Privacy & Legal Notice

Below is the Fort Valley State University’s (FVSU) privacy and legal notice for both its website and for compliance with the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (“EU GDPR”). FVSU’s Marketing and Communications Department is responsible for information related to the Fort Valley State University website and the Office of Legal Affairs is responsible for compliance with the EU GDPR.

Website

What we collect and why

The Fort Valley State University (FVSU) collects information from individuals or entities when they access any FVSU website. Information that is collected from this contact includes the contactor’s IP address, date and time of the website access and the web pages(s) visited. In addition, FVSU may also collect any information that it receives from your web browser, including browser type and version, and operating system. This information is used for routine information security and service delivery purposes including helping us understand aggregate uses of our site, track usage trends, improve our services and respond to security events.

The following is a typical log entry when someone visits our website:

74.207.112.121 130.217.244.191 – – [01/Jun/2019:14:12:55 -0400] “GET /sites/default/files/uploads/images/admissions_graduate_0.jpg HTTP/1.1” 200 35380 “http://www.fvsu.edu/” “Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS XI 10_10_3) AppleWebKit/600.6.3 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/8.0.6 Safari/600.6.3”

Cookies

Cookies are files that many websites transfer to users’ web browsers to enable the site to deliver personalized services or to provide persistent authentication. The information contained in a cookie typically includes information collected automatically by the web server and/or information provided voluntarily by the user. Our website uses persistent cookies in conjunction with a third party technology partner to analyze search engine usage and web traffic patterns. This information is used in the aggregate to monitor and enhance our web pages. It is not used to track the usage patterns of individual users.

Security

Our office is committed to ensuring the security of your information. We have put in place reasonable physical, technical and administrative safeguards designed to prevent unauthorized access to or use of the information collected online.

Sharing your information

We will not share your information with third parties except:

  • as required by law;
  • as necessary to protect Institute interests;
  • as necessary to further Institute research efforts pursuant to approvals from appropriate data stewards and the IRB; and/or
  • with service providers acting on our behalf who have agreed to protect the confidentiality of the data.

Links to other websites

This site may contain links to other websites not affiliated with the Institute. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these other sites. We encourage you to read the privacy statements of other sites for assurance that their practices safeguard your privacy.

Legal Notice

Notwithstanding any language to the contrary, nothing contained herein constitutes nor is intended to constitute an offer, inducement, promise, or contract of any kind. The data contained herein is for informational purposes only and is not represented to be error free. Any links to non-Fort Valley State University information are provided as a courtesy. They are not intended to nor do they constitute an endorsement by the Fort Valley State University of the linked materials.

European Union General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) Privacy Notice

Lawful Basis for Collecting and Processing of Personal Data

Fort Valley State University is an institute of higher education involved in education, research, and community development. In order for Fort Valley State University to educate its students both in class and on-line, engage in world-class research, and provide community services, it is essential, necessary, and Fort Valley State University has lawful bases to collect, process, use, and maintain data of its students, employees, applicants, research subjects, and others involved in its educational, research, and community programs. The lawful bases include, without limitation, admission, registration, delivery of classroom, on-line, and study abroad education, grades, communications, employment, applied research, development, program analysis for improvements, and records retention. Examples of data that Fort Valley State University may need to collect in connection with the lawful bases are: name, email address, IP address, physical address or other location identifier, photos, as well as some sensitive personal data obtained with prior consent.

For more information regarding the EU GDPR, please review Fort Valley State University’s EU General Data Protection Regulation Compliance Policy.

In addition, Fort Valley State University units may have their own EU GDPR-compliant Privacy Notice posted on their website.

Most of Fort Valley State University’s collection and processing of personal data will fall under the following categories:

  1. Processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by Fort Valley State University or third parties in providing education, employment, research and development, community programs.
  2. Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party or in order to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract. This lawful basis pertains primarily but not exclusively to research contracts.
  3. Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which Fort Valley State University is subject.
  4. The data subject has given consent to the processing of his or her personal data for one or more specific purposes. This lawful basis pertains primarily but not exclusively to the protection of research subjects, providing medical and mental health services.

