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Privacy Policy

                           University of the Southwest Privacy Policy

  1. Introduction

    2. The University of the Southwest web site is an informational resource for prospective and current students, USW staff, alumni, supporters of the University, and the general public. University of the Southwest recognizes the importance of assuring the privacy of individuals and businesses who may access the University web site. This privacy policy applies to all pages that are maintained by University of the Southwest. This policy is consistent with the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA). This policy explains what information is collected on the site and how that information is used. Because this policy only applies to the University of the Southwest web site, users should carefully examine the privacy policy of any website, including any other sites accessed through the USW web pages.

  2. Disclaimer

    3. The USW web site may contain links to external websites. University of the Southwest is not responsible for privacy practices or policies of those sites not hosted by USW. University of the Southwest maintains its web site on an on-going basis, but it does not represent, guarantee, or warrant that all information provided is accurate, complete, current, or suitable for the viewer's purposes. University of the Southwest specifically disclaims any and all liability for claims or damages that may result from its web site or information contained therein, including any web sites maintained by third parties and linked to University of the Southwest web site, for which responsibility lies with the entity providing the information. A link from the University of the Southwest web site in no way implies authorization or endorsement of that site by University of the Southwest.

  3. Personal Information

    1. Personal information is defined in this policy as any information including name, phone number(s), addresses, symbols, marks, or other identifiers which could be used to identify the user. The USW web site will only collect personal information which is provided voluntarily by email, survey response, the enabling of the user’s computer to reveal the user’s name on that system, or completing on-line transactions. University of the Southwest does not sell or disclose information collected to outside sources.

    2. If an electronic mail message with a question or comment that contains personally identifying information is sent, or an online form containing personal information is submitted, only the personally-identifiable information will be used to respond to the request and analyze trends. The email message or submitted form may be redirected to another employee who is in a better position to answer the question. Some departments ask that forms be submitted in regard to acceptance into the school or their individual program and are reviewed by admittance committees.

    3. For site management functions, information is collected for analysis and statistical purposes. This information is not reported or used in any manner that would reveal personally identifiable information and will not be released to any outside parties unless legally required to do so to comply with court orders, the provisions of The Patriot Act of 2001 or to enforce the University’s rights against unauthorized access or attempted unauthorized access to the University of the Southwest’s information technology systems.

    4. University of the Southwest is committed to protecting all personal information collected from this web site against unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. Employee access to personal information is limited to those employees who use the information in the performance of official duties. Employees who access personal information follow appropriate procedures in connection with any disclosure of personal information as outlined in FERPA.

  4. Cookies

    5. University of the Southwest may use cookies to track the date of last visit to a specific page or to identify a session at a particular web site. Cookies are short pieces of information used by web browsers to remember information provided by the user, such as passwords and preferences from past visits. Some web-based services require cookies for access. If the user chooses to complete a registration on any of the USW pages, a “persistent cookie” may be stored on the user’s computer hard drive. Persistent cookies allow the website to recognize the user and personalize the information presented upon each return visit to the website. USW uses persistent cookies only with the permission of the user. The software and hardware used to browse the internet allows the user to refuse new cookies or delete existing cookies. Refusing or deleting cookies limits may the ability to take advantage of some features of the USW web pages. The USW site permits non-personally identifiable information collection for Interest-Based Advertising through the use of cookies, pixels and other technologies. This data may be used by a third party to make predictions about your interests in order to provide you ads (from us and other members) while browsing the internet. Should you wish to opt out of this service you can do so by visiting the NIA or DAA pages.

  5. Server Logs

    6. University of the Southwest uses log analysis tools to create summary statistics, which are used for purposes such as assessing what information is of most interest to web site visitors, determining technical design specifications, and identifying system performance or problem areas. The following information may be collected for this analysis including, but not limited to:

    • User Client hostname - The hostname (or IP address if DNS is disabled) of the user/client requesting access.
    • HTTP header, "user-agent" - The user-agent information includes the type of browser, its version, and the operating system it is running on.
    • HTTP header, "referer" - The referer specifies the page from which the client accessed the current page.
    • System date - The date and time of the user/client request.
    • Full request - The exact request the user/client made.
    • Status - The status code the server returned to the user/client.
    • Content length - The content length of the document sent to the user/client.
    • Method - The request method used.
    • Universal Resource Identifier (URI) - The location of a resource on the server.
    • Query string of the URI - Anything after the question mark in a URI.
    • Protocol - The transport protocol and version used.

To download a PDF of this policy click here.

For questions or comments regarding this policy or to report a violation of this policy, contact:

University of the Southwest
6610 Lovington Highway
Hobbs, NM 88240
United States of America
privacy@usw.edu
575.392.6561