American International College ("AIC") is fully committed to providing an informative, useful, and engaging website for its visitors. This privacy policy sets out how AIC uses and protects any information that you give to AIC when you use AIC-controlled and operated websites as well as other information you may provide to us from time to time.
American International College is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website or through other mechanisms, it will only be used in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
Our web servers automatically collect information from site visitors, such as IP addresses and browser information, in order to optimize users' web experience and analyze traffic patterns. The web servers gather information about the particulars of a visitor's visit through the College website such as the web page from which a visitor enters the site, the pages within the site visited, how long a visitor is on the site, and other such information that will help American International College evaluate and improve its site. This information is collected and analyzed on a summary basis only. It is not personally identifiable.
We collect Personally Identifiable Information only when voluntarily provided by website users. We only receive personal information about site visitors through our online forms, when you register, subscribe, open a support ticket or otherwise enter information on our site. When using our site, you may be asked to enter your name, email address, mailing address, phone number, social security number, date of birth or any combination of data that could be used to identify you. This information is collected for the purposes of recruitment, admission to the College, communications, academics, verification of identity, account details (e.g.: username and password) and transaction details (e.g.: when you pay tuition or make purchases).
We may use the information we collect from you when you register, make a purchase, sign up for a newsletter, respond to a survey or marketing communication, surf the website, or use certain other site features in the following ways:
American International College adheres to a policy of compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The policy is found separately as part of the Student Handbook.
Cookies are small files that a site uses, or its service provider transfers to, your computer's hard drive through your Web browser (if you allow). This enables the site's or service provider's systems to recognize your browser to capture and remember certain information. For instance, they are used to help us understand your preferences based on previous or current site activity, which enables us to provide you with improved services. We also use cookies to help us compile aggregate data about site traffic and site interaction so that we can offer better site experiences and tools in the future. Usage of a cookie is not linked to any personal data.
We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your Personally Identifiable Information unless we provide users with advance notice. This does not include website hosting partners and other parties who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or serving our users, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential. We may also release information when its release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce our site policies, or protect ours or others' rights, property or safety.
Occasionally, at our discretion, we may include or offer third-party products or services on our website. These third-party sites have separate and independent privacy policies. We therefore have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these linked sites. Nonetheless, we seek to protect the integrity of our site and welcome any feedback about these sites.
AIC uses a number of select third-party vendors to provide anonymous statistical data about site usage, content consumption, and sources of traffic to the websites. Such data allows the institution to quantify the popularity of content, the effectiveness of digital and non-digital advertising campaigns, and to identify patterns that could assist in optimizing paths to key features on the websites or eliminate problem areas.
You have certain rights regarding the personal information we hold about you, subject to local law. These may include the right to access, correct, delete, restrict or object to our use of, or receive a portable copy in a usable electronic format of your personal information. You also may have a right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection or privacy regulator.
AIC's offices are located in the United States. However, when you visit our website you acknowledge that in using our website to send electronic communications, you will be causing communications to be sent through the computer networks of AIC and our service providers, portions of which may be located within or outside the United States. By providing information through the website you consent to the collection, transfer, storage and processing of such information to and in the United States. Such information will be subject to U.S. law, and U.S. privacy and data protection laws, which may not be equivalent to the laws in other countries.
AIC engages in a number of international activities such as study abroad programs. In connection with those activities, AIC may transfer information to our employees or students when in other countries or to third party management companies in other countries. By submitting your information for an international activity you consent to such transfers.
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation EU 2016/679) (also known as GDPR), if you are a resident or an individual within a European Union country, you have certain rights as a data subject that are protected by the GDPR. AIC commits to facilitating the exercise of these rights. To request information about or avail yourself of those rights, please send an email to dataprivacy@aic.edu with "GDPR Request" in the subject line. In the email please describe, with specificity, the GDPR right for which you are requesting assistance.
Although AIC makes every effort to preserve user privacy, AIC reserves the right to disclose personal information in response to duly authorized information requests of governmental authorities or where required by law. This may include, but is not limited to, protection of our legal rights, protection against fraud, for risk management purposes, or to comply with a current judicial proceeding, court order, or legal process.
AIC considers personal data privacy an ongoing responsibility and will regularly review and update our privacy policy and practices, at minimum annually. AIC will notify you of changes to our privacy policy that affect personal data through email and a notice on our homepage (www.aic.edu). If AIC makes any material changes to our privacy policy or practices that do not affect personal information, we will post a notice on our website.
CONTACTING US
If there are any questions regarding this privacy policy, you may contact us using the information below:
www.aic.edu
1000 State Street
Springfield, MA 01109
dataprivacy@aic.edu
Current Version: May 15, 2019
Previous version: imbedded in various policies or documents