Effective as of February 1, 2024
Introduction
Missouri Southern State University (“MSSU,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) respects the privacy of your information. This Privacy Notice is designed to assist you in understanding how we collect, use, share, and safeguard your information. This Privacy Notice applies to all individuals who access this website and or our mobile application(s) (collectively, “Sites”) and any of our online and, where required, offline services (collectively, “Service(s)”). MSSU is a non-profit higher education institution.
Please note that for certain Services, including those hosted by third parties (e.g. Blackboard, MSSU Athletics website), an additional or separate Privacy Notice and/or privacy practices may apply to those Services. If you have any question about the Privacy Notice and/or practices that apply to a particular Service, please review any privacy documentation linked or available via the particular service, or you may contact MSSU as described herein to understand if this Privacy Notice applies.
FERPA NOTICE: As a higher education institution, MSSU complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”), which gives parents certain rights with respect to their children’s education records. Such rights transfer to the student when they reach the age of 18. This Privacy Notice is not intended for compliance with FERPA or to provide you further information about your rights under FERPA. Please see our FERPA Annual Notification for more information.
From time to time, we may change this Privacy Notice. If we do, we will post an amended version on this webpage. Please review this Privacy Notice periodically.
This Privacy Notice covers the following topics:
1. Personal Information We Collect
2. How We Use Your Personal Information
3. How We Share Your Personal Information
4. Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies
6. Choices About Your Personal Information
10. Notice to Nevada Residents
11. Notice to California Residents
12. Other State Privacy Rights
We collect personal information from you through your use of the Sites and Services. Personal information is information that is linked or reasonably linkable to an identified or identifiable individual. We collect the following types of personal information:
Personal Information You Provide
We may collect the following personal information that you voluntarily provide to us for the following purposes:
· Name and contact Information (e.g. address; phone number; email).
· Account and Profile Information (e.g. login credentials, username/password, ID/profile picture).
· Student and School Information (e.g. parent name and contact information; current class year; current/former school(s) name or academic history; current/former school address and administrator contact); shirt/clothing size; anticipated or current area(s) of study and years of attendance/graduation).
· Application Information (e.g. information listed under Student and School information as well as: academic accolades, extracurricular activities, employment history (if applicable), character references, social security number, date of birth, and demographic information such as race, ethnicity, gender, religion (if volunteered)).
· Enrolled Student Information (e.g. in addition to information already listed: medical history forms; classes; grades; on campus activities);
· Scholarship/Financial Aid Information (e.g. MSSU student ID, contact information, high school name and location, high school graduation date, student signature, high school counselor signature, credit hours, expected graduation date, enrollment status, account credentials, your parent(s) or guardian(s) name(s), household members, citizenship status, date of birth, student social security number, parent social security number, parent driver’s license, amount of aid requested, student signature, parent or guardian signature.)
· Billing/Payment/Donation Information (e.g. credit card, bank account, billing contact information);
· Order Information (e.g. current bookstore or other order/purchase information, purchase history, shipping details);
· Residency Information (If you submit a petition to claim Missouri residency, you may be asked to provide the following: full name, email address, phone number, permanent Missouri address, length of time at Missouri address, date of birth, social security number, MSSU student ID, automobile information and proof of registration, driver’s license information, income tax information and most recent tax return, personal property tax information, voter registration information, housing information and proof of rent or ownership (if applicable), parental financial assistance information, and employment information).
· Employment Information (students or non-students that apply for employment at MSSU may provide contact information, employment history, academic history, professional certifications, veteran status and or disability status (if volunteered), character references, professional references, desired salary, demographic information such as race, ethnicity, gender, religion (if volunteered).
· Academic Support Services Information (e.g. if you sign up for advising, counseling, testing or other academic support services, you may provide contact and background information, role at MSSU (student, staff, faculty), age, gender, race, ethnicity, previous training/certifications, previous academic support services received).
