Privacy Policy

Bethel University is committed to the responsible use of personal information collected from and about you while you're using our website or any website or online service under the bethel.edu domain name. 

Data We Collect 

1. Non-personally identifiable information
   As users access our website, Bethel collects non-personally identifiable information such as IP address, browser type, site usage and advertising data. This information is not linked to any personal information and remains anonymous.To collect this information, the university uses session “cookies”--that is, small text files that are placed on your computer’s hard drive. The session cookies used by the university do not give us access to your computer and do not provide us with personally identifiable information. You may modify your browser settings to disallow cookies, but this may prevent you from taking full advantage of our website.
2. Personally identifiable information
   Certain areas of our website collect voluntary information that is personally identifiable, such as name, zip code, and e-mail address. This is typically done through requests for information, applications, and registration forms provided. When users submit sensitive information via the website, the university strives to protect that information by using encryption software (such SSL).

Opting out of Cookies, Tracking, and Interest-Based Advertising

The help function of your browser should contain instructions on how to set your computer to accept all cookies, to notify you when a cookie is issued or to not receive cookies at any time. If you set your device to not receive cookies at any time, certain personalized services cannot be provided to you, and accordingly, you may not be able to take full advantage of all of our features.

To opt-out of our interest-based advertising, you may visit Digital Advertising Alliance’s Choices page at http://optout.aboutads.info and perform a global opt-out.

Use of Information We Collect

1. Use of non-personally identifiable information
   We use non-personally identifiable information while you're browsing the site to improve your individual experience and provide you with more individualized responses. We also aggregate non-personally identifiable information from many users into statistical reports in order to better administer our website, diagnose server problems that may occur from time to time, and improve our website.
2. Use of personally identifiable information
   By providing personally identifiable information, you imply consent to the collection and use of the information for the purposes for which it was provided. Your information is used to provide relevant materials, products and services you request, and to facilitate relationships with Bethel, such as the admissions process, event registration, and fundraising programs. You may opt out of receiving information from Bethel University by contacting the department from which the information came. Unless required by law, personally identifiable information is only shared with third parties as necessary to provide the materials, products, and services you request. When third parties are given access to personally identifiable information, they are, by contract, not permitted to use or re-disclose any of the information for unauthorized purposes. Personally identifiable information is never sold to third parties.

Security

In order to protect the loss, misuse, or alteration of information gathered on our site, all information is stored within a controlled database environment accessible only to authorized university employees. However, as effective as any security measures implemented by the university may be, no security system is impenetrable. Bethel University cannot guarantee the security of its database environment, nor can it guarantee that the information you provide will not be intercepted while being transmitted over the internet.

Links to Other Websites

Our website may include links to other websites outside the bethel.edu domain, including co-branded or other affiliated sites that may or may not be owned or operated by Bethel University. Such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. Users should become familiar with the privacy practices of those other sites.

Notification of Changes

 If the university decides to change this privacy policy, those changes will be posted on our website.

Contact Information

Questions about this privacy policy should be directed to the university by visiting our site at https://www.bethel.edu/its/contact or sending us an email at helpdesk@bethel.edu.

Effective date: July 28, 2017
Applies to: Bethel University website users
Issued by: Office of Marketing and Communications & ITS