Privacy Notice

HLC collects and uses personal data to ensure it provides individual users with information about news, services, community collaboration and professional learning opportunities that advance higher education. The information HLC holds enable its staff members to engage in basic communication with individuals, helps enhance individual experiences with HLC, including on the HLC website, and identifies improvement opportunities for HLC’s operations, communications, meetings and events.

HLC sometimes uses service providers (such as event contractors and registration systems) to collect and use personal data. Some examples of how HLC collects and uses data are as follows:

• When an individual user engages with HLC by creating a profile, HLC collects personal data about the individual, including (but not limited to) name, title, company name, work/home address, email address, phone number and demographics such as number of years in higher education, affiliations and professional interests. HLC asks individual users to voluntarily provide additional information related to curriculum vitae/resume, gender, ethnicity and other demographics, which is used to help HLC better understand and better advance the diversity of HLC’s community.
• HLC processes personal data to communicate about HLC-related events, content and other opportunities related to accreditation and HLC services. HLC may also use this information to understand member needs and interests to better tailor programs and services.
• HLC may use personal data to personalize user experience through recommendations on the website or in email, apps or other service platforms to provide users more relevant information.
• HLC may use personal data to reply to communications users send to HLC.
• HLC may use basic personal data from user profiles to automatically fill out forms with personal data for ease of use.
• HLC may use personal data to communicate essential information about transactions, such as an electronic receipt for a purchase or a confirmation of a conference registration, or to reimburse when necessary.
• HLC may inform individuals about HLC events, programs and services of potential interest, unless individual users have opted out of such communications (see “HLC Communications”).
• HLC includes name, organization’s name and state, contact information and photo in the HLC conference attendee directory to facilitate networking, unless an individual user opts to exclude the contact information.
• HLC retains information about transactional history and engagements, such as participation in events, webinars, volunteering, Peer Corps services and presenting at conferences to understand program and service use.
• If volunteering for an HLC working group or committee, the name, title and organization name of the volunteer may be stored in HLC’s systems and accessed on HLC’s web pages and materials produced by the group. Volunteers may request to be excluded from these listings.
• If an individual voluntarily participates in an HLC survey, interview or focus group to research a matter related to higher education or to gauge satisfaction with HLC services, the information provided is used in aggregate, unless otherwise noted, when producing research findings and reports, and to inform improvements to programs and services.
• HLC produces various publications, reports and educational materials, which are linked on the website. Much of the content is open access; however, some material requires a login for access. HLC uses login information to track how often individual users gain access to or read the content.
• HLC hosts many professional learning events throughout the year. These include in-person conferences like HLC’s annual conference, as well as live online trainings (collectively referred to as “events”). If registered for one of HLC’s events, a web profile is required (regardless of institutional membership status), and HLC will access this data to provide the individual user with information and services associated with the event. In addition, during the registration process, HLC collects voluntarily shared personal data regarding accessibility and dietary requests.
• HLC will collect information about speakers at HLC’s events including name, organization, and contact information. HLC may also collect information provided by event attendees who evaluated a speaker’s presentation and associate it with the speaker’s record in a database. In certain instances, and with the speaker’s approval, HLC will make and store a recording of the presentation.
• If submitting a proposal to present at an event, HLC will collect information about the presenter and co-presenters (if relevant) including name, organization, contact information, abstract and other information associated with the proposed session.
• HLC will collect information about individuals invited to evaluate proposals for an HLC event including name, organization, contact information and evaluations of the assigned proposals.
• HLC may share basic registration information, including name, title and institution name of a participant at particular events (e.g., webinar or preconference workshop) with the designated presenter(s) for the purpose of planning for the event and tailoring the presentation to the group.
• HLC keeps a record of attendee and presenter participation at HLC events, which may be used by HLC to provide attendees and presenters with information about other relevant HLC services, or to understand individuals’ interests and tailor offerings to meet their needs.
• In association with attending particular conferences, attendees will have the option to download the HLC conference mobile app to navigate the conference and plan a schedule. The mobile app may require the device identifier associated with the device, but does not require the collection or use of any other personal data—outside of what the user chooses to provide as part of the participant profile.
• Some of HLC’s events are sponsored. As a matter of practice, HLC does not share attendee names, email addresses and postal mail addresses with corporate participants at HLC conferences without the attendee’s consent.
• As is common practice on most websites, HLC collects certain information automatically on HLC’s website and stores it in log files. This information is erased after 26 months as noted in Google Analytics policies. As individual users interact on HLC’s website, HLC may collect information about the user’s computer or device, and his or her visits to HLC’s website (“automatically collected data”) through cookies, Internet Protocol (IP) address tracking/URL tracking and other tools (collectively referred to as “tracking technologies”). Cookies are text files placed on a user’s computer to collect standard internet log information and visitor behavior information (for further information and instructions on how to set your browser not to accept cookies, visit allaboutcookies.org). The types of automatically collected data on HLC’s website through the use of these and other tools include: the search terms used, new or returning user information, browser information, computer or device type, operating system, internet service provider, website usage, referring/exit pages, platform type, date/time stamp, number of clicks and ads viewed. HLC may use information about an IP address to help diagnose problems with HLC’s server, analyze trends, track visitor engagements, and gather information that assists HLC in identifying visitor preferences. HLC also may use an IP address to enhance security and investigate an actual or potential security incident.
• Please note that HLC’s website may offer some links to external sites, to which these privacy practices do not apply. HLC makes no representations or guarantees regarding the policies or business practices of other websites.
• Incoming correspondence to HLC whether transmitted by email, the postal service, or otherwise may be retained and used to respond to an inquiry; to notify an individual of HLC conferences, publications, or other services; or to keep a record of a complaint, accommodation request, and the like.
• HLC reserves the right to use the personal data that it collects to identify the source of any inappropriate use of information resources managed by HLC, including, but not limited to, offensive or illegal postings to online discussion lists, collaboration sites and other communication vehicles; denial-of-service actions; unauthorized use of online services and network infrastructure; misuse or unauthorized use of the HLC name, logo or other representations of HLC; and to protect the personal safety and privacy of HLC employees and service providers, members, online users and the public under the policies and practices described in this Privacy Notice.
• When HLC goods or services are purchased using a credit or debit card, or institutional dues and fees owed to HLC are paid using a credit or debit card, the information is provided directly by individual users into a PCI/DSS-compliant payment processing service (ePay or registration system) to which HLC subscribes. Neither HLC nor its websites process or store card information.