DRAFT 6-26-01
ASU provides online information and services to students, employees and the public to supplement services provided on campus. This privacy statement provides information required by Arizona law about privacy, confidentiality and related policies for individuals who use our websites and online services. Individual websites may provide additional information about privacy. ACD 125 (ASU Computer, Internet and Electronic Communications Policy) provides additional information about the use of computing and communications systems at ASU and is available at http://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd125.html.
The ASU website contains links to external websites. ASU is not responsible for the privacy practices or policies of those sites not housed on ASU servers.
In addition to information actively provided by individuals using ASU websites, the ASU web servers routinely record the following information each time the sites are used:
ASU uses this information to monitor and preserve the functioning and integrity of the system.
In cases of suspected violations of ASU policies, especially unauthorized access to computing systems, the system administrator concerned may authorize detailed session logging. This may involve capturing and retaining a complete keystroke log of an entire session. In addition, a system administrator for the equipment involved may authorize limited searching of user files on individual or networked computers to gather evidence on a suspected violation.
Cookies are short pieces of information used by web browsers to remember information provided by the user, such as passwords and preferences from past visits. Additional information on cookies is available at the Cookie Central web site http://www.cookiecentral.com/ and in this publication from the Department of Energy Computer Incident Advisory Center: http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/bulletins/i-034.shtml. Some ASU websites, such as the Interactive Registrar's Web Site, use cookies to store service information. Some web-based services require cookies for access.
ASU websites provide access to information and services for students, employees and members of the public. If you prefer not to provide any information to the university online, you may cancel the transaction and contact the administrative unit responsible for the service to learn about available options for conducting business in person, by mail or by telephone.
ASU does not sell or distribute confidential information it collects online to individuals or entities not affiliated with the university, except in the very limited circumstances described below. Non-confidential information may be sold or distributed pursuant to Arizona Public Records law.
University and Arizona Board of Regents policies protect the confidentiality of student educational records and employee personnel information. These policies explain what information may be shared with the public or anyone who requests it. They also explain what information is protected as confidential; confidential information will not be disclosed without the consent of the student or employee, except under subpoena or court order or in case of an emergency.
Student records. Student records are protected by the federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Arizona law, and university policy. Information about student access to education records and protection of education records is available in STA 105-01 (Release of Student Information): http://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/sta/sta105-01.html. That policy also provides information on a student’s right to limit access to otherwise public directory information. The ASU Office of General Counsel (OGC) briefing paper on FERPA also provides general information: http://www.asu.edu/counsel/brief/ferpa.html.
Chat rooms, forums, message boards, and news groups. ASU does not routinely retain logs or copies of chat rooms, forums, message boards or news groups available to its users. Information disclosed in these areas is public, however. Academic chat rooms and discussions conducted in connection with ASU classes may be logged but may be treated as confidential educational records under FERPA.
Employee records. Employee records are protected by Arizona Board of Regents policy 6-912, by university policies, ACD 811 (Access to and Release of Official Personnel Records Information: http://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd811.html) and SPP 1101 (Personnel Records: http://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/spp/spp1101.html) and by Arizona law.
Public records law. Under the Arizona Public Records Law, ASU may be required to provide information in university records to a third party. Commercial users may purchase pubic record information, such as non-confidential lists of students and employees. Confidential information protected by FERPA or by other laws or Board policy will not be disclosed in response to a public records request. Additional information about Arizona public records law is available in an OGC briefing paper: http://www.asu.edu/counsel/brief/pubrecs.html.
Contractors. From time to time, individuals or companies under contract with the university may have access to confidential information in the course of the service they provide to the university, but those entities are not permitted to use or re-disclose that information for unauthorized purposes. No other entities are authorized to collect information through ASU’s sites.
Although every effort is made to secure network communications, ASU cannot ensure the privacy of online communications. Individuals using online services should also take steps to protect personal information, such as closing the web browser when finished using the site. Failure to do so may result in personal information being viewed by someone else using the same computer.
ASU accepts credit card payments online for a variety of goods and services. Unless otherwise noted on the site, all university credit card transactions are encrypted. Confidential information entered to complete a transaction will not be used by ASU for any other purpose unless the purpose is described on the site.
Under the Computer, Internet and Electronic Communications Policy http://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd125.html, university-owned computers and equipment may be examined by authorized individuals to detect illegal software and to evaluate the security of the network.
If you have additional questions about online privacy or security, you can contact Jake Kupiec via e-mail to jake.kupiec@asu.edu, by phone (480) 965-4995, or you can send an inquiry by mail to PO Box 872803, Tempe, AZ 85287-2803.