Privacy Policy

Purpose of Privacy Statement

Your privacy is important to Columbia College Chicago and we are committed to safeguarding the privacy of your personal data. This Privacy Statement outlines the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information provided to the college by students, faculty and staff, alumni, and other members of our community. When information is submitted to the college, or you use the college’s websites and other services, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of that information as described in this Privacy Statement. Please read this statement carefully.

College Use of Information

Columbia College Chicago collects and processes personal data from individuals only as necessary in the exercise of the college’s legitimate interests, functions, and responsibilities. Examples of how the college uses this information include:

Managing individuals who apply for employment at the college
Student recruiting, application, enrollment, and registration
Managing student housing
Managing student accounts
Developing, analyzing, and improving education programs
Advising and tracking academic progress; complying with regulations, audit, and business requirements
Other related college processes and functions

The college also collects information to conduct general demographic and statistical research to improve college programs, to identify appropriate support services or activities, provide reasonable accommodations, and enforce college policies or comply with applicable laws. Finally, Information may be shared by the college with third parties who have entered into contracts with the college to perform functions on behalf of the college, subject to the obligation of confidentiality and safeguarding from unauthorized disclosure.

Third Party Use of Information

The college does not disclose your personal information without your consent except where:

We engage service providers to assist us with the activities identified in this privacy statement or it is necessary to prevent crime or injury, or as otherwise required by law.
You have given consent for the college to do so.
When necessary for administering employment or social security benefits in accordance with applicable law or any applicable collective bargaining agreement, subject to the imposition of appropriate safeguards to prevent further unauthorized disclosure.
We may use and disclose information in de-identified, anonymized form without limitation

Cookies

The college may use cookies and other tracking technologies to help customize and improve your experience on our website and to provide a smoother browsing experience. We do not collect personal information through the use of tracking technology. Most browsers are set to accept cookies by default. You are free to reject and/or remove cookies, but be aware that such action could affect the availability and functionality of our websites and services.

Third-party Websites and Services

The college’s websites and services may contain links to third-party websites and services. Cookies may be collected, separately, by these third-party websites and services. By following the links to these third-party websites and services, please note that they may have their own privacy statements, separate to that of the college.

The college is not responsible for their privacy practices or the content. The cookie policies of these sites may change, and you should determine their policies by reviewing their privacy policies directly.

Retention and Destruction of Your Information

Your information will be retained by the college for as long as needed to fulfill the particular purpose for which it was collected. We may also retain your records if legally required to in accordance with applicable state and federal laws, and the applicable retention periods in the college’s Records Management policy.

Your information will be destroyed upon your request unless applicable law requires destruction after the expiration of an applicable retention period. The manner of destruction shall be appropriate to preserve and ensure the confidentiality of your information given the level of sensitivity, value, and criticality.

Your Rights

You have the right to request access to, a copy of, rectification, restriction in the use of, or erasure of your information in accordance with all applicable laws. The erasure of your information shall be subject to applicable state and federal laws, such as the GDPR, and the applicable retention periods in the college’s Records Management policy. If you have provided consent to the use of your information, you have the right to withdraw consent without affecting the lawfulness of the college’s use of the information prior to receipt of your request.

The college works with appropriate regulatory authorities to ensure compliance with all applicable laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Any applicable laws supersede this privacy policy.

Updates to This Privacy Statement

We may update or change this statement at any time. Your continued use of the college’s website and third-party applications after any such change indicates your acceptance of these changes. Please check back frequently to see any updates or changes to this privacy statement.

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