· Account Information and Login(s). (There are several accounts available via the Sites (e.g. LioNet, Blackboard) and you will provide your account credentials specific to that particular Site or Service. Please note that for Services hosted by third parties, like Blackboard, separate Privacy Notice(s) may be available via those specific Sites.)
· Information contained in posts you may make on the public forums and interactive features of the Service, information as described below in “User Generated Content”;
· Information in our Cookie Policy, the degree to which such information is defined as personal information under the laws of a particular jurisdiction;
· Other information that may be exchanged in the course of engaging with the Site or Services. You will be aware of any subsequently collected information because it will come directly from you.
Depending on your state/country of residency, certain information outlined above may be considered sensitive personal information. If required by your jurisdiction, such information is collected in accordance with applicable law. Some sensitive information may be provided on a voluntary basis. You acknowledge that failure to provide certain sensitive information may impact your ability to complete your intended use of the services (e.g., applying). If you have questions or concerns about our collection of your sensitive personal information, please contact us as described herein.
User Generated Content
The Site and Services may enable you to post content and engage with other users of the Sites and Services, including making comments, offering testimonials, and any other information that you would like to be available on the Site or Services, which may become public (“User Content”). User Content may include uploaded media (images, videos, presentations, documents, etc.), reviews of the Site and Services, messaging in private comments, and posts on public forums or discussion boards. If you do post content, all the information that you post will be available to authorized personnel of MSSU and may be made available to the public as permitted by the capabilities of the Site or Services. You expressly acknowledge and agree that we may access in real-time, record, and store archives of any User Content on our servers to make use of them in connection with your use of the Service. You retain all ownership rights in User Content, though MSSU may retain certain, limited license to use such User Content. If you submit a review, recommendation, endorsement, or other User Content through the Service, or through other websites or social media, including Facebook, Instagram, Google, Yelp, and other similar channels, we may share that review, recommendation, endorsement, or content publicly on the Service.
MSSU does not control User Content and is under no circumstances responsible or liable in any way for any User Content that is made available through the Services. MSSU does not endorse any User Content, and does not warrant or guarantee the integrity, truthfulness, accuracy, quality, authenticity, or identity of any User Content. MSSU reserves the right (but is not obligated) to edit or remove any User Content in whole or part, at any time, and for any or no reason. You agree that MSSU is not liable for any loss or damage of any kind resulting from the availability, access, and/or use of any User Content. You acknowledge that all content accessed by you through the Services is at your own risk and you will be solely responsible for any damage or loss to any party resulting therefrom. You further agree that the User Content you may generate or provide through the Services shall be truthful and not misleading. You understand that you may not post or transmit any message, data, image, or program that would violate the property rights of others, including unauthorized copyrighted text, images or programs, trade secrets or other confidential proprietary information, and trademarks or service marks used in an infringing fashion.
Information as You Navigate Our Site
We automatically collect certain personal information through your use of the Site and Services, such as the following:
· Usage Information. For example, pages on the Site you access, the frequency of access, and what you click on while on the Site.
· Device Information. For example, hardware model, operating system, application version number, and browser.
· Mobile Device Information. Aggregated information about whether the Site is accessed via a mobile device or tablet, the device type, and the carrier.
· Location Information. Location information from Site visitors on a city-regional basis.
For more information on our cookie usage see our “COOKIES AND OTHER TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES” section below.
Personal Information We Collect About You from Other Sources
In some cases, we may receive personal information about you from other sources. This includes sources which you are specifically aware of and/or you provide to us:
· References in an application for admission or scholarships.
· References on an employment application.
· Government agencies for the purposes of financial aid or confirming residency.
Additional sources of personal information may include advertising networks, data brokers, operating systems and platforms, mailing list providers, social networks, and advertising and marketing partners.
In addition to the purposes stated above, we may use the personal information we collect in accordance with applicable law, such as to:
· Provide the Site and Services to you as described above.
