SUNY Privacy Policy

Consistent with the provisions of the Internet Security and Privacy Act, the Freedom of Information Law, the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA), and the Personal Privacy Protection Law, this policy describes SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s privacy practices regarding information collected from users of this website. Because this privacy policy only applies to this website, you should examine the privacy policy of any website, including other SUNY Polytechnic Institute websites, that you access using this website.

For purposes of this policy, personal information means any information concerning a natural person which, because of name, number, symbol, mark, or other identifier, can be used to identify that natural person.

SUNY Polytechnic Institute does not collect any personal information about you unless you provide that information voluntarily by sending an e-mail, submitting a web form, or completing an on-line transaction.

When visiting this website, SUNY Polytechnic Institute automatically collects and stores the following information about your visit:

(i) User client hostname. The hostname or Internet Protocol address of the user requesting access to the SUNY Polytechnic Institute website.

(ii) HTTP header, “user agent.” The user agent information includes the type of browser, its version, and the operating system on which that the browser is running.

(iii) HTTP header, “referrer.” The referrer specifies the web page from which the user accessed the current web page.

(iv) System date. The date and time of the user’s request.

(v) Full request. The exact request the user made.

(vi) Status. The status code the server returned to the user.

(vii) Content length. The content length, in bytes, of any document sent to the user.

(viii) Method. The request method used.

(ix) Universal Resource Identifier (URI). The location of a resource on the server. (x) Query string of the URI. Anything after the question mark in a URI.

(xi) Protocol. The transport protocol and the version used.

None of the foregoing information is deemed to constitute personal information.

The information that is collected automatically is used to improve this website’s content and to help SUNY Polytechnic Institute understand how users are interacting with the website. This information is collected for statistical analysis, to determine what information is of most and least interest to our users, and to improve the utility of the material available on the website. The information is not collected for commercial marketing purposes and SUNY Polytechnic Institute is not authorized to sell or otherwise disclose the information collected from the website for non-university commercial marketing purposes.

Cookies are simple text files stored on your web browser to provide a means of distinguishing among users of this website. The use of cookies is a standard practice among Internet websites. To better serve you, we occasionally use “session cookies” to enhance or customize your visit to this website. Session cookies that can be created automatically on the device you use to access this SUNY Polytechnic Institute website, do not contain personal information, and do not compromise your privacy or security. We may use the cookie feature to store a randomly generated identifying tag on the device you use to access this website. A session cookie is erased during operation of your browser or when your browser is closed.

We also use “persistent cookies” that are stored on your computer’s hard drive. Persistent cookies that can be created automatically on the device you use to access this SUNY Polytechnic Institute website, do not contain personal information, and do not compromise your privacy or security. We may use the cookie feature to store a randomly generated identifying tag on the device you use to access this website. We may also use persistent cookies on our forms website, webapp.sunypoly.edu/forms, to store session data for logged-in users. This session data allows logged-in users to remain logged in as they navigate the forms website.

The software and hardware you use to access this website allows you to refuse new cookies or delete existing cookies. Refusing or deleting these cookies may limit your ability to take advantage of some features of this website.

In order to provide visitors with certain information, this website provides links to local, state and federal government agencies, and websites of other organizations. A link does not constitute an endorsement of the content, viewpoint, accuracy, opinions, policies, products, services or accessibility of that website. Once you link to another website from this website, including one maintained by SUNY Polytechnic Institute, you are subject to the terms and conditions of that website, including, but not limited to, its privacy policy.

Information provided on this website is intended to allow visitors immediate access to public information. While all attempts are made to provide accurate, current and reliable information, SUNY Polytechnic Institute recognizes the possibility of human and/or mechanical error.

Therefore, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, its employees, officers and agencies make no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, currency or suitability of the information provided by this site, and deny any expressed or implied warranty as to the same.

During your visit to this website you may send an e-mail to SUNY Polytechnic Institute. Your e- mail address and the contents of your message will be collected. The information collected is not limited to text characters and may include audio, video, and graphic information formats included in the message. Your e-mail address and the information included in your message will be used to respond to you, to address issues you identify, to improve this website, or to forward your message to another SUNY or State agency for appropriate action. Your e-mail address is not collected for non-university commercial purposes and SUNY Polytechnic Institute is not authorized to sell or otherwise disclose your e-mail address for non-university commercial purposes.

During your visit to this website you may complete a transaction such as a survey, registration, application, form submission, financial transaction, authenticated file access, order form or other business or academic transaction. The information, including personal information, volunteered by you in completing the transaction is used by SUNY Polytechnic Institute to operate SUNY Polytechnic Institute programs, which include the provision of goods, services, and information. The information collected by SUNY Polytechnic Institute may be disclosed by SUNY Polytechnic Institute for those purposes that may be reasonably ascertained from the nature and terms of the transaction in which the information was submitted.

