University of Strathclyde

Privacy Policy

The University of Strathclyde is committed to protecting your privacy. This privacy policy is to inform you how your personal information is processed and used by the University. 

The University is the 'data controller' as defined by the Data Protection Act 1998. Personal information will only be collected and/or processed by the University in accordance with the Act.

As well as reading this policy, it is important that you also read the Privacy Notice.

1. Terms and Conditions

1.1. Terms and conditions of use

Strathclyde Alumni Online Community is a service provided free of charge for University of Strathclyde alumni.  All potential users will be verified against the University’s current records during the registration process before being granted full access to the site. The University reserves the right to refuse access to anyone who misuses the site in any way including those listed below, and to delete frivolous updates to individual profiles.

2. Use of Submitted Information

2.1. By registering with this site, you agree to the University contacting you by post, email and such other means as is reasonable about new developments and news concerning the University, details of alumni activities and programmes involving academic and administrative departments, fundraising programmes and for the promotion of benefits and services including affinity products.  

You may withdraw your consent to be contacted for any or all of these purposes by contacting the Alumni & Development Office at the email address given below.  Registered users may also withdraw their consent at any time within the email preferences page or by clicking on the relevant link at the bottom of a newsletter email.

2.2. The information you provide on Strathclyde Alumni Online Community may be used (and you may be contacted) in connection with the University's educational, social and charitable activities, including:

• 2.2.1. alumni activity (e.g. University publications, reunions, events and development)
• 2.2.2. academic/administrative departmental activity;
• 2.2.3. operating Strathclyde Alumni Online Community; and  
• 2.2.4. UK and international alumni activity (e.g. our alumni organisations run by volunteers).

2.3. The University reserves the right to disclose a registered user’s personal information to third parties which seek the disclosure of it if required by law.

3. Privacy

In order to operate the University of Strathclyde website, we may collect and store personal information you submit to the University, including via this website. Please read the following privacy policy to understand how the University uses and protects the information that you provide.

3.1. Any data submitted to the University by means of the registered user’s profile, or any other data registered users may choose to update from time to time through other communication with the University, will be processed by the University in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 (the “Act”).

3.2. In order to operate the University of Strathclyde and the Strathclyde Alumni Online Community websites, we may collect and store personal information you submit to the University via these websites. By submitting your personal information via these websites, you are consenting to the University holding and using it in accordance with this policy. The policy is subject to change and any changes to it in the future will be notified on this page. We recommend that you check the privacy policy each time you visit these sites.  In this policy 'Site' means the University of Strathclyde website at www.strath.ac.uk and Strathclyde Alumni Online Community at www.alumni.strath.ac.uk.

3.3. Information that we collect from you

We collect information about you:

• when you provide us with your personal details (such as your name, contact details, email address, etc) by registering with us or submitting an enquiry via the Site
• when you respond to surveys which we ask you to complete for research purposes
• from your usage of the Site and any other information you post on the site or send to us via email or other means
• when you join our LinkedIn Group: www.linkedin.com/groups/53179 

3.4. Information Collected

Information is gathered from clients via the methods outlined below:

3.4.1. Log Files

The University of Strathclyde's central web server (www.strath.ac.uk) and Strathclyde Alumni Online Community server (www.alumni.strath.ac.uk) tracks requests made of it to centrally held log files. Log files can contain any or all of the following types of data:

• date and time of connection
• identification of the file(s) requested
• whether the request was successful
• size (in bytes) sent in response
• referring page (where the client came from), as supplied by the client browser
• software used to access the server, as supplied by the client browser

Information gathered is used for server system administration, identifying broken links, and for producing usage statistics. Logged information may be kept indefinitely. Log files do not contain any personal information.

The University of Strathclyde also uses the following log reporting services on its website to measure and analyse visitor information.

• Net Community service from Blackbaud (www.blackbaud.com/netcommunity/)
• Analytics service from Google (www.google.com/analytics/)

Examples of data collected automatically from all users include:

• the Internet protocol (IP) address
• computer and connection information such as browser type and version, operating system, and platform
• Uniform Resource Locator (URL) click stream data, including date and time, and content viewed or searched for on the Site

3.4.2. Cookies

Cookies are small files that are sent from the web server to the client's computer via the client's browser. They are then stored in the client's computer as text files and passed back to the server. Cookies are generally used to identify users and on occasion, prepare customised web pages for them. Cookies may remain on the client's computer merely for the duration of the session (visit) or they may remain indefinitely. Most standard web browsers may be configured to refuse cookies.

The University of Strathclyde does not use cookies extensively on its servers at present. Such cookies that are used are transient, do not contain any personal information and cannot be used to identify an individual user.

3.4.3. How we use your information

We use your information to:

• enable us to supply you with the goods, services and information which you have requested
• ensure that content from the Site is presented in the most effective manner for you and for your computer
• analyse the information we collect so that we can administer, support and improve and develop the Site
• provide you with information, products or services that you request from us or which we feel may interest you, where you have consented to be contacted for such purposes
• notify you about changes to our service

We may use and analyse the information we collect so that we can manage and improve the services on the website. Demographic and statistical information about user behaviour may be collected and used to analyse the popularity and effectiveness of the website. Any disclosure of this information will be in anonymised form and will not identify individual users.

3.4.4. Disclosure of your information

Authorised personnel within the University will be able to access the information you provide to us. We may also disclose your information to authorised third parties, acting on behalf of the University, for the purposes set out in the policy or for purposes approved by you.

When necessary, to assist with the organisation or security of an event, we may pass attendee names and education details onto the event organiser. 