· Schedule you for a campus tour and other prospective student activity.
· Process and maintain specific account registration(s).
· Process and review your application for enrollment at MSSU.
· Enroll you at MSSU and activities related to ongoing and/or terminated enrollment.
· Provide and process applications for financial aid and scholarships.
· Process and review your application for employment at MSSU.
· Permit you to sign up for available campus services like academic advising, counseling, etc.
· Communicate with you about our Site or Services or to inform you of any changes to our Site or Services.
· Provide support for use of the Site and Services.
· Maintain and improve our Site and Services.
· Defend our legal rights and the rights of others.
· Fulfill any other purposes for which you provide it.
· For any purpose that is reasonably necessary to or compatible with the original purpose for which we collected the personal information as disclosed to you.
· Comply with applicable law.
We may share the personal information that we collect about you in the following ways:
In addition, we may release personal information: (i) to the extent we have a good-faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with any applicable law; (ii) to enforce our rights and/or make or defend claims related to your relationship with MSSU, protect ourselves against any liability, defend ourselves against any claims, protect the rights, property and personal safety of any user, or protect the public welfare; (iii) when disclosure is required to protect the security of other persons, consistent with applicable laws; (iv) to respond to a court order, subpoena, search warrant, or other legal process, to the extent permitted and as restricted by law; or (v) for an additional purpose that is directly related to the original purpose for which the personal information was collected.
How We Use Cookies
Like many other Sites, we use cookies and other tracking technologies (such as pixels and web beacons) (collectively, “Cookies”). “Cookies” are small files of information that are stored by your web browser software on your computer hard drive, mobile or other devices (e.g., smartphones or tablets).
We use Cookies to:
· Estimate audience size and usage patterns;
· Understand and save your preferences for future visits, allowing us to customize the Site and Services to your individual needs;
· Advertise new content and services that relate to your interests;
· Keep track of advertisements and search engine results;
· Compile aggregate data about site traffic and site interactions to resolve issues and offer better site experiences and tools in the future; and
· Recognize when you return to the Sites.
We set some Cookies ourselves and others are set by third parties. We use Cookies set by third parties to provide us with useful information to help us improve our Sites and Services, to conduct advertising, and to analyze the effectiveness of advertising.
How You Can Opt-Out of Cookies
Browser Settings
Cookies can be blocked by changing your Internet browser settings to refuse all or some Cookies. If you choose to block all Cookies (including essential Cookies) you may not be able to access all or parts of the Site.
You can find out more about Cookies and how to manage them by visiting www.AboutCookies.org or www.allaboutcookies.org.
Platform Controls
You can opt out of Cookies set by specific entities by following the instructions found at these links:
· Adobe: https://www.adobe.com/privacy/opt-out.html
· Google: https://adssettings.google.com
· Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/about/ads
· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out
· Microsoft: https://account.microsoft.com/privacy/ad-settings/
· Twitter: https://twitter.com/personalization
Advertising Industry Resources
You can understand which entities have currently enabled Cookies for your browser or mobile device and how to opt-out of some of those Cookies by accessing the Network Advertising Initiative’s website or the Digital Advertising Alliance’s website. For more information on mobile specific opt-out choices, visit the Network Advertising Initiative’s Mobile Choices website.
Please note that these opt-out mechanisms are specific to the device or browser on which they are exercised. Therefore, you will need to opt out on every browser and device that you use.
Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. Google Analytics uses Cookies or other tracking technologies to help us analyze how users interact with the Site and Services, compile reports on their activity, and provide other services related to their activity and usage. The technologies used by Google may collect information such as your IP address, time of visit, whether you are a returning visitor, and any referring website. The information generated by Google Analytics will be transmitted to and stored by Google and will be subject to Google’s privacy policies. To learn more about Google’s partner services and to learn how to opt-out of tracking of analytics by Google, click here.
