Privacy Policy

Central Michigan University has created this Privacy Notice to explain why we collect particular information and how we will protect your personal privacy when you visit our websites. The following discloses our information gathering and dissemination practices for all University websites and servers. To fully understand your rights, we encourage you to read this Privacy Notice. The University reserves the right to modify this Privacy Notice at any time, and we encourage you to frequently check this page for any changes to this Privacy Notice.

Scope

This Privacy Notice applies to all University owned websites, domains, services, applications and technology products, except that a privacy notice specific to another Division, department or unit of the University will supplement and may supersede this Privacy Notice.

Links to other sites

Our site contains links to other websites maintained or controlled by third parties. Please note that when you click on one of these links, you are entering another website for which the University has no responsibility. We encourage you to read the privacy notices on all third-party sites as their policies may be different than ours.

We may also provide social media features that enable you to share information with your social networks and to interact with the University on various social media sites. Please note that when you share your information on these social media sites, you are entering a third-party site for which the University has no responsibility. In addition, your use of these features may result in the collection or sharing of information about you, depending on the feature, by the third-party social media site. We encourage you to review the privacy policies, notices and settings on the social media sites with which you interact to make sure you understand the information that may be collected, used and shared by those sites.

Collection of personal information

Personal information is any information that personally identifies you or from which you could be identified. This may include information related to you that can be identified, directly or indirectly, by reference to an identifier such as an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental economic, cultural or social identity of you.

The University collects, exports, and uses personal information as described in this Privacy Notice.

Cookies

A cookie is a small data file stored in your browser when you visit a website or access an application. The University sends cookies when you visit any of our sites or sites where our ads appear. Accepting the cookies used on our site, or sites on which our ads appear, may give us access to information about your browsing behavior, which we may use to personalize your experience. Cookies are typically classified as either “session” cookies or “persistent” cookies.

Session cookies do not stay on your computer after you close your browser. Persistent cookies remain on your computer until you delete them or they expire.

The University’s websites, web pages and applications’ use of cookies is limited to purposes related to gathering session data and analytics and may make use of persistent cookies connected to user accounts.

Most browsers automatically accept cookies by default, but you can usually refuse cookies or selectively accept cookies by adjusting the preferences in your browser (please refer to your browser’s help function to learn more about cookie controls). If you turn off cookies, there may be some features of our site that will not be available to you, and some web pages may not display properly.

When you log in to the University’s website, we store a unique random number as a session cookie. As a user loads each subsequent page, that number is used to verify and track that you are logged in by the unique random number assigned. This session cookie is stored until you log out or the browser window is closed.

When you log into the University’s website using your university assigned credentials, you will be provided the option to store your login credentials for your next session.

Web beacons

Web beacons (also known as pixel tags, internet tags, clear GIFs, or single-pixel GIFs) and embedded scripts are other technologies that we use on our websites and in our applications, as well as in some of our emails and ads.

Web beacons (or “tags”) are bits of programming code included in web pages, emails, and ads that notify us (or the companies that help us run our business) when those web pages, emails, or ads have been viewed or clicked on. Embedded scripts are bits of programming code included within some of our web pages that measure how you use those web pages, such as

which links you click on. We use this information to improve our websites and online services, tailor our websites and online services to your likely interests, and conduct market research. You may be able to turn off scripting functionality, such as JavaScript, within your browser (please refer to your browser’s help function).

Advertising and retargeting on third-party websites

The University contracts with service providers to place ads on websites owned by third parties. These service providers may send third-party cookies from—and use web beacons on—their websites, as well as on the University’s website. These cookies and web beacons may enable the University to collect information about the pages you viewed and the links you clicked on in order to target paid media advertising. At times, these third-party websites may advertise to previous visitors that visited the University’s website but did not complete a task on our site, for example, finishing a contact form to make an inquiry.

Most web browsers include a “Do Not Track” feature that offers you the ability to inform websites and ad networks that you do not want your online activities tracked.

Internet protocol address

We collect an IP address from all visitors to our site. An IP address is a number that is automatically assigned to your computer when you use the Internet. We use IP addresses to help diagnose problems with our server, monitor security of information technology systems, administer our site, analyze trends, track users' movements, gather broad demographic information for aggregate use in order for us to improve the site, and deliver customized, personalized content.

