receiving the signature has consented to. Some laws and documents are excluded from those rules or have extra requirements, such as a witness, a particular form, or physical delivery. The Attorney-General's Department explains electronic signatures and the exemptions from the Commonwealth Electronic Transactions Act.

Depending on the jurisdiction and the current law, documents that may be excluded or need special formalities can include wills, some powers of attorney, some deeds, statutory declarations and affidavits, some land and property documents, and some court documents.

If you, the sender or the document are connected with a country other than Australia, other rules may apply. Academyship does not represent that its signing service meets the requirements of any overseas electronic-signature law for a particular document, such as United States e-signature laws or the European Union's eIDAS rules.

The sender is responsible for deciding whether electronic signing is appropriate for each of its documents, and should obtain legal advice where it is unsure. Academyship does not give legal advice. Academyship remains responsible for operating the signing service as described in this notice and in its agreement with the Institution.

#15AI-assisted drafting

Where an Institution has enabled it, staff preparing a document may use Academyship's AI-assisted drafting. The feature proposes text for the sender to review and edit. AI-drafted text is a draft. It may be incomplete, inaccurate or unsuitable for the purpose, and the sender must check it for accuracy, completeness, fairness and legal suitability before sending it.

The sender is responsible for the purpose and content of its document, whether or not AI helped to prepare it. Academyship remains responsible for providing the AI feature with due care and skill and in line with our Responsible AI Statement, which describes the AI providers Academyship uses and where they operate.

As a signer, read the document as you would any other. If something seems wrong or unclear, ask the sender before you sign.

#16Privacy

The sender (the Institution) is responsible for the documents and evidence records in its signing requests. Academyship handles that information for the Institution to provide the signing service, under our Data Processing Addendum, and as described in our Privacy Policy.

What is handled. The document, the details the sender entered about you, your signature and the information you enter, and the evidence described in section 9.
Why. To send the request, let you review and sign it, keep the evidence record, provide copies, and keep the service secure.
Who sees it. The sender's authorised staff. Your name, signature and the information you enter also appear on the completed document, which other signers, approvers and copy recipients in the same request may receive.
Where. Academyship hosts Customer Data, including signing records, on AWS in Sydney, Australia. Email messages pass through email networks and recipients' email providers, which may be outside Australia. Our Subprocessor Register lists the providers Academyship appoints.
What we do not do. Academyship does not sell personal information, does not use Student Data for advertising, and does not use Customer Data to train general-purpose AI models.
Access and correction. Ask the sender, because it controls the record. Because an evidence record shows what happened at the time, a correction is usually made by adding a new record or note rather than by changing the original. For Academyship's own handling of your information, contact privacy@academyship.com.au.

#17Help and contacts

Where to go for help with a signing request.
Your question or concern	Who to contact
The document's content, whether you need to sign, more time, a paper or accessible copy, another way to sign, or withdrawing consent	The sender, using the contact details in your invitation or the signing screen. The sender supplies copies and alternatives, handles withdrawal, and decides any cost and timing. Academyship deals with the sender, not with signers, about these requests.
A signing link or screen does not work	The sender, which can raise a platform fault with Academyship.
A suspicious invitation, or possible unauthorised use of your link or account	The sender, and security@academyship.com.au.
An accessibility barrier in the signing screens	accessibility@academyship.com.au. See our Accessibility Statement.
Academyship's handling of your personal information	privacy@academyship.com.au
A complaint about Academyship	complaints@academyship.com.au. See our Complaints and Escalation page.
A child-safety concern	safety@academyship.com.au. In an emergency, call 000.

#18Changes, related documents and version history

We review this notice when the signing service, the electronic records notice or the relevant law changes. An update to this page is not a new consent and does not change the electronic records notice you accepted for an earlier request. A new version of the electronic records notice applies only to a request where that version is shown to you and you accept it. Prior versions of this page can be requested from legal@academyship.com.au.

Version history for this Electronic Signing and Records notice.
Version	Date	Summary of changes
1.0	9 October 2026	First version. Explains roles in a signing request, invitations and identity, consent to electronic records, declining, alternatives, paper and accessible copies (supplied by the sending Institution, which decides any cost and timing), withdrawing consent through the sending Institution, technical requirements and accessibility, the evidence the signing service records, signing states, copies and link expiry, corrections and disputes, children and guardians, legal suitability, AI-assisted drafting, privacy and contacts.