Google reCAPTCHA
We use Google reCAPTCHA, a free service provided by Google, Inc., to protect our Site from spam and abuse. Google reCAPTCHA uses advanced risk analysis techniques to decipher humans and bots. Google reCAPTCHA works differently depending on what version is deployed. For example, you may be asked to check a box indicating that you are not a robot or Google reCAPTCHA may detect abusive traffic without user interaction. Google reCAPTCHA works by transmitting certain types of information to Google, such as the referrer URL, IP address, visitor behavior, operating system information, browser and length of the visit, cookies, and mouse movements. Your use of Google reCAPTCHA is subject to Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. More information as to Google reCAPTCHA and how it works is available here.
Other Types of Collecting Activities
Some internet browsers incorporate a “Do Not Track” feature that signals to websites you visit that you do not want to have your online activity tracked. Given that there is not a uniform way that browsers communicate the “Do Not Track” signal, the Sites do not currently interpret, respond to or alter its practices when it receives “Do Not Track” signals.
If you have an account with MSSU, you may use your account to access, correct, or view certain personal information we have collected and which is associated with your account. Where you are unable to review or request changes to any of your personal information, please contact us at privacy@mssu.edu.
To unsubscribe from our marketing emails, please click the unsubscribe link included in the footer of our emails. You also may submit a request to us at privacy@mssu.edu.
We maintain commercially reasonable security measures to protect the personal information we collect and store from loss, misuse, destruction, or unauthorized access. However, no security measure or modality of data transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. Although we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
You are responsible for maintaining the security of any password, user ID, or other form of authentication involved in obtaining access to password protected or secure areas of MSSU’s systems to which you have been granted access. In order to protect you and your information, we may suspend your access to any MSSU systems, without notice, pending an investigation, if any breach of security is suspected.
The Sites and Services may contain links that will let you leave the Sites and Services and access another website. Linked websites are not under our control. We accept no responsibility or liability for these other websites.
The Sites and Services may also contain links to third party websites that are affiliated with MSSU but are not governed by this Privacy Notice. For example, you can access MSSU Athletics via the Site, but the website for MSSU Athletics is hosted by a third party. We encourage you to review the privacy practices of each respective third party in these instances.
The Site is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect, use, or disclose personal information from children under 13.
Nevada law allows Nevada residents to opt-out of the sale of certain types of personal information. Subject to several exceptions, Nevada law defines “sale” to mean the exchange of certain types of personal information for monetary consideration to another person. We do not currently sell personal information as defined in the Nevada law. However, if you are a Nevada resident, you still may submit a verified request to opt-out of sales and we will record your instructions and incorporate them in the future if our policy changes. Opt-out requests may be sent to privacy@mssu.edu.
We do not disclose personal information obtained through our Site or Services to third-parties for their direct marketing purposes. Accordingly, we have no obligations under California Civil Code § 1798.83.
If you are a California resident under the age of 18 and a registered user of the Services, California Business & Professions Code § 22581 permits you to request and obtain removal of content or information posted on the Services by you. If you wish to make a request, please contact us at privacy@mssu.edu. Please be aware that removal does not ensure complete or comprehensive removal of the content or information posted on the Services by you and there may be legal reasons for denying your request.
If you are a resident of certain states, state law may grant certain privacy protections and/or rights to you. Please note that, while these state laws may not apply to MSSU or your use of the Site and Services, MSSU is committed to protecting and allowing access to your personal information. If you have specific questions about how your personal information is processed and/or how you can get access to, correct, or delete your personal information, please contact us as described herein, and we will determine how best we can support you.
MSSU is a higher education institution located in the United States. You acknowledge that the Sites and Services are located in the United States. The United States may offer less protections for your personal information than the jurisdiction you are located in. By engaging with the Sites and Services, you consent to the transfer of your personal information from your jurisdiction to the United States.
To contact us for questions or concerns about our privacy policies or practices please send an email to privacy@mssu.edu.