There will be some instances where the collection and processing of personal data will be pursuant to other lawful bases.

Types of Personal Data collected and why

Fort Valley State University collects a variety of personal and sensitive data to meet one of its lawful bases, as referenced above. Most often the data is used for academic admissions, enrollment, educational programs, job hiring, provision of medical services, participation in research, development and community outreach. Data typically includes name, address, transcripts, work history, information for payroll, research subject information, medical and health information (for student health services, or travel), and donations. If you have specific questions regarding the collection and use of your personal data, please contact the Office of Legal Affairs at 478-445-4284.

If a data subject refuses to provide personal data that is required by Fort Valley State University in connection with one of Fort Valley State University’s lawful bases to collect such personal data, such refusal may make it impossible for Fort Valley State University to provide education, employment, research or other requested services.

FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) provides that “Directory Information” is information not generally considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. Directory Information is considered public information, but the categories of information that comprise Directory Information also comprise “personal data” under the EU GDPR. Please review Fort Valley State University’s definition of Directory Information for further information, including how to prohibit the release of Directory Information.

Where Fort Valley State University gets Personal Data and Special Categories of Sensitive Personal Data

Fort Valley State University receives personal data and special categories of sensitive personal data from multiple sources. Most often, Fort Valley State University gets this data directly from the data subject or under the direction of the data subject who has provided it to a third party (for example, application for admission to Fort Valley State University through use of the Common App).

Individual Rights of the Data Subject under the EU GDPR

Individual data subjects covered by Fort Valley State University’s EU General Data Protection Regulation Compliance Policy will be afforded the following rights:

  • information about the controller collecting the data
  • the data protection officer contact information
  • the purposes and legal basis/legitimate interests of the data collection/processing
  • recipients of the personal data
  • if Fort Valley State University intends to transfer personal data to another country or international organization
  • the period the personal data will be stored
  • the existence of the right to access, rectify incorrect data or erase personal data, restrict or object to processing, and the right to data portability
  • the existence of the right to withdraw consent at any time
  • the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority (established in the EU)
  • why the personal data are required, and possible consequences of the failure to provide the data
  • the existence of automated decision-making, including profiling
  • if the collected data are going to be further processed for a purpose other than that for which it was collected

Note: Exercising of these rights is a guarantee to be afforded a process and not the guarantee of an outcome.

Any data subject who wishes to exercise any of the above-mentioned rights may do so by filling such request with the Office of Legal Affairs at 478-445-4284.

Website Data Collected and Why; Cookies

Please see the Website section above for details regarding information collected from Fort Valley State University websites and Cookies.

Security of Personal Data subject to the EU GDPR

All personal data and special categories of sensitive personal data collected or processed by Fort Valley State University under the scope of the Fort Valley State University EU General Data Protection Regulation Compliance Policy

We will not share your information with third parties except:

  • as necessary to meet one of its lawful purposes, including but not limited to,
  • its legitimate interest,
  • contract compliance,
  • pursuant to consent provided by you,
  • as required by law;
  • as necessary to protect Fort Valley State University’s interests;
  • With service providers acting on our behalf who have agreed to protect the confidentiality of the data.

Fort Valley State University is a unit of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (the “BOR”), and data is shared with the BOR and its employees.

Georgia Open Records Act

As a state university, Fort Valley State University is subject to the provisions of the Georgia Open Records Act (ORA). Except for those records that are exempt from disclosure under the ORA, the ORA provides that all citizens are entitled to view the records of state agencies on request and to make copies for a fee. The ORA requires that Fort Valley State University produce public documents within three business days. For more information on Fort Valley State University’s ORA compliance, please visit the Open Records Act page on the Legal Affairs website.

Data Retention

Fort Valley State University keeps the data it collects for the time periods specified in the University System of Georgia Records Retention Schedules:

For examples of Student Records Retention Schedules, see: https://www.usg.edu/records_management/schedules/934

For examples of Human Resources (Employment) Records Retention Schedules, see: https://www.usg.edu/records_management/schedules/930