Unless required or permitted to do so by law, we will not otherwise share, sell or distribute any of the information you provide to us without your consent.

4. Place of Processing

4.1. The University may disclose your data to service providers engaged in providing services to the University relating to Strathclyde Alumni Online Community.  Strathclyde Alumni Online Community are using a US based company, Blackbaud Inc., to process our email communications. Blackbaud Inc. have undertaken to comply with the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003. Blackbaud Inc. is a member of the EU-US Privacy Shield framework, further details of which can be found at https://www.privacyshield.gov/welcome

Some of these service providers may be based outside of the European Economic Area in countries where there are not such strict laws concerning the processing of your data.  The University will only do this where it is satisfied the disclosure meets the requirements of the Act.   

4.2 Strathclyde Alumni Online Community uses Blackbaud Merchant Services (BBMS) to process credit and debit card transactions.  The following processing fees are deducted from each transaction: Visa/Mastercard - 2.75% + 0.19p/c, American Express - 3.5% + 0.19p/c.  BBMS is compliant under payment card industry (PCI) data security standards.

5. Users’ Responsibilities

5.1. The functions and services provided by the University may be used for personal purposes only.  It is not intended for use as a business or commercial service and the University reserves the right to terminate the registration of anyone attempting to use Strathclyde Alumni Online Community for business purposes.  The deliberate sending of junk email (‘Spam’) or email infected with a virus or other malicious attachments is forbidden.

5.2. It is the responsibility of each registered user:

• 5.2.1. to protect against unauthorised access to their username and password;
• 5.2.2. to ensure against use by anyone else of Strathclyde Alumni Online Community through the machine that the registered user uses while they are logged on to Strathclyde Alumni Online Community
• 5.2.3. to log off or exit from Strathclyde Alumni Online Community when not using it;  
• 5.2.4. to ensure that it does not introduce any virus into Strathclyde Alumni Online Community;
• 5.2.5. not to post any data or images on Strathclyde Alumni Online Community which are racist, sexist, homophobic, explicit, abusive or likely to offend anyone; and  
• 5.2.6. not to post any data or images on Strathclyde Alumni Online Community which are unlawful or inflammatory or which infringe the intellectual property rights of any third party.

5.3. We reserve the right:

• 5.3.1. to suspend or terminate any registered user’s access to Strathclyde Alumni Online Community, or parts of it;
• 5.3.2. to edit, or require the registered user to edit, material posted on Strathclyde Alumni Online Community, if material posted by the user appears to us to be in breach of any provision of these terms and conditions;  
• 5.3.3. to monitor and remove any data from Strathclyde Alumni Online Community where the University believes it is contrary or in breach of these terms and conditions; and  
• 5.3.4. to provide any information or data concerning a registered user’s operation of Strathclyde Alumni Online Community to any appropriate authority or law enforcement agency where it is in the interests of the University to do so or where the law requires the University to do so.

5.4. Any person whose access has been suspended or terminated will not be permitted to re-register for, or re-access, Strathclyde Alumni Online Community without prior consent from the University.  The registered user is responsible for the accuracy and suitability of all content submitted to or processed by Strathclyde Alumni Online Community, while logged on to Strathclyde Alumni Online Community.

5.5. Registered users acknowledge that the University cannot monitor all material which appears on Strathclyde Alumni Online Community, and that the University is reliant upon all users to notify it of anything which appears likely to breach these Terms and Conditions.  Any user encountering content on Strathclyde Alumni Online Community which appears to infringe these Terms and Conditions, should contact the University at the address below.

6. Profiles, Directories and Grapevine Notes

6.1. Strathclyde Alumni Online Community includes a searchable online alumni directory.  Registered users are included in the directory by making all or some of their details public on the ‘Update your profile’ page.  Registered users who opt not to make their details publicly available will not appear in the directory.  The University will list all graduates’ names, years of graduation and subjects of study in online directories.  Registered users will be able to opt out of appearing in the directory.

6.2. The part of the website relating to ‘Grapevine’ is intended for registered users to keep their fellow alumni up to date with personal information. This service cannot be used to promote products or services. 

7. Disclaimer

7.1. The University has no control over or responsibility for the truth or accuracy of any material available on Strathclyde Alumni Online Community, whether provided by registered users or others.

7.2. Any links to third party sites from Strathclyde Alumni Online Community, do not constitute any endorsement or any responsibility for the site in question or anything which appears on it.   

7.3. Each registered user’s use of Strathclyde Alumni Online Community is entirely at their own risk.

7.4. Accordingly, to the extent that the law permits, each registered user releases the University its agents, contractors and employees from all liability arising out of or in connection with Strathclyde Alumni Online Community and the material included here by registered users and other third parties.

8. Governing Law

8.1 These terms shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of Scotland.

9. Questions

You have the right to access the personal data which the University holds about you. The University charges a fee to process such a request. Please see  http://www.strath.ac.uk/dataprotection/accessingyourpersonaldata/ or contact dataprotection@strath.ac.uk

For further information on the University’s policies in relation to Data Protection please see www.strath.ac.uk/dataprotection
If you wish to enquire about Data Protection, this Privacy Policy or Cookies please contact alumniweb@strath.ac.uk

9.1 If you do not wish your details to be used for any of the above purposes, please contact:

Alumni & Development Office
The University of Strathclyde
Rm 456 McCance Building
16 Richmond Street
Glasgow G1 1XQ

tel:        +44(0)141 548 2773
email:     alumniweb@strath.ac.uk