Online Privacy Statement

The policy of the University of Minnesota is to respect the privacy of all web site visitors to the extent permitted by law. This online privacy statement is intended to inform you of the ways in which this web site collects information, the uses to which that information will be put, and the ways in which we will protect any information you choose to provide us.

There are four types of information that this site may collect during your visit: network traffic logs, web visit logs, cookies, and information voluntarily provided by you.

Network Traffic Logs

In the course of ensuring network security and consistent service for all users, the University employs software programs to do such things as monitor network traffic, identify unauthorized access or access to nonpublic information, detect computer viruses and other software that might damage University computers or the network, and monitor and tune the performance of the University network. In the course of such monitoring, these programs may detect such information as e-mail headers, addresses from network packets, and other information. Information from these activities is used only for the purpose of maintaining the security and performance of the University's networks and computer systems. Personally identifiable information from these activities is not released to external parties without your consent unless required by law, including Minn. Stat. 13.15.

Web Visit Logs

University web sites routinely collect and store information from online visitors to help manage those sites and improve service. This information includes the pages visited on the site, the date and time of the visit, the internet address (URL or IP address) of the referring site, the domain name and IP address from which the access occurred, the version of browser used, the capabilities of the browser, and search terms used on our search engines. This site makes no attempt to identify individual visitors from this information: any personally identifiable information is not released to external parties without your consent unless required by law, including Minn. Stat. 13.15.

Cookies

Cookies are pieces of information stored by your web browser on behalf of a web site and returned to the web site on request. This site may use cookies for two purposes: to carry data about your current session at the site from one web page to the next, and to identify you to the site between visits. If you prefer not to receive cookies, you may turn them off in your browser, or may set your browser to ask you before accepting a new cookie. Some pages may not function properly if the cookies are turned off. Unless otherwise notified on this site, we will not store data, other than for these two purposes, in cookies. Cookies remain on your computer, and accordingly we neither store cookies on our computers nor forward them to any external parties. Unless otherwise notified on this site, we do not use cookies to track your movement among different web sites and do not exchange cookies with other entities.

Information Voluntarily Provided by You

In the course of using this web site, you may choose to provide us with information to help us serve your needs. For example, you may send us electronic mail (through a mailer or a web form) to request information, you may sign up for a mailing list, or you may send us your address so we may send you an application or other material. Any personally identifiable information you send us will be used only for the purpose indicated. Requests for information will be directed to the appropriate staff to respond to the request, and may be recorded to help us update our site to better respond to similar requests. We will not sell, exchange or otherwise distribute your personally identifiable information without your consent, except to the extent required by law. We do not retain the information longer than necessary for normal operations. Each web page requesting information discloses the purpose of that information. If you do not wish to have the information used in that manner, you are not required to provide it. Please contact the person listed on the specific page, or listed below, with questions or concerns on the use of personally identifiable information.

University web sites provide links to other World Wide Web sites or resources. We do not control these sites and resources, do not endorse them, and are not responsible for their availability, content, or delivery of services. In particular, external sites are not bound by the University's online privacy policy; they may have their own policies or none at all. Often you can tell you are leaving a University web site by noting the URL of the destination site.

Minn. Stat. 13.15 provides that electronic access data may be disseminated: (1) to the commissioner for the purpose of evaluating electronic government services; (2) to another government entity to prevent unlawful intrusions into government electronic systems; or (3) as otherwise provided by law.

If you have questions about general University of Minnesota security measures see the University policy, Including a Privacy Statement on U Web Pages.

If you have questions about this site, its collection of information, and its online privacy statement, contact the site administrator or these U-Wide numbers.

* This site uses Google Analytics for gathering statistics about Web traffic. Use of cookies by Google Analytics is covered by their privacy policy.