Privacy Notices
Below are Georgia State University’s privacy notices for both its website and for data privacy, including for compliance with the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (“EU GDPR”).
For Privacy Questions Contact:
Cody Benson
Sr. Director of Digital Strategy
Public Relations & Marketing Communications
Georgia State University
[email protected]
Website
What we collect and why
Georgia State University (GSU) collects information from individuals or entities when they access any GSU website. Information that is collected from this contact is the contactor’s IP address, date and time of the website access along with the web pages(s) visited. In addition, GSU may also collect any information that it receives from your web browser, including browser type and version, and operating system. This information helps us understand aggregate uses of our site, track usage trends and improve our services.
The following is a typical log entry when someone visits our website:
73.207.112.121 130.207.244.191 - - [01/Apr2018:12:45:32 -0400] "GET /files/uploads/06/2014/studentonbike.jpg HTTP/1.1" 200 35380 "http://admissions.gsu.edu/howtoapply" "Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 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 GSU interests;
- as necessary to further GSU 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 GSU. 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.
European Union General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) Privacy Notice
Lawful Basis for Collecting and Processing of Personal Data
GSU is an institute of higher education involved in education, research, and community engagement. In order for GSU to educate its students both in class and on-line, engage in world-class research, and provide community services, it is essential, necessary (and GSU has lawful bases) for GSU 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 GSU 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.
Most of GSU’s collection and processing of personal data will fall under the following categories:
- Processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by GSU or third parties in providing education, employment, research and development, community programs.
- 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.
- Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which GSU is subject. This lawful basis pertains primarily but not exclusively to compliance with state and federal laws. Examples are providing enrollment data to the U.S. Department of Education and providing employment and payroll data as required by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
- 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
GSU 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 Public Relations & Marketing Communications at [email protected].
If a data subject refuses to provide personal data that is required by GSU in connection with one of GSU’s lawful bases to collect such personal data, such refusal may make it impossible for GSU to provide education, employment, research or other requested services.
Where GSU gets Personal and Sensitive Personal Data
GSU receives personal and sensitive personal data from multiple sources. Most often, GSU 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 GSU through use of the Common App).
Individual Rights of the Data Subject under the EU GDPR
Individual data subjects covered by GSU’s EU General Data Protection Regulation Compliance 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 GSU 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
Any data subject who wishes to exercise any of the above-mentioned rights may do so by filling such request with the Office of Public Relations and Marketing Communication at at [email protected].
Security of Personal Data subject to the EU GDPR
All personal data and sensitive personal data collected or processed by GSU under the scope of the GSU EU General Data Protection Regulation Compliance must comply with the security controls and systems and process requirements and standards of GSU policies.
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 GSU’s interests;
- with service providers acting on our behalf who have agreed to protect the confidentiality of the data.
Data Retention
GSU keeps the data it collects for the time periods specified in the University System of Georgia Records Retention Schedules: https://www.usg.edu/records_management/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
Data Subject Requests (DSR)
Individuals, in their capacity as “data subjects,” have the right to make requests to review the personal data that GSU has collected about them. A data subject request (DSR) is a request from an individual to GSU asking for their personal data held by GSU. GSU has created a DSR process and workflow to facilitate such requests. To request your information via a DSR, please use the link below to complete the form: