Accessibility Policy |
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Privacy Policy |
Website Linking Policy
The purpose of this policy is to educate visitors about privacy issues regarding the use of this site.
UT Southwestern is dedicated to protecting the privacy of our visitors. We do not actively share the personal information of our visitors. However, UT Southwestern is a public institution regulated by the Texas Public Information Act. As such, UT Southwestern could be forced to release some of the information gathered on this Web site to the proper legal agencies, if compelled by law.
Since UT Southwestern is an education facility, it is also subject to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). FERPA strictly prohibits the release of education records without the prior permission of the student in question. FERPA only applies to students of this institution.
UT Southwestern maintains several Web servers. Each Web server shall adhere to this privacy policy. All Web servers must post this privacy policy prominently on the home page of the Web server.
Third-party content and external links
UT Southwestern may post links to external Web sites or use content served from external third parties. For example, the www.utsouthwestern.edu Web site may include a graphic logo or a script from a third party. These links and third-party content are posted as a convenience to our visitors. These sites are not controlled by this institution's privacy policy. UT Southwestern is not responsible for the privacy policies and procedures of any external entity for which a link or third-party content is provided.
Collected information
UT Southwestern gathers information through this site in several ways:
- Server logs
- Cookies
- Online surveys
- E-commerce
- Public forums
Server logs
Our servers collect information through the process of Web traffic logs. These logs are collected for the purpose of optimizing and troubleshooting our servers. These logs may contain the following information:
- Host name (or Internet Protocol (IP) address) of the computer accessing the site
- A listing of Web pages requested per IP address
- The type of Web browser used (i.e., Internet Explorer, Netscape…)
- The date and time in which resources were requested
- Any unique Identifiers assigned by the site or site administrator (user name or e-mail address)
Cookies
Cookies are data stored on the visitor's computer by the web browser. Cookies are used to store session information on the visitor's computer. This storage eliminates the need for users to continue to change preferences for viewing certain aspects of the Web site.
Cookies are also used to store authentication information on the visitor's computer. This allows users to authenticate to the Web site at the beginning of the session and then continue to surf - until the browser is closed without continually re-authenticating each time a new Web page is requested.
Online Surveys
UT Southwestern is a research institution. We are constantly engaged in research trials that require the collection of data. It is the policy of this institution that all personal information collected will be used strictly in the pursuit of this research. Any participation in online surveys is strictly voluntary. UT Southwestern will not release personal information collected to any third parties unless required by the Texas Public Information Act. However, the findings of the research programs may be released to third parties with all identifying information removed from the data.
E-commerce
Web sites at UT Southwestern do enable you to pay for products, services or to make donations online with a credit card. These transactions are completely encrypted. It is the university's policy that the information you enter in the transaction will be solely used for the purpose described in the transaction and the information will only be retained until this transaction is complete. Any additional uses of information will be specifically stated on the Web site.
Public forums
UT Southwestern does not ordinarily log public chat sessions, however, any information disclosed in these areas becomes public information and you should therefore exercise caution when disclosing your confidential information.
Academic chat sessions and discussions forums may be stored, but they are protected from disclosure by FERPA.
Security and data integrity
UT Southwestern endeavors to create a safe and secure environment for your personal information. The university employs a diverse arrangement of security implementations to protect the privacy and accuracy of our visitors data. All web pages collecting personal information will use a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol to ensure your information is securely stored and transmitted.
Open records requests
Educational records governed by FERPA not withstanding, all information collected from this Web site may be subject to the Texas Public Information Act.
Texas Public Information Act
The Texas Public Information Act gives the user the right to be informed about the information that this institution collects about him or her. Under the Texas Public Information Act, the user has the right to request access of that information. He or She may also request corrections to any incorrect information. Any request to receive and review information, or request corrections to it, should be directed to the university Privacy Officer at 214-648-2000.
Patient confidentiality
UT Southwestern is committed to protecting the confidentiality of medical and personal information, as required by state and federal privacy laws. Information will be held in confidence and not released without proper authorization, unless the release of that information is required by other laws or regulations. To learn more about the ways UT Southwestern will safeguard information, please read the University's Notice of Privacy Practices:
If you have any questions about this notice, please call the UT Southwestern Privacy Officer at 214-648-2000.
Questions
For any questions, concerns or complaints about this policy, please contact this institution's Privacy Officer at 214-648-2000.
