WEB PRIVACY STATEMENT
TIA provides online information and services to students, employees and the public to supplement services provided on campus. This privacy statement provides information about privacy, confidentiality and related policies for individuals who use our websites and online services. Individual websites may provide additional information about privacy. Additional information about the use of computing and communications systems at TIA is available in the Parent and Student Handbook and the Computer Waiver form for students, and for employees in their Employee Handbook. The TIA website contains links to external websites. TIA is not responsible for the privacy practices or policies of those sites not hosted on official TIA servers.
INFORMATION COLLECTED BY TIA
In addition to information actively provided by individuals using TIA websites, the TIA web servers routinely record the following information each time the sites are used:
- Internet address of the computer being used
- Web pages requested
- Network software access
- Referring web page
- Browser used
- Date, time and duration of activity
- Accounts accessed; date and time of a password change
- Volume of data storage and transfers
- Server space used for e-mail.
TIA uses this information to monitor and preserve the functioning and integrity of the system.
In cases of suspected violations of TIA policies, especially unauthorized access to computing systems, the system administrator concerned may authorize detailed session logging. This may involve capturing and retaining a complete keystroke log of an entire session. In addition, a system administrator for the equipment involved may authorize limited searching of user files on individual or networked computers to gather evidence on a suspected violation. All system administrators are required to report such logging to their supervisors to assure proper TIA guidelines for system and network administration are being followed.
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. Additional information on cookies is available at the Cookie Central web site athttp://www.cookiecentral.com and in this publication from the Department of Energy Computer Incident Advisory Center athttp://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/bulletins/i-034.shtml. Some TIA websites use cookies to store service information. Some TIA web-based services require cookies for access.
ALTERNATIVES TO WEBSITE TRANSACTIONS
TIA websites provide access to information and services for students, employees and members of the public. If you prefer not to provide any information to our schools online, you may cancel the transaction and contact the administrative unit responsible for the service to learn about available options for conducting business in person, by mail or by telephone.
DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION
TIA does not sell or distribute confidential information it collects online to individuals or entities not affiliated with the TIA schools, except in the very limited circumstances described below. Non-confidential information may be sold or distributed pursuant to Arizona Public Records law.
TIA policies protect the confidentiality of student educational records and personnel information. These policies, summarized below, explain what information may be shared with the public or anyone who requests it. They also explain what information is protected as confidential; confidential information will not be disclosed without the consent of the student or employee, except under subpoena or court order or in case of an emergency.
STUDENT RECORDS
Student records are protected by the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Arizona law, and TIA policy. Normal, non-class news group postings or other forums are operated without archives but are subject to the backup policies on the machine hosting the service. Some class materials are treated as confidential educational records. Other class materials are available to the public in general.
PUBLIC RECORDS LAW
Under the Arizona Public Records Law, TIA may be required to provide information in school records to a third party. Commercial users may purchase public record information, such as non-confidential lists of students and employees. Confidential information protected by FERPA, other state laws or Board policy will not be disclosed in response to a public records request.
CONTRACTORS
From time to time, individuals or companies under contract with the TIA schools may have access to confidential information in the course of the service they provide to the university, but those entities are not permitted to use or re-disclose that information for unauthorized purposes. No other entities are authorized to collect information through TIA’s sites.
SECURITY
Although every effort is made to secure network communications, TIA cannot ensure the privacy of online communications. Individuals using online services should also take steps to protect personal information, such as closing the web browser when finished using the site. Failure to do so may result in personal information being viewed by someone else using the same computer. In general, using a browser in a public area (such as a Cyber Cafe) may leave history and cache files on the machine that others can abuse.
Under TIA policy, school-owned computers and equipment may be examined by authorized individuals to detect illegal software and to evaluate the security of the network. Personal computers connected to TIA’s network are also subject to TIA’s campus acceptable use policies.
If you have additional questions about School Privacy Policy for Tucson International Academy, please contact our main office at (520) 792-3255.
