This Privacy Notice describes our practices on the collection, processing, use, disclosure and storage of information about you collected through www.uchicago.edu and all other University websites that link to this Privacy Notice. When you use our website, your information will be handled as described in this Privacy Notice. This Privacy Notice is provided for informational purposes and is not a contract.

The University of Chicago provides the following information relating to your privacy when using websites in the uchicago.edu domain. All University schools, centers and other units and affiliates may run and maintain their own websites on either the uchicago.edu domain or organization-specific domains. These other sites may carry their own privacy notices or additional information relating to their activities, which will supplement this Privacy Notice.

For The University of Chicago Medical Center’s privacy practices, please refer to the UChicago Medicine Notice of Privacy Practices.

For questions or more information about this Privacy Notice contact privacy@uchicago.edu.

Definitions

Where we refer in this Privacy Notice to your “personal information”, we mean any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person.

Where we refer to the “processing” of your personal information, we mean anything that we do with that information, including collection, use, storage, disclosure, retention, or deletion.

Personal Information

The categories of personal information that we collect about you include the following:

Information we collect directly from you. We collect certain information that you provide directly to us, such as when you use a contact form to submit feedback or inquiries or when you contact us by email. For example, this may include names; contact information such as email addresses; any comments, questions, or other communications you send us; content you submit or post to University websites, forums or message boards; payment card information when you submit payments to the University (e.g., in connection with an application fee); and other information you provide directly to us.

Information we collect automatically when you use our sites. When you visit our websites, we automatically collect certain information from you over time and across different websites, including through the use of “cookies”, which are small files that websites save on your device and access when you return. For example, we may collect technical data from your computer or mobile device (such as your IP address, browser type, and operating system), information about your usage of our websites (e.g., the pages you visit when using the websites, any search terms you enter on the websites, how often you use the websites, and the pages you access before and after accessing the websites), and information that we generate about you as a result of your use of our websites (e.g., our understanding of your interests as a result of your use of our websites and whether you are a regular or occasional user of our websites). Please see the “Cookies” section below for more information about our use of cookies.

University Use and Processing of Personal Information

The University may process your information for the following purposes: (i) to analyze and improve University processes, (ii) for outreach efforts, (iii) to conduct research, (iv) to fulfill other University responsibilities or purposes, (v) in some cases, to provide personalized content to you, and (v) to provide services to you.

Where we process your information, our legal basis will be one of the following:

(i) to fulfill our contractual obligations to you, (ii) to comply with our legal obligations, (iii) to exercise or defend our rights or the rights of a third party, (iv) in support of our legitimate interests (e.g., our legitimate interests in understanding any issues with our websites so we can improve them, in communicating with you or sending you marketing communications, and in the efficient management and administration of the University and its programs and services), or (v) where you have provided your express consent. Where we have sought, and you have provided, your express consent for a particular purpose, please note you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by notifying us at the contact information above.

Cookies

Some of our University websites use a built-in feature of your browser to set a “cookie” on your device when you visit our websites. Browsers give you the ability to reject specific cookies, or all cookies, if you choose.

Please recognize that your experience with our websites may be degraded and may stop working altogether if you prevent the use of all cookies.

What are Cookies?

We use the term “cookies” to refer to all technologies that store and access information on the device that you use to access our websites, such as your computer, tablet or mobile phone. For example, we use cookies that allow us to recognize your device. We and certain third-party cookie providers also use cookies that allow us to analyze trends, administer the websites, understand how visitors are using our websites, and collect demographic information about our site visitors as a group. These include cookies served directly by the University (“first-party cookies”) and cookies served on our behalf, such as by data analytics companies (“third-party cookies”). Some cookies may also transmit the information they collect to third parties. Those third parties may use that information for their own business purposes.

Cookies may endure for different periods of time, including some that only last as long as your browser is open (referred to as “session cookies”). These are deleted automatically when you close your browser. Other cookies are “permanent cookies,” meaning they survive after your browser is closed; they recognize your device when you open your browser and browse the internet again.

Which Cookies Do We Use and How Do We Use Them?

Our websites use certain cookies that are essential for the functioning of the site, which are placed by the University and are necessary in order to provide some of the features of the websites.

