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Privacy Policy

Overview

Wingate University has created this privacy policy to demonstrate our firm commitment to your privacy.

This privacy policy describes the information Wingate University (“Wingate”, “we”, “us”) collects about you and how it is shared or otherwise used, what rights and choices you have over your personal information and our use of it, and the measures that Wingate takes to protect your information. This privacy policy applies to personal information collected by or on behalf of Wingate, including information collected through our websites and mobile versions of our websites (collectively, the “Site”); our mobile apps; blogs; or by phone; and anywhere else where we display this privacy policy (collectively the “Platforms”). By using the Platforms, you accept and consent to the terms of our privacy policy in effect at the time of your visit.

The University collects personal information that you send to Wingate, or permit us to obtain from third parties, for purposes relevant to University operations in pursuit of its academic mission. Examples include information needed for student admission (including financial aid information), employment, gifts/fundraising, institutional research, and surveys.

We may use your user information in order to process student, financial aid, or job applications, student or employee registrations, and other services and benefits that we provide to our students, employees and other persons. Any email address, postal mailing address, phone number or other contact information you provide may be used to send you information, respond to inquiries, and/or other requests or questions. We also collect information from you when you access Wingate's website and when you subscribe to our email services.

Wingate will not sell personal information to any outside entity. However, we may share your data internally between departments or with third-party service providers as otherwise described in this statement.

Applicability of this Policy

This policy applies to anyone who provides or has previously provided personal information to Wingate, who authorizes Wingate to obtain data from third parties (e.g., Common Application), or who accesses Wingate Platforms.

Location of Servers and Transfer Information to the United States

The data stored by the University is stored on campus servers in the United States or in cloud-hosted services which are largely outside the European Union. If you are located outside the United States, please note that your personal data will be transferred to and stored on a server most likely located in the United States. By submitting your personal data to the University, you consent to this transfer and to the collection, storage, processing and use of your personal data in the United States.

Online Forms

When you submit information or requests through any of the University's online forms, information, including contact information, email addresses and other data is collected. Form information may be shared between University departments in the ways described in this privacy policy.

Data Sharing with Third Party Service Providers and Others

On occasion, the University may contract with outside service providers including but not limited to outside service vendors and SaaS software vendors. If necessary, the University may share personal data with the third party for completion of the services. We do not provide data to a third party for any purpose that is not directly related to University business. If data is provided to a third party, it is usable only as described in a contract defining the service agreement and must be destroyed or returned at the end of the contract according to the terms of the agreement. Before entering into such a contract with a third party, the University reviews vendor data security practices and seeks assurances that vendors comply with relevant industry best practices or governing standards and laws where appropriate.

We may also provide your information to third parties in circumstances in which we believe that doing so is necessary or appropriate to: satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or governmental request; detect, prevent or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues; or protect rights, property or safety. Wingate may also share information with third parties in aggregated form, after personally identifiable information has been removed, for higher education research purposes.

Site Activity Data and Data Logging

When you visit the wingate.edu domains or our Platforms, site activity information may be gathered with the use of cookies or pixels.

  • Your Internet location (IP address)

  • Which pages you visit on our site

  • From which page you came to our site (referring site)

  • Date and time

  • Which software you use to visit our site and its configuration

Cookies are small files that are stored on your computer unless you block them. We use cookies to save your preferences for future visits and compile aggregate data about site traffic and interactions. We may contract with third-party service providers to assist us in better understanding our site visitors and to improve site functionality. You may disable cookies through your individual browser options.

Tracking pixels, like cookies, can be written into websites and other digital marketing materials. Pixels are used to provide analytics and insight into web traffic, digital preferences and activity. Data curated from the pixel is managed directly by the third-party platform responsible for providing the pixel (Facebook, Google, Twitter etc.). You can manage what these platforms can collect about your online activity by managing your personal privacy and advertising settings within those platforms.

Beyond the wingate.edu main web site and Platforms, Wingate's servers automatically collect and log information when you use Wingate's other web sites or computer systems. Log data may include your Internet Protocol (IP) address, date and time the website or systems were used, and technical information about your devices and preferences. Log data may be used to facilitate your access to Wingate websites and services, monitor system performance, troubleshoot problems, and facilitate Wingate's response in the event of prohibited uses of computing resources, or unauthorized access to sensitive data.