Message boards

If you post, comment, indicate interest or complaint, or share personal information, including photographs, to any public forum on a University site, social network, blog, or another such forum, please be aware that any information you submit can be read, viewed, collected, or used by other users, and could be used to contact you, send you unsolicited messages, or for purposes over which neither you nor the University have control. The University is not responsible for the personal information you choose to provide in these forums.

We will not facilitate the merging of your personally identifiable information with non-personally identifiable information collected through any advertising product or feature unless we notify you of, and obtain your consent to, that merger.

Current student text messaging policy

SMS text messaging is one of the methods CMU uses to communicate with current students. Your CMU support team may relay academic and additional information that is relevant to your success at CMU. You can expect to receive approximately 5 messages or fewer per week. 

Opt-In and Opt-Out

Current students can text ‘start’ to opt into communications or ‘stop’ to opt out of communications from the following teams:

• Advising: 1-989-944-6075
• Online: 1-989-944-6078
• Orientation: 1-989-944-6077
• Financial Aid: 1-989-944-6079

Message and data rates may apply. Submit a help desk ticket if you have issues opting in or out of text communications.

University use of information

Your personal information will only be used for academic or philanthropic purposes directly connected to or approved by the University, which may include but not be limited to, information related to University programs and services. We may share your personal information with the University and our vendors for the purpose of performing University business.

Third party use of information

Unless required by law, we will not share your personal information with any other individual or organization, except in the following circumstances:

We disclose your information to third parties as follows:

• Consent
  We may disclose your information to third parties if we have your consent to do so.
• Service Providers
  We enter into contracts with third parties to support our operations. In such cases, we may share your information with such third parties who are obligated to safeguard the information in the same manner as the University.
• Required by Law
  We will share your information with third parties to the extent we are required to do so by law, court order, or subpoena.
• De-Identified and Aggregate Information
  We use and disclose information about our customers and payees in de-identified or aggregate form without limitation.

How can you control your data collection

You can use Google Ads Settings (http://www.google.com/settings/ads/anonymous) to manage the Google ads you see and opt-out of interest-based ads. Even if you opt-out of interest-based ads, you may still see ads based on factors such as your general location derived from your IP address, your browser type and recent, previous searches related to your current search.

You can also opt-out of an anonymous website and/or application traffic behavior by clicking on the following opt-out privacy links:

• Adobe Analytics Opt-Out: http://www.adobe.com/privacy/opt-out.html
• Google Analytics Opt-Out: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

You can also opt-out from certain email communications by following the opt-out instructions included in emails sent to you by the University.

Security

The University implements appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your information when you transmit it to us that ensure a level of security appropriate to the risks presented by the processing and the nature of the data to be protected, and when we store it on our information technology systems. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of such information.

Retention and destruction of your information

Your information will be retained by the University in accordance with its Information Technology Policies and the applicable retention periods in the Record Retention Schedule. Our information will be destroyed upon your request or after the expiration of the applicable retention period, whichever is later. The manner of destruction shall be appropriate to preserve and ensure the confidentiality of your information given the level of sensitivity, value and criticality to the University.

COVID-19 pandemic emergency

Central Michigan University (CMU) will be gathering information for management of the COVID-19 pandemic via the CMU Health Screen App. This information is including but not limited to the following:

1. Name
2. Location and date of test
3. Location and date of vaccination
4. Vaccination card
5. COVID 19 test results

CMU administrators will have access to this information for the purpose of managing the public health emergency. The information obtained will be appropriately destroyed pursuant to CMU’s Record Retention Schedule, Section A19.

Your rights and contact information

Subject to all applicable laws, you have the right to request access to, a copy of, rectification, restriction in the use of, or erasure of your information. You also have the right to withdraw consent to the use of your information, without affecting the lawfulness of the University’s use of the information prior to receipt of your request.

Students may exercise these rights by accessing your student account maintained by the University’s information technology systems using their login credentials, or by contacting the University’s Registrar at registrar@cmich.edu. Applicants for employment as faculty may exercise these rights by accessing their account created in the University’s information technology systems, or by contacting the Office of the Provost at provost@cmich.edu.  Applicants for employment as staff may exercise these rights by accessing their account created in the University’s information technology systems or by contacting the University Human Resources office at emplsvcs@cmich.edu.