Web Privacy Policy

The University of Texas at Austin is committed to ensuring the privacy and accuracy of your confidential information. We do not actively share personal information gathered from our Web servers. However, because The University of Texas at Austin is a public institution, some information collected from the UT Austin Web site, including the summary server log information, e-mails sent to the Web site, and information collected from Web-based forms, may be subject to the Texas Public Information Act. This means that while we do not actively share information, in some cases we may be compelled by law to release information gathered from our Web servers.

As part of our commitment to maintain the privacy of our Web users, The University of Texas has developed this privacy statement. The statement has two purposes:

1. To educate users about privacy issues
2. To inform users about specific privacy policies and guidelines employed at The University of Texas at Austin.

The University of Texas at Austin also complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which prohibits the release of education records without student permission. For more details on FERPA, currently enrolled students should see the University's General Information Catalog. Although FERPA regulations apply only to UT Austin students, The University of Texas is equally commited to protecting the privacy of all visitors to our Web site.

The University of Texas at Austin Web consists of hundreds of Web servers. Some servers hosted by The University of Texas at Austin may adopt different privacy statements as their specific needs require. If another UT Austin Web server has a privacy statement that is different from this statement, that policy must be approved by the ITS Information Security Office, and it must be posted on their site. However, those sites cannot adopt a privacy statement that in any way supersedes federal or state regulations.

Approved Departmental Privacy Policies at UT Austin:

• Computer Science Department

The University of Texas web site contains links to hundreds of external Web sites. The University is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of the external Web sites we link to.

Information We Gather

Our Web servers generate temporary logs that contain the following information:

• Internet address of computer being used
• Web pages requested
• Referring Web page
• Browser used
• Date and Time
• UIN (unique person identifier for EID-based services only)

The data is used in aggregate by system administrators and Web content managers to tune the Web site for its efficiency and is not ordinarily associated with specific individuals. Raw data from the Web server logs is only shared with the content manager of each Web site. Summary reports produced from the logs help Web publishers determine what Web browsers and pages are most popular. For example, if the aggregate reports show a particular Web page is very popular or used more by freshmen than by seniors, we use this information to customize the content of that page and make it easier to find. An example of a sample report prepared from these server logs is available at http://www.utexas.edu/wwwstats.html.

Cookies

Cookies are small pieces of data stored by the Web browser. Cookies are often used to remember information about preferences and pages you have visited. For example, when you visit some sites on the Web you might see a "Welcome Back" message. The first time you visited the site a cookie was probably set on your computer; when you return, the cookie is read again. You can refuse to accept cookies, can disable cookies, and remove cookies from your hard drive. In Netscape Navigator, choose Edit and Preferences to manage your cookie settings, in Internet Explorer select Tools and Internet Options.

The University of Texas Web servers use cookies in the centralized authentication system called UT EID. These cookies are used so you will not have to repeatedly enter user names and passwords when you go to different parts of the Web site. You are normally required to enter a UT EID when you request data about yourself or to ensure that you are a member of the University community. For example, students who want to check their admission status or staff members who complete time sheets, must enter their UT EID so the system knows who is requesting the data. This login process uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) so the user name and password are encrypted between the Web browser and our Web server.

Some Web servers within The University of Texas may also use cookies to retain user preference information. It is against University policy to share this information with external third parties.

Security and Accuracy of Confidential Information

The University does its best to ensure that the personal information we have about you is accurate. Users with a UT EID can check and update personal information such as their address and e-mail address at UT Direct.

Although no computer system is 100% secure, the University of Texas at Austin has deployed extensive security measures to protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. These security measures and our systems are audited by certified independent security specialists.

E-commerce

Several sites within The University of Texas at Austin enable you to pay for products or services online with a credit card. Unless otherwise noted, these transactions are encrypted. It is University policy that confidential information you enter in the transaction is used only for the purposes described in that transaction, unless an additional use is specifically stated on that site.

Sharing of Information

The University of Texas at Austin does, upon explicit request of users, share information with other parties and gather information from other private data providers. For example, the University receives test scores from testing agencies and will send transcripts to other schools. This is done only at the request of users (persons to whom the information applies). Unless specifically required under public information requests filed under the Texas Public Information Act, it is against University policy to release confidential information gathered through the Web, such as pages visited, or personalized preferences. For example, the University's portal, UT Direct, enables users to customize the content they see on their personal page. This information cannot be shared with external third parties.

Consistent with FERPA, we do not release personal student information, other than public directory information, to other parties unless we receive explicit written authorization to do so. UT Austin students can read more about directory information in the University's General Information Catalog. Examples of directory information include first and last name, address, and date of birth. Enrolled students can restrict release of their directory information by contacting the Office of the Registrar.

Public Forums

The University of Texas at Austin makes some public chat rooms, forums, message boards, and news groups available to its users. The University does not ordinarily log public chat sessions, however, any information that is disclosed in these areas becomes public information and you should therefore exercise caution when deciding to disclose your confidential information in such places.

Academic chat sessions and discussion forums, such as those in Blackboard, may be logged. However, these educational records are protected from disclosure by FERPA.

Online Surveys

The University of Texas is a research institution. At any time there are numerous online surveys being conducted on The University's Web site. It is University policy that confidential information gathered in these online surveys is used only for the research purposes indicated in the survey. Unless otherwise noted on the specified survey, your answers are confidential and individual responses will not be shared with other parties unless required by the Texas Public Information Act. Aggregate data from surveys may be shared with external third parties.

Open Records Requests

Except for educational records governed by FERPA, all information collected from the UT Austin Web site, including the summary server log information, e-mails sent to the Web site, and information collected from Web-based forms, may be subject to the Texas Public Information Act.

Texas Public Information Act

The Texas Public Information Act, with a few exceptions, gives you the right to be informed about the information that The University of Texas at Austin collects about you. It also gives you the right to request a copy of that information, and to have The University correct any of that information that is wrong. You may request to receive and review any of that information, or request corrections to it, by contacting the University's Public Information Officer, Office of Financial Affairs, PO Box 8179, Austin, Texas, 78713 (email:cfo@www.utexas.edu).

Questions

If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent send e-mail to security@its.utexas.edu.