Social Media, Analytics and Digital Marketing

Wingate uses online services and social media platforms to share information through organic and paid digital campaigns and to gather data for the purposes of analyzing trends, improving user experience and enhancing the accuracy of marketing campaigns. These sites and services may gather anonymous and personal data directly from you based on your online activity and personal privacy settings. Individual users are encouraged to monitor and adjust their personal privacy and security settings across the various online platforms as they deem appropriate.

On occasion, the University may provide personal data to a third party social media platform or other vendor for the purpose of enhancing the accuracy of our digital marketing campaigns.

If data is provided to a third party, it is usable only as described in a written contract or as part of the third-party terms of service agreement. Wingate reviews data security practices and requires the third party comply with relevant industry best practices, governing standards and laws where appropriate. The terms of service for several platforms are accessible in the suggested links document.

Text Messaging and Alerts – Opting In and Out

In certain cases, Wingate uses text messaging and mobile alerts.  Our mobile Platforms give you the choice to opt-in to receiving text messages on the mobile phone number(s) you have shared with us as further described below. Once you have opted-in, depending on the choices you made, we or our service providers may send you text messages (i) regarding University events; (ii) to investigate or prevent fraud; (iii) to alert you in the event of an emergency; or (iv) for transactional and promotional purposes. We may send you text messages and alerts using autodialed technology. You do not have to opt-in to text messages and alerts to use and enjoy our Platforms. If you opt-in, standard messaging and data rates may apply. You can always opt-out of text messages by replying STOP and can turn off push notifications through our mobile application or by adjusting the settings on your mobile device.

How We Protect Your Data

We use commercially reasonable physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to assist us in preventing unauthorized access, use and disclosure of your personal information. However, because no measure is ever 100% effective, we do not guarantee that your personal information will be secure from theft, loss, or unauthorized access or use, and we make no representation as to the reasonableness, efficacy, or appropriateness of the measures we use to safeguard such data.

COPPA Compliance

The University complies with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 2013 ("COPPA"). COPPA imposes certain requirements on operators of websites or online services directed to children under 13 years of age, and on operators of other websites or online services that have actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information online from a child under 13 years of age. It is our policy to refrain from knowingly collecting or maintaining personally identifiable information relating to any person under the age of 13. If you are under the age of 13, please do not supply any personally identifiable information through the site. If you are under the age of 13 and have already provided personally identifiable information through the site, please have your parent or guardian contact us immediately using the information below so that we can remove such information from our files. If we become aware that a child under age 13 has provided us with Information, we will delete such information from our files.

Billing and Credit Card Information

To enable payment via our merchant services provider, credit card information collected by Wingate is only used to process your transaction. Credit card information will only be shared with third parties who are contracted with Wingate to complete the purchase transaction (e.g., those who help fulfill orders and process credit card payments). Credit card information is not stored on Wingate servers. For recurring draft donors, we do store bank account numbers and financial institution routing numbers to complete monthly transactions.

Users Outside of the United States

Wingate is located in the United States and our Platforms are operated in the United States. The Platforms and our services are not targeted at individuals outside the United States. If you are located outside of the United States, please be aware that information we collect, including personal information, will be transferred to, and processed, stored and used by us and other third parties outside of the country in which you reside, including in the United States. The data protection laws in the United States may differ from those in the country in which you are located. By providing personal information through our Platforms, you agree that the personal information will be transferred, processed, used, and stored as set forth in this policy and the laws of the United States. 

Disclaimer

The information found on the Wingate website and Platforms provides links to external websites located outside the wingate.edu domain. Wingate is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of the external websites to which we link.

Additional Information

Our privacy policy is subject to change as we utilize new technologies and improve our Platforms. We reserve the right to change, modify or amend this policy at any time; therefore, we encourage you to review our privacy policy each time you use our Platforms. Material changes to this policy will be posted on our Site to keep you aware of how personal information is collected, how it is used, and under what circumstances it will be shared. Your continued use of the Platforms indicates your consent to the changes as of the last updated date indicated on this privacy policy.

