Privacy Statement

This online privacy statement is intended to inform you of the ways in which this website (“Site”) collects information, the uses to which that information will be put, and the ways in which we protect information you choose to provide us.

Please note that other Michigan State University websites may adopt different privacy practices as their specific needs require. 

Use of this Site is subject to all applicable state and federal laws, as well as general university policies.

Information collected

This Site collects two general types of information:

(a) information you voluntarily provide to us, which may include personal information (such as your name, address, email address, etc.), and
(b) information we collect automatically when you visit this Site through cookies, third party tracking technologies and server logs.

Information Voluntarily Provided by You

This Site will only collect personal information that you knowingly and voluntarily provide by, for example, responding to surveys, completing membership forms, sending emails, etc.  It is this Site’s general practice to use personal information only for the purposes for which it was requested and any additional uses specifically stated on the Site. However, information collected through this Site may be subject to the university’s obligation to respond to subpoenas, court orders, discovery requests, and requests for public records under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (PDF). Further, the disclosure of information collected through this Site is subject to the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

The university may also access or permit access to information collected through this Site in accordance with and subject to the limitations of the University’s Acceptable Use Policy for Information Technology Resources.

Although this Site has security measures in place to protect personal information provided to us by users, users should also take steps to protect personal information by, for example, closing all web browsers after using the Site. Information disclosed in chat rooms, news groups, forums, message boards and similar contexts may become public. Users should therefore exercise caution before disclosing personal information in such contexts.

A Note about personal information
Our site does not save or maintain any personal information while you visit.

Information We Collect Automatically

This Site collects information automatically through the use of cookies, third party tracking technologies and server logs.  This information does not include any personal information.  We use this information primarily to monitor the use of this Site and to make improvements.  We may share this data with partners in order to enhance the functionality of this Site. 

Cookies
“Cookies” are small text files used to collect information about website activity.  No personal information is collected through our use of cookies.  This Site uses cookies for two main purposes:

(a) to carry information about your current session at this Site from one web page to the next, which also allows you to automatically login to other Michigan State University websites, and
(b) to identify you on this Site on return visits.  

You have the option of disabling or not accepting cookies by changing the preferences on your browser.  If you opt to disable cookies, you will still be able to use certain sections of our Site. However, you will not be able to use any parts of this Site that requires a login (e.g. accessing secured content, posting to message boards, etc).

Third Party Tracking Technology
MSU uses third-party analytics services (such as Google Analytics) to evaluate and aggregate visitor data. These services help us evaluate Visitors' use of the Website, including time spent on certain pages, which areas of the Website receive the most traffic, how often visitors visit pages within the Website, and also provide general geographic location about visitors, the source of referred traffic (from other websites, vs search engines, etc). These third-party analytic services use cookies and other technologies to help analyze and provide us the data. By visiting and using the Website, you consent to the collection and review of data about you by these analytics providers in the manner and for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy.

For more information on Google Analytics, including how to opt out from certain data collection, please visit https://www.google.com/analytics. If you opt out of any service, you may not enjoy the full functionality of the Website.

You may also wish to review the MSU Access to Student Information Guidelines.

This site uses Google Custom Search.

Server Logs
Our web servers routinely generate logs that contain the following types of information each time the Site is used:

The date, time and length of your visit. The path taken through our Site and the browser being used. The list of files downloaded and the amount of time spent viewing video or audio files. The IP Address of the computer accessing our Site. Any errors encountered

This information is used primarily to monitor the functioning and integrity of the Site and other MSU websites.

Links

This Site may contain links to other sites. Please be aware that we do not control or claim any responsibility for the privacy practices or content of such other sites. We encourage users to read the privacy statements of each website they visit.

Changes to Privacy Statement

If we make changes to our privacy statement, we will indicate this on this page. 

Disclaimer

Neither Michigan State University, nor any of its units, programs, employees, agents or individual trustees, shall be liable for any improper or incorrect use of information obtained through the use of this Site.

Consent

By using this Site you consent to the terms of this privacy statement.

Questions and Feedback

Your questions, comments and concerns are always welcome. Please send your feedback regarding the privacy statement or any other issues to webaccess@msu.edu. For other IT related questions or issues please visit the IT Service Portal.