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University Leadership

Privacy Statement

NC State University (“NC State” or “University”), on behalf of its University Advancement, and its affiliated foundations and entities (including the NC State University Foundation, NC State Alumni Association, and other NC State College foundations) (collectively “Affiliated Entities” herein) are committed to personal privacy of its donors, alumni, and others with whom NC State and the Affiliated Entities interact. This privacy statement applies to information collected through University Advancement and the Affiliated Entities’ websites, other applications (including mobile applications) and any other interactions we may have with you (collectively, the “Services”).  

This statement applies only to personal information collected by University Advancement and its Affiliated Entities. This privacy statement is intended to act as a supplement to, and not conflict with, NC State’s Privacy Policy.

NC State may amend this privacy statement from time-to-time without notice; therefore, we ask that you review this statement periodically to ensure that you are aware of the most updated statement. When required by law, NC State, University Advancement, or the Affiliated Entities will notify you of any changes by other communication channels where appropriate.

NC State, University Advancement, and its Affiliated Entities comply with applicable federal and state laws, as well as UNC System and University policies, for the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information.

What information do we collect?

  • Information you provide us. If you interact with us as a donor or alumnus, create an account to access certain features of the Services, send us an email, fill out a form, respond to a survey, register for an event, or otherwise communicate with University Advancement or the Affiliated Entities, we may collect personal information that you provide, including but not limited to:
    • Name
    • Residential or Mailing Address
    • Email Address
    • Phone Number
    • Social Media contacts
    • Biographical information
    • Parent information
    • Family information
    • Activity interests, including event and volunteer participation
    • Memberships in alumni groups and giving societies
    • Relationships with other alumni or supporters of the University
    • Employment information
    • Graduation information
    • Giving history and giving capacity
    • Career highlights and other life achievements
    • Credit or Debit Card Information
  • Information Collected from Third Parties. We may gather information about you that is available to the public from other websites or sources. We may also gather information about you by providing names, addresses, and/or phone numbers that are gathered through the website or from other sources to third party vendors for the purpose of obtaining information relevant to NC State or its Affiliated Entities’ missions.
  • Information Automatically Collected. When you visit University Advancement or its Affiliated Entities’ websites, we may use cookies, web beacons/pixel tags, log files, and other technologies to collect certain information about website visitors, use of our online services, and interactions with our emails and online advertisements. Through these means, we may automatically collect information such as your browser type, operating system, mobile device type and carrier, Internet service provider, and IP address. We may also collect information about your use of and interaction with the website (such as the webpages viewed, whether you open, forward, or click-through links, emails, and ads) and other site usage data. Collecting this information, and linking it with your personally-identifiable information, helps us to best tailor our website and enhance your online experience by saving your preferences while you are visiting a particular site, and to help identify site features and content that may be of particular interest to you.

How we use your information

Your data is used by us for a number of purposes in support of alumni relations, communications, and fundraising. These include:

  • sending you publications (e.g. alumni magazines and updates about the University)
  • conducting surveys, including research on when and whether particular donations or funding methods may be of interest to you
  • providing services, including access to NC State’s facilities and alumni benefits
  • sending you tailored proposals, appeals, and requests for donations
  • sending you details of volunteer opportunities
  • inviting you to alumni and other University events
  • the promotion of other opportunities and services available to you (e.g. offers and opportunities available through NC State’s network of alumni groups)
  • promoting your category of support in our annual report and/or other donor recognition publications, unless you specifically ask to remain anonymous
  • giving capacity and research in order to improve our understanding of our alumni and supporters, inform our fundraising strategy, and target our communications more effectively
  • internal record keeping, including the management of any feedback or complaints
  • administrative purposes (e.g. in order to process a donation you have made or to administer an event you have registered for or attended)

Communications to you may be sent by postal mail, telephone, or electronic means (principally by email), depending on the contact details we hold, the consent that you have provided, and the preferences expressed by you about the types of communications you wish to receive.

We may use automated or manual analyses to link data together to help us identify your potential for supporting the University, colleges, and its programs. We do these analyses to provide you with an improved experience, to send you communications which are relevant and timely, to identify opportunities for providing support which may be of interest to you, and to avoid approaching you with opportunities which are not of interest. All of this enables us to raise funds more cost-effectively and to be more responsible in support of the University’s strategic research and educational objectives.

If you have concerns or queries about any of these purposes, or how we communicate with you, please contact us using the details at the bottom of this Privacy Statement. We will always respect a request by you to stop processing your personal data.

How we share your information

We may share personally identifiable information we collect from and about you among NC State’s programs and initiatives.

University Advancement and the Affiliated Entities do not sell or share information for commercial solicitation or political purposes.  However, University Advancement and the Affiliated Entities routinely share information with each other to advance each others’ missions.  For instance, we use the information we collect to further the mission of the NC State University Foundation, which is to support NC State.