Alumni, Donor, and Friends of the University Data

In addition to the general privacy provisions above, the following information applies to the personal data of alumni, donors, and friends of the University:

Personal Information We Collect

The University may collect, use, store and transfer the following personal information:

  1. Biographical and contact information - addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and social media contact information

  2. Demographic information - names, gender, birth and death dates, photograph, religious affiliation and ethnicity (solely if you choose to provide religious affiliation and ethnic information)

  3. Student information obtained from Wingate records - degrees, majors, sports participation, awards, clubs and activities

  4. Employment information - company names, job titles, and industry information

  5. Family information - spouse/partner names, children's names and birth dates, and familial relationships

  6. Alumni information - event attendance, volunteer interests, organization affiliations, committee participation, awards and honors

  7. Donor information - giving information regarding any donation which is made, including wealth assessment information and indicators of interest in giving

  8. Analytical information - aggregated information related to web visitor activity, social media activity, and email marketing actions

We consider our relationship with alumni, donors, and friends of the University to be lifelong. This means that we will maintain a record for you until such time as you tell us that you no longer wish us to keep in touch. You may also make changes to communication preferences by contacting the Office of Advancement at advancement@wingate.edu and (704) 233-8122.

How We Use Your Personal Information

We use your personal information for a number of legitimate purposes, all in support of Wingate and its mission. Specifically, we use your personal contact information (including addresses, emails, phone numbers, and social media contact information) to:

  1. Keep you updated with information about Wingate

  2. Provide alumni services

  3. Fundraise for Wingate

  4. Send you information about events and volunteer activities

  5. Conduct philanthropic preference research to inform our fundraising strategy and target our communications

  6. Perform administrative tasks and for internal record keeping purposes

  7. Create and analyze aggregated (fully anonymized) information for statistical research purposes in support of our educational mission.

Wingate University Employees and Volunteers

Wingate maintains personal information about constituents in the database of record. Depending on the responsibilities of a University employee, this information may be visible to staff members. Contact information may be shared with volunteers or student employees for the purposes of outreach regarding gatherings, University-related fundraising activities or networking opportunities. The University outlines privacy expectations with all staff and student employees as well as volunteers and requires information be used for the described purpose only.

Opt Out

This privacy policy is available on all marketing emails from the University, and a link is provided that allows you to customize your communications preferences. You may opt out of some or all communications from the University. If you opt out of email communications, your email address will not be shared with alumni volunteers or student callers. If you wish to opt back in, due to federal law, you are required to personally manage your email preferences. 

Prospective Student Data

In addition to the general privacy provisions above, the following information applies to the personal data of student applicants:

  • Personal data of prospective students, collected either from the prospective student or from third parties with the prospective student's consent, is used by the University to communicate information about Wingate and its prospective student events and programs.

  • Personal data provided by student applicants during the application process is used by the University to process the application for admission to Wingate, and is therefore used in the performance of related services to be provided to the student applicant. This data is processed exclusively for Wingate institutional purposes, connected or related to student application activities carried out by Wingate. To facilitate the application process, student applicants consent to the University sharing certain application status information with a student applicant’s high school counselor. Student applicants also consent to the University sharing certain information with the U.S. Department of Education.

  • Applicants may, but are not required, to provide race and ethnic origin in admission materials for consideration in a holistic review of the application. If voluntarily shared, this information could be used for aggregate reporting purposes and/or for research purposes. By sharing this information voluntarily, applicants consent to the University using the data for these purposes.

Student Financial Aid Data for Admission Applicants

In addition to the general privacy provisions above, the following information applies to the personal data of student admission applicants who apply for financial aid:

  • Personal data provided by student applicants during the admission application process is used by the University in the processing of applications for financial aid (need-based, merit, athletic, etc.) at Wingate, and is, therefore, used in the performance of related services to be provided to the student applicant. This data is processed for Wingate institutional purposes as well as for federal, state and private aid purposes, connected or related to student aid application activities carried out by Wingate. Student aid applicants consent to the University sharing certain information with the U.S. Department of Education, state aid authorities, and private aid entities, and receiving data from those sources provided by student aid applicants and/or parents/guardians.

