Washington University in St. Louis (“WashU”) is committed to safeguarding the privacy of all visitors to our websites and all users of its mobile applications. When you visit our website or use WashU applications, you trust us with certain information. WashU shares your interest in protecting your privacy, and we endeavor to secure any information you provide to us.

This Privacy Policy governs your use of any of WashU’s mobile applications or the university’s website. It is intended to help you understand our policies concerning the data we collect from our users, why we collect it, and how we use it.

The Information We Collect

Downloading a WashU application does not typically require registration. However, if an application does request registration, you may not be able to use some of the features offered by that WashU Application unless you complete registration.

After you download and while you are using a WashU application, we may ask that you provide us with certain personally identifiable information that could be used to contact or identify you. For example, when you register to use a WashU Application, we may ask that you provide us your University ID, password, and/or mobile phone number. Additional information we may collect includes, but is not limited to your name, email address, physical address, and date of birth (“Personal”).

How We May Use the Information We Collect

WashU uses the information it collects from you in connection with your use of either its website or a mobile application only for university purposes and in compliance with its policies and procedures.

Likewise, information that you voluntarily provide through a WashU website — such as email address, name or phone number — may be used by schools, offices, and departments at the University to provide you with news and information that we believe would be of interest to you. We may also use your Personal Information to contact you with important information, required notices, or other marketing or promotional materials.

At your request, we will update your contact information and your email preferences. Because different communications are managed independently by schools, offices, or departments, opting out from one subscription does not automatically cancel all communications.

Information you provide to us will not be sold to or traded with any commercial institution or business that is external or unrelated to WashU. Except for disclosure to its contracted vendors for services, WashU will not disclose to any third party any of your Personal Information or any individual’s use of its website or mobile applications unless it is legally required to do so.

We may occasionally send push notifications specifically related to university-related emergencies. We do not send promotional or other, non-emergency push notifications. Standard data and message rates may apply. You may opt-out from receiving these types of communications, at any time, by changing notification settings for the applicable WashU application on your device. To ensure you receive proper notifications, we will need to collect certain information about your device such as operating system and user identification information.

Schools and offices within WashU may have criteria for sharing information with their individual community or with specific partners. Please check individual sites on which you are providing personal information for any privacy notices.

Information Gathered Automatically

Like most organizations, WashU follows standard Web analytics practices by tracking browsing patterns to inform our understanding of how our sites are used, what information is most important, and how best to serve the needs of our users. We analyze the information gathered so we can better serve both you and future users of WashU’s digital communications.

An application may collect certain information automatically including (but not limited to,) the type of mobile device you use, your mobile operating system version, and information about how you use the Application. In addition, when you use any mapping features of an Application, we may use GPS (or similar) technology to determine your current location and display a location map. If you do not want us to use your location, you should turn off location services on your mobile device. However, if you do so, location-based mapping features of the Application may be unavailable for use.

You may stop all collection of information by the Application by uninstalling it. You may use the standard uninstall processes as may be available on your mobile device, or via the mobile application marketplace or network.

WashU’s washu.edu website — as well as a number of other sites associated with the university —use analytics services provided third parties. These third parties use cookies to help us analyze how visitors use our sites.

Cookies are small files that are placed on your computer while browsing our website. The cookies used for analytics collect data from browsers and generic information based on the user’s IP address, which is the location of a computer or network, to provide meaningful reports about how our sites are used, but not information specific to the individuals who use them. WashU may use this information to evaluate usage patterns so that we can improve both content and distribution.

You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser; however, doing so may prevent you from using the full functionality of all of our websites.

Cookies placed by third parties will be transmitted to and stored by them on their servers. They will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the university’s websites, compiling reports on website activity and providing other services relating to Internet usage. They may also transfer this information to other parties if required to do so by law, or to parties that process the information on their behalf. By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about your website visits by third parties in the manner and for the purposes set out above.

Some WashU websites and mobile applications contain links to external websites not owned by or affiliated with WashU. The university provides links to third-party websites solely for the convenience of the user. WashU does not endorse the information, content, products or services provided on any third-party sites linked to university websites. The university is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such websites.

Security

The security of your Personal Information is important to us. We employ reasonable physical, technical and organizational safeguards designed to promote the security of our systems and protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of Personal Information; however, we cannot guarantee that our safeguards will be effective or sufficient.  In the event that we are required by law to inform you of any unauthorized access to your Personal Information we may notify you electronically, in writing, or by telephone, if permitted to do so by law.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy is effective as of March 15, 2018, and will remain in effect except with respect to any changes in its provisions in the future, which will be in effect immediately after being posted on this page.

We reserve the right to update or change this Privacy Policy at any time. Therefore, you should check this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of the Application after we post any modifications to the Privacy Policy will constitute your acknowledgment of the modifications and your consent to abide and be bound by the modified Privacy Policy.

Contact information

If you have any questions about this privacy statement or the practices of this website, you can contact:

Chris Amelung
314-935-4735
amelungc@wustl.edu