PRIVACY STATEMENT
(last updated 01/01/2024)
Clemson University (“University”) respects and values the privacy of the Clemson University community and its visitors. The University strives to balance individual privacy rights in its management of information and execution of the University’s missions.
This Privacy Statement provides an overview of information practices related to the central University website, clemson.edu (‘the Site’). This statement describes our information collection practices and explains how we use and protect your personal information. By using this Site, you are consenting to our collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Statement. Please be aware that University organizational units or affiliates may have additional privacy statements, privacy policies and/or Terms & Conditions of Use.
Collection of Information
When you visit the Site, we automatically collect certain information regarding your use of the website, such as your Internet Protocol (IP) address, Internet domain, operating system, browser type and your monitor’s screen size and color depth. We also collect the date and time of your visit, the pages visited and the address of the website from which you linked to clemson.edu. The process for these automatic collections does not identify your email address or other personal information.
The Site also may provide opportunities for site visitors to voluntarily provide personally identifiable information, such as email address, name, telephone number or street address. The University may aggregate information collected from your visit to this website with other information at the University.
Cookies
The University website might place cookies on your computer upon your visit. Cookies are small text files that allow us to track activity on our websites, including where visitors are going and how much time they spend there. You can disable cookies by adjusting the settings in your browser. Cookies do not provide any personally identifying information. Some websites might require the use of cookies to access full functionality or to customize a site.
Some University websites might use Google Analytics, a service provided by Google, Inc. Google Analytics places a cookie on your computer to analyze how you use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website is transmitted to and stored by Google on their servers. Google uses this information to compile reports on website activity, and then University site owners use that information to improve websites. Google might also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google's behalf. Google does not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google.
Social Media Plugins
Some of the pages on our website may have embedded social media sharing buttons. Social media platforms use cookies or other tracking technologies when a button is embedded on our website. We do not have access to, or control of, any information collected through these buttons. The social media platforms are responsible for how they use your information. For specific privacy controls on how these buttons track how users access our website, see the cookies policies at X (previously Twitter), Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram, Vimeo and YouTube.
Use of Information
The University uses your personal information as necessary to accomplish, or in support of, its legitimate public purposes. We may use gathered information to:
- Optimize and personalize your online interactions and user experience
- Track user trends
- Fulfill your online requests for goods and services, and to respond to other requests or inquiries
- Provide University services to our users
- Prevent fraud and abuse
Disclosure or Sharing of Information
The University may use third parties to facilitate this website or the services the University provides. Those third parties may have access to the information the University collects to fulfill their obligations to the University.
Clemson University is a public institution and may disclose and share information to comply with state, federal, or international law.
We are subject to the requirements of the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (SCFOIA) - (PDF). Except for education records protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), information collected from University websites including, but not limited to, summary server log information, e-mails sent to our websites and information collected from web-based forms may be disclosed pursuant to requests for records under SCFOIA.
The University has implemented the SC Family Privacy Protection Act which prohibits the use of any personal information obtained from a state agency for commercial solicitation purposes.
If you use a bulletin board, chat room or other forum on a University website, please note that any information you share is visible to other users. Personally identifiable information you submit to one of these forums can be read, collected, or used by other individuals to send you unsolicited messages. The University is not responsible for the personal information you choose to submit through this medium.
General Data Protection Regulation
Persons in the European Union are provided certain privacy rights. Visit General Data Protection Regulation for more information.
Children or Minors
Clemson University does not intentionally or knowingly collect data from children under the age of 13 as defined by the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) on its central website. Households are encouraged to discuss how to protect children online.
Endorsements
Links to third party sites and/or to particular items thereon are not intended to reflect their importance. Links are not intended to endorse any views expressed, or products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites; likewise, omissions of such links does not imply intended criticism or discrimination. The views and opinions expressed on individual or personal websites (including but not limited to, faculty, staff, students, and student organizations) are strictly those of the authors and may not represent the official views or opinions of the University. If you have a question or concern regarding any of the University web pages, please contact that department directly.
The Division of Marketing and Communications is responsible for the maintenance and design of the University home page and the central web pages but is not responsible for the timeliness or completeness of the information provided by other departments, individuals, or schools. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about the Clemson University web pages, please send an email to ows@g.clemson.edu.
Security
We seek to use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical measures to protect personal information within our organization. Additionally, it is University policy to comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding the privacy and security of user information. However, due to the evolving nature of information technology, no data transmission or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Your use of this site is solely at your own risk. If you notice anything extraordinary, suspect that a compromise has occurred or need additional information about information security, please contact the Office of Information Security or send an email to ithelp@clemson.edu.
Retention Period
We strive to keep personal data in our records only as long as necessary to complete the purpose of the intended business activity. Retention periods vary and are established considering our legitimate purposes and all applicable legal requirements.
External Links
Clemson University (“University”) makes world wide web resources available to all segments of the University community and may provide listings of and/or links to web pages maintained by University faculty, students, staff, student organizations, affiliates, non-University organizations and others. The central University web space contains web pages created by the University and its schools, departments, or other administrative offices, as well as web pages generated by groups or individuals.
At the time links are created on the Site, the information accessed by the link is considered valuable, relevant, and supportive of Clemson University content. However, these external links and their resulting content might change or be removed without our knowledge. Clemson University does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of information of external websites.
Updates to this Privacy Statement
The University may make appropriate changes to this notice in the future. Any updates to this Privacy Statement will be posted to this page and will reflect the date of such revision.
Contacting Us
If you feel that this site is not following its stated policy and communicating with the owner of this site does not resolve the matter, or if you have general questions or concerns about privacy or information technology policy at Clemson University, please contact the Office of University Compliance and Ethics, or the University Compliance and Ethics/Safety Hotline.