We also use analytics cookies to compile usage data regarding our websites and help us analyze and optimize our websites, including understanding how visitors use our websites and measuring how different users respond to different content. These include cookies placed by third parties including, but not limited to:

Managing Cookies

Cookies can be managed through browser settings. To learn more, refer to the support instructions for each browser (Firefox, Chrome, or Safari). Be aware that disabling or deleting cookies can impact your ability to use certain features of that website. If disabling or deleting cookies, repeat this process for each browser and computer used. Note that cookies used by Adobe Flash cannot be controlled by browser settings.

Social Media

The University may collect information about you in connection with social networking sites in several ways, such as:

When you sign into a website or app using a social networking account, such as a Facebook account.
When you use one of our apps on a social networking site or choose to join (or “like”) one of our social networking pages on a social networking site (such as our Facebook page).

In these situations, the social networking site may make some information about you available to us. Please see the privacy policy for the social networking site to learn more.

When you interact with one of our social networking pages or content, we may use cookies to learn which links you clicked. When you make information publicly available on your social networking page or elsewhere, we may collect and process that information.

Message Boards and User-Provided Content

If you post, comment, indicate interest or complaint, share personal information, or otherwise provide content to us, including photographs, via any website, social network, blog, or otherwise, we may use and process that material in connection with our activities as described in this Privacy Notice. Any material you submit to any publicly available website, message board, or other publicly available forum can be read, viewed, collected, or used by other users, and could be used by others to contact you, send you unsolicited messages, or for purposes over which neither you nor the University have control.

Online Payments

Where we collect credit card information, we may share that information with payment processors and other parties to facilitate and collect such payment.

Third Parties

We may disclose your information to third parties as follows:

Service Providers. We may use third parties to support our operations, for example, to process payments you submit through our websites. In such cases, we may share your information with such third parties.
University Affiliated Programs. We may share your information with third parties that are affiliated with the University for the purpose of contacting you about goods, services, or experiences that may be of interest to you.
Research and Studies. We may share your information University researchers and/or third parties that conduct research. This research is required to follow all regulatory requirements and University policies to ensure your information is used in an appropriate and safe manner.
Required by Law. We may share your information with third parties to the extent we are required to do so by law, court order, or subpoena.
Emergency Circumstances. We may share your information with third parties if, in our sole judgment, such disclosure is necessary to protect the health, safety, or property of any person.
Programs and Events. When you choose to join programs such as events, clubs, or volunteer activities that are open to broader audiences, your contact information may be made available to participants in those programs, with the goal of facilitating contact among participants.
Consent. We may seek your consent to disclose your information to third parties if we are required to do so. Where we have sought, and you have provided, your express consent for a particular purpose, please note you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by notifying us at the contact information above.
De-Identified and Aggregate Information. We may use and disclose information in de-identified or aggregate form without limitation.

Links to Other Sites

The University’s websites contain links to websites maintained or controlled by other parts of the University or third parties. When you click on one of these links, different privacy practices may apply.

Security

We seek to implement appropriate security measures to protect your information when you transmit it to us and when we store it on our systems. Unfortunately, no data transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. Please see the University of Chicago Information Security Office website for more information on our information security practices.

Data Retention

Your information will be retained per the University’s policy on Managing University Records.

Individual Rights

Where applicable under local law, various jurisdictions may grant individuals rights regarding their data, including: (i) the right to request access to you information held by the University; (ii) the right to have inaccurate or incomplete personal data rectified; (iii) the right to erasure of your information, provided there is no legitimate reason for the University to continue to process the or retain the information; (iv) the right to restrict processing of your information in specific situations; (v) the right to request provision of some elements of your information; (vi) the right to object to processing of your information, including to send you communications that may be considered direct-marketing materials; (vii) the right to object to automated decision-making and profiling, where applicable. All requests to exercise any of these rights should be made to the Privacy Office at the contact information above.

While we encourage you to bring your concerns to us in the first instance, in certain jurisdictions, you may also have the right to submit a complaint to the jurisdiction’s supervisory authority for data protection matters.

International Transfer of your Data

Your personal information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in a country (such as the United States) that is not regarded as ensuring an adequate level of protection for personal information under the laws of your country.

Where required by law, we have put in place appropriate safeguards (such as contracts) when transferring your data internationally to ensure your personal information is adequately protected. For more information on the safeguards in place, please contact us at the contact information above.

Updates to this Notice

Changes may be made to this Privacy Notice and personal information may be used for new purposes. When significant changes are made to our privacy practices, they will be disclosed here.

Last revision date: May 2026

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