Privacy Policy
This Privacy Statement applies to the Radford University website. The Radford University website is defined to include the university's home page (the top-level web page) and every website that links directly from the home page (second-level websites), unless the site is not on a university server or the site is licensed from a vendor. It also includes all the websites that are designed by Web Communications and other sites that are developed using the university Web templates.
The following is intended to explain our current Internet privacy practices but shall not be construed as a contractual promise. We reserve the right to amend our Internet Privacy Statement at any time without notice.
This statement will appear in the footer of all Radford University websites (as defined above).
INFORMATION WE COLLECT
When you access our website, client information and the essential and nonessential technical information listed below is automatically collected. No other information is collected through our website except when you deliberately decide to send it to us (for example, by clicking on a link to send us an e-mail). The information you might choose to send us is also listed below as "optional information."
- Client Information
- Your Internet Protocol (IP) address
- Essential and nonessential technical information
- Identification of the web page or service you are requesting
- Type of browser and operating system you are using
- The date and time of access
- Referring Web page, if present
- Optional Information
- When you send us an email, your name, email address, and the content of your email;
- When you fill out online forms, all the data you choose to fill in or confirm;
- When you use Administrative Systems, userid and passwords are encrypted before being transmitted across the network and data that you choose to send is stored in a secure environment, protected from unauthorized access or disclosure.
- For those applications that process credit card payments, credit card number and expiration date are encrypted using a secure server for maximum security. Credit card numbers are not stored on servers accessible from the internet.
Cookies
Our website may place a "cookie" on your computer, unless your browser is set to reject cookies. These cookies enable our website to recognize you when you return to the website at a later date or time and enable us to personalize the website with preferences or information you have provided during prior sessions. The cookie information placed on your computer could include the following: IP address, browser type, operating system, the date and time, whether or not you have visited a website before, where you went when you visited that website, and any preferences or customization that you might have set (including username and passwords).
How the collected information is used
Client Information
Client information is used to route the requested web page to your computer for viewing. We send the requested web page and the routing information to our Internet service provider or other entities involved in transmitting the requested page to you. We do not control the privacy practices of those entities.
We may keep your information indefinitely after the web page is transmitted, but do not try to obtain any information to link it to the individuals who browse our website. However, on rare occasions when a "hacker" attempts to breach computer security, logs of routing information are retained to permit a security investigation, and in such cases may be forwarded together with any other relevant information in our possession to law enforcement agencies. We use this transaction routing information primarily in a statistical summary type format to assess site content and server performance. We may share this summary information with our business partners when needed.
Under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, records in our possession at the time of a Freedom of Information Act Request might be subject to inspection by or disclosure to members of the public. As indicated above, client information may be retained after transmission of the requested Web page and might be available for inspection.
Essential and nonessential technical information
Essential and nonessential technical information lets us respond to your request in an appropriate format [or in a personalized manner] and helps us plan website improvements. To expedite this process, some official Radford University websites use "cookies." Usually a cookie enables the university website to tailor what you see according to the way you entered the site (i.e., if you entered by pushing a button identifying yourself as a student, your subsequent views of information might be tailored for student audiences).
We also use non-identifying and aggregate information to better design our website. For example, we may determine that X number of individuals visited a certain area on our website, but we do not disclose information that could identify those specific individuals.
Many Radford University sites use Google Analytics or similar services to analyze web traffic for design purposes. In such cases, the access information described above may be shared with the vendor(s) providing the analytical service. Radford University does not control the privacy policies of these vendors.
Optional Information
Optional information enables us to provide services or information tailored more specifically to your needs, to forward your message or inquiry to another entity that is better able to do so, and to plan website improvements.
We use the information you provide about yourself or about someone else when placing a request for service only to complete that order or request. We do not share this information with outside parties, except to the extent necessary to complete that order or request.
We generally use return email addresses to answer the email we receive. By state policy, such addresses are not shared with outside parties.
Finally, we never use or share the optional information provided to us online in ways unrelated to the purpose described without a clear notice on the particular site and without also providing you an opportunity to opt-out or otherwise prohibit such unrelated uses.
Choice to provide information
There is no legal requirement for you to provide any information at our website. However, our website will not work without client information and the essential technical information. Failure of your browser to provide nonessential technical information will not prevent your use of our website but may prevent certain features from working. For any optional information that is requested at the website, failure to provide the requested information will mean that the particular feature or service associated with that part of the Web page may not be available to you.
Inquiries
Should you have other questions or concerns about this Privacy Statement and our privacy practices, please send us an email at webcomm@radford.edu. If you wish to review or change information gathered about you via an official Radford University website but you do not know how, the university webmaster will assist in locating the persons responsible for that site so that you may make your request directly to them.