  • Aid applicants are required to provide sensitive personally identifiable information for consideration in review of aid applications. Within federal and state guidelines, this information will be used for reporting purposes and/or for research purposes. By sharing this information, applicants consent to the University using the data for these purposes.

Student Data

In addition to the general privacy provisions above, the following information applies to the personal data of enrolled students:

  • The University may collect, use, store, and transfer student data. Student education records are subject to the University's FERPA Policy and the University follows FERPA regulations with regard to data sharing. The University uses student data to fulfill contractual obligations related to providing academic services, and to fulfill obligations established by any applicable law.

  • Medical records regarding your health conditions are kept strictly confidential by the Student Health and Counseling Center and are not disclosed without your written consent. The Student Health and Counseling Center requires that you provide your immunization history to confirm that you have received the vaccinations required for enrollment at Wingate. You are encouraged to provide additional health information that can assist the Student Health and Counseling Center to address your health needs. Further, a student with a disability has the right to request academic and non-academic accommodations ensuring equal access to courses, course content, programs, services, and facilities. Students are not required to disclose their disability status; however, if they are seeking accommodations relative to their disability, they are responsible for making a written request to the Office of Disability Support Services and providing the appropriate current documentation.

  • Student data may be shared for legitimate educational purposes to designated school officials and third parties as permitted by FERPA regulations and other applicable laws. Students may, but are not required, to provide sensitive data, such as race and ethnic origin. If voluntarily shared, this information could be used to identify and communicate specific programming interests, for reporting purposes, and/or for research purposes. By sharing this information voluntarily, students consent to the University using the data for these purposes.

Student Financial Aid Data for Enrolled Students

In addition to the general privacy provisions above, the following information applies to the financial aid data of enrolled students:

  • The University will collect, use, store, and transfer student financial aid data. Student education records are subject to the University's FERPA Policy. The University uses student aid data to fulfill contractual obligations related to providing eligible funding, and to fulfill obligations established by any applicable law.

  • Students applying for and receiving certain types of aid are required to provide sensitive personally identifiable information, such as legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and financial data. If provided, this information is used to identify and communicate specific programming interests; fulfill legal requirements; for reporting purposes; and/or for research purposes. By sharing this information, students consent to the University using the data for these purposes.

Job Applicant Data

In addition to the general privacy provisions above, the following information applies to the personal data of job applicants:

  • An application submitted by a job applicant for a specific position becomes part of the recruitment file for that position. The University will use the application information only for consideration of the applicant's candidacy for each specific position for which it is submitted. For this purpose, the University will distribute the information to persons and parties affiliated with the search. The application is not searchable or viewable by other employers or recruiters, and the University does not sell the application to any third party.

  • Personal data provided by job applicants during the application process is used by the University to process the application for employment at Wingate, and is therefore used in the performance of related services to be provided to the job applicant.

  • All job applicants are required to have a third-party background check.

Employee Data

In addition to the general privacy provisions above, the following information applies to the personal data of employees of the University:

  • The University may collect, use, store, and transfer employee data. Employee files are considered the property of the University. The University uses employee data to fulfill contractual obligations related to employment, and to fulfill obligations established by any applicable law.

  • Employees may, but are not required, to provide sensitive data, such as race and ethnic origin. If voluntarily shared, this information could be used to identify and communicate specific programming interests, for reporting purposes, and/or for research and internal auditing purposes. By sharing this information voluntarily, employees consent to the University using the data for these purposes.

  • During the course of employment, University staff may have access to Protected Health Information (PHI) as necessary to process benefits and fulfill contractual obligations related to employment. Any PHI, whether oral, written, photographic, or electronic, shall be maintained in a manner that ensures its privacy and security.

  • All employees are advised that criminal, work history and education background checks are a condition of continued employment with the University.

Opt Out

This privacy policy is available on all marketing emails from the University, and a link is provided that allows you to customize your communications preferences. You can opt out of text messages sent through University texting systems by replying “STOP”. You may opt out of some or all communications from the University.

This policy was last reviewed and amended on June 6, 2023.