Privacy Policy

Updated: January 16, 2018

University of Northwestern is committed to your privacy and keeping any information collected about on unwsp.edu or any of its related sub-domains safe and secure. This policy statement provides information about how your personal information may be collected and the circumstances or occasions for which it is used. We may update this statement as changes are made to the website, the kinds of information we collect or how we use it.

Information We Collect

Non-personally identifiable information

As users access the website, Northwestern collects non-personally identifiable information such as IP address, browser type, and site usage. This information is not linked to any personal information and remains anonymous. To collect this information, the university uses session “cookies” — that is, small text files that are placed on your computer’s hard drive. The session cookies used by the university do not give us access to your computer and do not provide us with personally identifiable information. Session cookies are deleted when you close your browser. You may modify your browser settings to disallow cookies, but this may prevent you from taking full advantage of our website.

Personally identifiable information

Certain areas of our website collect voluntary information that is personally identifiable, such as name, zip code, and e-mail address. This is typically done through request and registration forms provided in order to learn of your interest in Northwestern and provide you with information and services. Personally identifiable information may be collected as part of an online purchase, payment, or donation. In this case, Northwestern

uses one of the following PCI-compliant third-party services to process your transaction. Prior to using these services, we encourage you to read the privacy policies listed below.

• TouchNet Information Systems, Inc. (student account payments and non-student online payments and purchases)
• Authorize.net with GivingFuel (payment processing for Media and Advancement)
• PCAmerica (Mail Center data system)
• Transfirst with SafeSave (payment processing for Child Development Center)
• Shift4 (payment processing for UNW bookstore)
• Recruit (Customer Relationship Management database)
• Handshake with Stripe (HR, Career Development services)
• Activenet (payment processing for Academy of Music)
• MerchantLink (payment processing for Bon Appetit – Caterer)

The university does not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children (defined herein as minors younger than thirteen years of age) without obtaining parental consent. Implied parental consent includes, but is not limited to: use of parent login, use of parent-supplied credit card and inclusion of parent personal information on registration forms. Some Northwstern departments provide services to children. As a part of the online registration process for such services, we may request information such as a child’s name, address, cell phone, email, gender, grade level, birth date, school attended, clothing size, church and ethnicity. This information is never sold or otherwise provided to third parties, although some information may be provided to other Northwestern departments in order to provide the child with information about Northwestern. Before registering online for a service, Northwestern requests that all children have their parents read this Privacy Policy as well as any additional Privacy Policy associated with the service for which they are registering, and that parents continue their involvement throughout the registration process.

Use of Information We Collect

Use of non-personally identifiable information

We use non-personally identifiable information while you are browsing the site to improve your individual experience and provide you with more individualized responses. We also aggregate non-personally identifiable information from many users into statistical reports in order to better administer our website, diagnose server problems that may occur from time to time, and improve our website.

Use of personally identifiable information

By providing personally identifiable information, you imply consent to the collection and use of the information for the purposes for which it was provided. Your information is used to provide relevant materials, products and services you request, and to facilitate relationships with the University, such as the admissions process and fund raising programs. You may opt out of receiving information from University of Northwestern by contacting the department from which the information came. Only those University of Northwestern employees who need personally identifiable information to perform a specific job are given access to the information. Unless required by law, personally identifiable information is only shared with third parties as necessary to provide the materials, products, and services you request. When third parties are given access to personally identifiable information, they are, by contract, not permitted to use or re-disclose any of the information for unauthorized purposes. Personally identifiable information is never sold to third parties.

Security

In order to protect the loss, misuse, or alteration of information gathered on our site, all information is stored within a controlled database environment accessible only to authorized University staff. However, as effective as any security measures implemented by the University may be, no security system is impenetrable. University of Northwestern cannot guarantee the security of its database environment, nor can it guarantee that the information you provide will not be intercepted while being transmitted over the Internet.

Public Self-Disclosure

University of Northwestern does not control the actions of its site visitors nor the use site visitors may make of publicly disclosed information. Please be aware that disclosing personally identifiable information on the site’s bulletin boards, guest books, chat rooms or other such public forums may allow visitors to gather information and send unsolicited email. We encourage you to report any unsolicited/unwanted email or misuse of information to UNW.

Links to Other Websites

Our website may include links to other websites outside the unwsp.edu domain, including co-branded or other affiliated sites that may or may not be owned or operated by University of Northwestern. Such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. Users should become familiar with the privacy practices of those other sites.

Contact Information

Questions about this privacy policy should be directed to the University at [email protected]

University of Northwestern – St. Paul
3003 Snelling Avenue North
St. Paul, MN 55113