Wake Tech Community College ("Wake Tech," "we," "us" or "our") collects, uses and discloses personal information from users (you) of our website, www.waketech.edu, and any other websites that we operate, including a link to this policy (collectively, "the websites").
Information collected
Wake Tech collects personal information about you in the course of providing the websites to you. You may provide personal information to us in a variety of ways, depending on how you interact with the websites. This may include when you contact us, submit an application or make a donation or tuition payment. The types of personal information we collect are described in more detail below.
- Information that you provide directly: When you use or access the Websites, we may collect personal information directly from you, such as the following:
- Contact information, such as your name, email address or phone number
- Registration and account information, including your username and password
- Any information you submit when you contact us through the websites, including any information you enter through online chat functionality or forms that we make available through the websites
- Information provided through online applications, for example, for admission to Wake Tech or one of our programs. When you click to apply, you will be redirected to the third-party application platform website to fill out your application. Any information provided will be subject to their privacy policy. Third-party application platforms may share this information with us.
- Payment information, for example, when you make tuition payments or a donation through the websites. When you click to pay, you will be directed to our third-party payment processors. The privacy policies of those processors apply to any payment information you provide. Third-party payment processors may share this information with us.
- Job application information, such as your employment and education history and job and salary requirements, when you apply for a job at Wake Tech using the websites. The online job application process is administered through a third-party service provider, which will share the information you provide with us.
- Information we collect automatically: We also may collect certain other information automatically when you visit the websites, such as the following:
- Browser and device information – When you use the websites, we will collect information about your device and your browser. For example, we may receive device identifiers such as IP address and MAC address, operating system type and version, and internet browser type and version.
- Information stored in cookies – The websites may also use cookies to collect personal information. Cookies are pieces of information stored directly on users' computers or devices. Cookies allow us to collect information such as browser type, time spent on the online services, pages visited, referring URL and other traffic and usage data. We may also use cookies for purposes such as determining what features interest our users and revising our site features or operations.
- Pixel tags/web beacons – The websites may also use other tracking technologies to collect information when you use the websites. For example, pixel tags, sometimes called web beacons, are similar in function to a cookie and can tell us certain information like what content has been viewed.
- Activity reporting and log data. We may receive log information related to your activities while using the websites, such as the pages you view and the links you click. In addition, we use Google Analytics to help us analyze how visitors use the websites. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect information about your use of the websites, including your IP address. If you choose to do so, you may be able to opt out of Google Analytics by turning off cookies in the preferences settings in your browser. Visit Google for more information on how Google Analytics collects, uses and discloses information.
- Location information – When you use the websites, we may receive information about your approximate location as derived from your IP address.
- Communication information – If you use the online chat functionality that we make available through the websites, we and third parties that provide that functionality will collect and record the contents of your communications through that functionality.
How we use your information
We may use personal information that we collect about you for purposes that include the following:
- Providing the websites and supporting the features available to you
- Communicating with you, including by sending you marketing and promotional messages, and responding to your inquiries and requests through email or text/SMS
- Providing promotional content on our websites and other third-party websites
- Personalizing your experience on the websites, such as enhancing features and designing relevant alerts, and delivering relevant advertising content
- Conducting research to understand how you use the websites and to determine what features and services may interest you
- Developing and improving the websites
- Operating and improving our organization and our services
- Troubleshooting, de-bugging and otherwise addressing issues that may arise with the functionality of the websites
- Protecting the legal rights, property, safety and security of records or information, our visitors and users, and our organization and others, including detecting and preventing fraud, misuse of the websites and other unauthorized activity
- Complying with applicable law, judicial process, any properly authorized civil, criminal or regulatory investigation, or any subpoena or summons issued by a competent authority
- Enforcing our policies, terms of use or rights arising from contracts
- For such other purposes as you may authorize at the time you submit the information
We also may aggregate or de-identify personal information we collect through the websites by removing any details that identify you personally. Aggregated or de-identified information will not be subject to this policy and may be used and disclosed for any lawful purpose.
With whom we share your information
We may disclose your personal information to the following or for the following reasons:
- Our contractors, service providers and other third parties we use to support our organization, which may include support of any of the data uses described above
- Third-party advertising networks and websites, so that we can market and advertise on third-party platforms and websites
- Third parties that help us provide our messaging services, including but not limited to platform providers, phone companies and any vendors that assist in the delivery of text messages
- To comply with applicable law, other legal requirements and industry standards
- To enforce our policies, terms of use, contracts or other legal rights
- To investigate or prevent unlawful activities or misuse of the websites
- To protect against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent or illegal activity and to participate in any prosecution or enforcement of laws or agreements meant to prevent or punish such activity
- To operate, evaluate, debug, identify and repair errors, effectuate similar functional enhancements and improve our websites or other services
- To protect the legal rights, property, safety and security of us, our users, our employees and others
We also will disclose information for any purpose or to any organization that you expressly authorize or permit, such as when we request your consent to share information and you agree.
Your choices
We provide you with choices regarding your information. For example, you may choose not to provide the personal information we request through the websites. However, not providing the information we request may restrict your ability to use certain features of the websites.
You may "opt out" at any time of text/SMS communications campaigns by emailing [email protected]. Wake Tech will not share your opt-in to a text/SMS campaign with any third party for purposes unrelated to providing you with the services of that campaign.
You may also be able to restrict the automatic collection of information when you use the websites by disabling cookies in your internet browser, but doing so may prevent you from using the functionality of the websites.
Some internet browsers have a "do-not-track" feature that lets you tell the websites that you do not want to have your online activities tracked. At this time, the websites do not respond to browser "do-not-track" signals, and other parties may collect personal information about your online activities over time and across different websites, applications and other online products or services when you use the website.
For information about interest-based advertising, and to opt out of this type of advertising by third parties that participate in self-regulatory programs, visit the Network Advertising Initiative opt out tool and/or the Digital Advertising Alliance Self-Regulatory Program for Online Behavioral Advertising. Note that any opt-out choice you exercise through these programs will apply to interest-based advertising by the third parties you select but will still allow the collection of data for other purposes, including research, analytics and internal operations. You may continue to receive advertising, but that advertising may be less relevant to your interests.
Children
The websites are not intended for use by children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13.
Third-party links
The websites may include links to other websites, applications, information and services provided by third parties. We are not responsible for the privacy policies or practices of those third parties. We encourage you to review the applicable privacy policies of such third parties if you elect to follow the links provided.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy at any time to reflect changes in our privacy practices. When we do so, we will update the effective date of the policy. We encourage you to periodically review this policy for the latest information on our privacy practices.
If you have any questions or comments about this policy or our privacy practices, email [email protected].
Effective date: February 24, 2025
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