Effective date: September 25, 2018

This Privacy Policy describes the types of information Bates College (“Bates” or “we”) may collect from you when you visit our website www.bates.edu (the “Website”) and our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting and disclosing that information.

Please review this Privacy Policy carefully. By using or accessing our Website in any manner, you acknowledge that you accept the policies and practices outlined in this Privacy Policy. Please also check the Privacy Policy periodically for updates, as it may change from time to time, and your using or accessing our Website after such changes occur is deemed to be acceptance of those changes.

What This Privacy Policy Does and Does Not Cover

This Privacy Policy applies only to information collected by Bates from the Website and in electronic messages between you and Bates via the Website, and is subject to the limitations in this section. This Privacy Policy does not apply to information collected by Bates offline or through any other means (including any other website used or operated by Bates). This Privacy Policy does not apply to information collected through any web portal requiring valid log-in credentials that may be accessible directly or indirectly from the Website, including the Garnet Gateway and Lyceum.

Third-Party Forms

Bates uses third parties to perform certain functions involving the collection and processing of your information, including, by way of example only, processing donations and payments and collecting information from applicants and potential applicants. Please be advised that certain forms incorporated into or accessible directly or indirectly from the Website, including Admission, Athletics, the College Store, Giving, and Library webpages, allow third parties to collect information. Where a form incorporated into the Website is operated by Bates, it is clearly marked as such, with the phrase “Information collected through this form is covered by our website Privacy Policy,” and is covered by this Privacy Policy; otherwise, if not so marked, the form is operated by a third party and not covered by this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy does not apply to information collected by any third party, including through any form, website, plug-in or other application that may link to or be accessible from our Website. We do not control and are not responsible for the privacy policies and practices of such third parties and recommend that you carefully review their privacy policies as they may differ from our own.

Information We Collect and How We Collect It

Through our Website, Bates may collect several types of information from and about you, including personal information, such as your name, date of birth, physical address, email address, telephone number, sex, gender identity, ethnic background, country of citizenship, and education history, and information about your internet connection, the equipment you use to access our Website, and details regarding your usage of the Website. You may also provide information to be published or displayed on public areas of the Website; such contributions are posted on the Website and transmitted to others at your own risk.

We collect this information in several different ways, including directly from you when you provide it to us, such as by filling in forms on the Website or making search queries on the Website, and through the use of automatic data collection technologies. Such technologies may include cookies, web beacons, and other technologies. Cookies are small files typically placed on the hard drive of your computer. Web beacons are small electronic files that may be contained in our Website pages and messages.

Google Analytics

We use the web analytics service Google Analytics (which uses cookies and other tracking technologies) and our server logs to help us analyze how users interact with and use the Website, compile reports on the Website’s activity, and provide maintenance and other services related to the Website’s activity and usage. Through Google Analytics and by reviewing our server logs, we may collect certain information about your computer and internet connection (including your IP address, operating system, and browser type) and details regarding your visits to our Website (including your browsing actions and patterns and any referring website or link).

We do not use Google Analytics to collect personally identifiable information, but may tie information that we gather using Google Analytics to your personally identifiable information. The information generated by Google Analytics will be transmitted to and stored by Google and will be subject to Google’s privacy policies, which can be viewed by clicking here (“Welcome to the Google Privacy Policy”). To learn more about Google’s partner services and to learn how to opt out of tracking of analytics by Google, click here (“How Google uses data when you use our partners’ sites or apps”).

Use and Disclosure of Your Information

Bates may use the information collected about you through our Website, including any personal information, in several different ways, including to:

• present, personalize, improve, and maintain our Website;
• provide you with information, services, or products that you request from us;
• respond to your comments and questions;
• provide information and materials about our services and products, such as electronic newsletters and promotional emails;
• gather aggregate information about the Website user base as a whole;
• fulfill any other purpose for which you provide it; and/or
• fulfill any other business purposes.

Bates may disclose without restriction aggregated information about visitors to our Website and information that does not identify any individual. Bates may disclose some or all of the information collected about you through our Website, including personal information:

• to any subsidiaries, joint ventures, or other affiliates;
• to a buyer or other successor in the event that we are acquired, merge with another entity or sell portions of our assets;
• to contractors, service providers, and other third parties who provide support to Bates (including Google Analytics, display networks, and social networks; see above);
• to comply with any court order, law or legal process, including to respond to any government or regulatory request;
• if we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property, or safety of Bates or others;
• consistent with any other purposes disclosed by us when you provide the information; and/or
• with your consent.

If you no longer wish to receive from Bates communications providing you with information regarding services and products offered by Bates, you can opt out at any time by clicking on the “unsubscribe” link in the communication, calling us, or emailing us at digital@groups.bates.edu.

Protection of Your Information

Bates has implemented measures designed to secure your personal information from accidental loss and from unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure. Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we take measures to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its security. Any transmission of personal information to or using our Website is at your own risk. We are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures contained on the Site.  The safety and security of information also depends on you. If we have provided you with (or you have chosen) a username and password for access to certain parts of our Website, you are responsible for keeping such information confidential. Please do not share your username and password with anyone.

Facebook Data Deletion Policy

In accordance with Facebook’s Developer Policies and Platform Terms, Bates does not use the Facebook platform or associated develop apps within the platform to collect or store personal information from site visitors.

“Do Not Track” Signals

Your browser or device may include “Do Not Track” functionality. However, the Website will continue to operate as described in this privacy policy, whether or not a Do Not Track signal is received.

Notice to Visitors Outside of the United States

You should be aware that the United States and other countries have not harmonized their privacy regulations. Because Bates and its servers are located in the United States, Bates has written its Privacy Policy to satisfy United States regulations. By using the Site, you agree to the level of privacy protection set out in our Privacy Policy.

Changes to Our Privacy Policy

The date this Privacy Policy was last revised is identified at the top of this page. It is our practice to post any changes we make to this Privacy Policy on this page. If we make material changes to how we treat our Website users’ personal information, we will notify you by email to the email address you have provided us or through a notice on our Website’s home page. You are responsible for ensuring we have an up-to-date active and deliverable email address for you, and for periodically visiting our Website and this Privacy Policy to check for any changes.

Privacy Questions

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at digital@groups.bates.edu.