We do not sell online information we collect about our alumni or visitors. We sometimes share information with third-party vendors and service providers or with other organizations that may occasionally be commercial in nature if we determine there is a benefit to our alumni, supporters, and friends. Also, although unlikely, University Advancement or Affiliated Entities may be required by applicable law, law enforcement or judicial authorities to provide your information. In these cases, we will provide this information to the extent we have determined that the disclosure of any such information is appropriate.

We can obtain your permission to disclose before, during or after our site collects your information. Permission may be granted to us in the donations you make to us or in other forms that you complete online or offline.

Third-Party Websites

This privacy statement applies solely to information collected on University Advancement or the Affiliated Entities’ websites. If you click on a link that directs you to a website or resource outside of these websites you are subject to the privacy policies of that site. University Advancement and the Affiliated Entities are not responsible for the privacy practices of outside websites, including independent websites of faculty, staff, or students that are not supported by University Advancement or the Affiliated Entities.

Children Information

University Advancement and Affiliated Entities do not intentionally or knowingly collect data from children under 13 years.

Access, Control and Correction of Your Information

We respect your right to access, correct, request deletion, and request restriction of our usage of your personal information.  You have the right:

  1. To request access to or transfer of your information;
  2. To ask about the methods in which your information is maintained and processed;
  3. To request information about the organizations with whom your information may be disclosed;
  4. To ask University Advancement and the Affiliated Entities to delete or restrict how they use your information, but this right is determined by applicable law and may impact your access to and participation in the University’s and Affiliated Entities’ Services;
  5. If you believe your information is incorrect or incomplete, you can request corrections or updates to any inaccuracies, and for those corrections to be made if it is deemed inaccurate by University Advancement or the Affiliated Entities;
  6. To object to the collection, processing, retention or use of your information; and
  7. To lodge a complaint with the appropriate authorities, including United States and European Union Governmental Bodies.

If you choose to exercise these rights, University Advancement and the Affiliated Entities may be unable to effectively offer you certain Services, and may prevent you from participating in some activities and events.  In addition, University Advancement and the Affiliated Entities may not be able to comply with your request in order to meet obligations and requirements under applicable laws. You may exercise these rights by contacting NC State’s online network support at data-privacy@ncsu.edu.

International Operations

If you are an individual residing in the UK or the European Union, we will process your personal data in order to provide the Services and in furtherance of the mission of the University and the Affiliated entities.  

We rely on separate and overlapping bases to process your personal data lawfully, including upon your consent or request, performance of a contract, or when necessary to pursue our legitimate interests or protect a third party, except where such interests are overridden by your rights or interests.  We may rely on more than one of the lawful bases for processing your information described above. We handle your personal data securely and take proactive measures to minimize its use.

If you reside in the UK or European Union, University Advancement and Affiliated Entities may transfer information from that jurisdiction to the United States, where data protection regulations may not offer the same level of protection as in other parts of the world, such as the European Union.  

Protection of Personal Information

The security of your personal information is important to us.  We work diligently to safeguard your personal information to prevent unauthorized information access or disclosure, maintain information accuracy, and ensure appropriate use of collected information. University Advancement and the Affiliated Entities maintain administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect against unauthorized use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction of the personally-identifiable information we collect on our websites, other online properties, or through other means. Our online giving page is a secure site, and our systems make it difficult for your information to be stolen or intercepted while it is being transferred over the Internet.  Nevertheless, University Advancement and the Affiliated Entities cannot guarantee these safeguards will protect any personal information that you provide. Although University Advancement and Affiliated Entities will use its best efforts to protect this information from unlawful access or disclosure, providing personal information to University Advancement and the Affiliated Entities is at your own risk.

Retention of Personal Information

Records created by and submitted to the University are maintained and destroyed according to requirements under the state laws of North Carolina, as well as federal laws and institutional policies. For more information regarding University record retention practices, please visit the NC State Office of General Counsel’s information on record retention.  In addition, in relation to the Affiliated Entities, we will store your information for as long as necessary for us to provide the Services, or until you request us to do otherwise.

Further Information

Please contact University Advancement at giftsandrecords@ncsu.edu , or one of its Affiliated Entities directly, if you have any concerns or questions about the above information or you wish to ask us not to process your personal data for particular purposes. Where you have specific requests relating to how we manage your data, we will endeavor to resolve these, but please note that there may be circumstances where we cannot comply with specific requests.

Where you exercise your right to erase or delete your information, and we can comply with your request, we will continue to maintain a core set of personal data (name, subject(s), matriculation and graduation details, unique University identification number and date of birth) to ensure we do not contact you inadvertently in future, and to maintain your academic record for archive purposes. We may also need to retain some financial records about you for statutory purposes (e.g. anti-fraud and accounting matters).