SUNY Polytechnic Institute does not knowingly collect personal information from children or create profiles of children through this website. Users are cautioned, however, that the collection of personal information submitted in an e-mail will be treated as though it was submitted by an adult, and may, unless exempted from access by federal or State law, be subject to public access. SUNY Polytechnic Institute strongly encourages parents and teachers to be involved in children’s Internet activities and to provide guidance whenever children are asked to provide personal information on-line.

As noted above, SUNY Polytechnic Institute does not collect any personal information about you unless you provide that information voluntarily by filing an application, completing a financial transaction, sending an e-mail, responding to a survey, responding to an authentication request, or completing an on-line form. You may choose not to send us an e-mail, respond to a survey, respond to the authentication request, or complete an on-line form. While your choice not to participate in these activities may limit your ability to receive specific services or products through this website, it may not normally have an impact on your ability to take advantage of other features of this website, including some browsing or downloading information.

The collection of information through this website and the disclosure of that information are subject to the provisions of the Internet Security and Privacy Act. SUNY Polytechnic Institute will only collect personal information through this website or disclose personal information collected through this website if the user has consented to the collection or disclosure of such personal information. The voluntary disclosure of personal information to SUNY Polytechnic Institute by the user, whether solicited or unsolicited, constitutes consent to the collection and disclosure of the information by SUNY Polytechnic Institute for the purposes for which the user disclosed the information to SUNY Polytechnic Institute, as was reasonably ascertainable from the nature and terms of the disclosure.

However, SUNY Polytechnic Institute may collect or disclose personal information without consent if the collection or disclosure is: (1) necessary to perform the statutory duties of the university, or necessary for SUNY Polytechnic Institute to operate a program authorized by law, or authorized by state or federal statute or regulation; (2) made pursuant to a court order or by law; (3) for the purpose of validating the identity of the user; or (4) of information to be used solely for statistical purposes that is in a form that cannot be used to identify any particular person.

Further, the disclosure of information, including personal information, collected through this website is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Law, the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA), and the Personal Privacy Protection Law.

SUNY Polytechnic Institute may also disclose personal information to federal, state, or local law enforcement authorities to comply with court orders, the provisions of The Patriot Act of 2001, or enforce its rights against unauthorized access or attempted unauthorized access to SUNY Polytechnic Institute‘s information technology assets.

The information collected through this website is retained by SUNY Polytechnic Institute in accordance with the records retention and disposition requirements of the New York State Arts and Cultural Affairs Law. In general, the Internet services logs of SUNY Polytechnic Institute, comprising electronic files or automated logs created to monitor access and use of Agency services provided through this website, are retained for 28 days and then destroyed, or for a period specified in a website-specific addendum to this policy.

Information, including personal information, that you submit in an e-mail or when you complete a survey, application, financial transaction, registration form, or order form is retained in accordance with the records retention and disposition schedule established for the records of the program unit to which you submitted the information. Information concerning these records retention and disposition schedules may be obtained through the privacy compliance office.

Any user may submit a request to the SUNY Polytechnic Institute privacy compliance office to determine whether personal information pertaining to that user has been collected through this website. Any such request shall be made in writing and must be accompanied by reasonable proof of identity of the user. Reasonable proof of identity may include verification of a signature, inclusion of an identifier generally known only to the user, or similar appropriate identification.

The privacy compliance office shall, within five (5) business days of the receipt of a proper request, provide access to the personal information; deny access in writing, explaining the reasons therefore; or acknowledge the receipt of the request in writing, stating the approximate date when the request will be granted or denied, which date shall not be more than thirty (30) days from the date of the acknowledgment.

In the event that SUNY Polytechnic Institute has collected personal information pertaining to a user through the SUNY Polytechnic Institute website and that information is to be provided to the user pursuant to the user’s request, the privacy compliance office shall inform the user of his or her right to request that the personal information be amended, corrected, or removed under the procedures set forth in section 95 of the Public Officers Law.

SUNY Polytechnic Institute is strongly committed to protecting personal information collected through this website against unauthorized access, use or disclosure. Consequently, SUNY Polytechnic Institute limits employee access to personal information collected through this website to only those employees who need access to the information in the performance of their official duties. Employees who have access to this information follow appropriate procedures in connection with any disclosures of personal information.

In addition, SUNY Polytechnic Institute has implemented procedures to safeguard the integrity of its information technology assets, including, but not limited to, authentication, monitoring, scanning, auditing, and encryption. These security procedures have been integrated into the design, implementation, and day-to-day operations of this website as part of our continuing commitment to the security of electronic content as well as the electronic transmission of information.

The information provided in this policy should not be construed as giving business, legal, or other advice, or warranting as fail proof, the security of information provided through this website.

For questions regarding this privacy policy, please contact: contact@sunypoly-rsc.org.