Privacy Policy
Effective Date: Jan 14, 2020
Introduction
The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) (“CSWE”, “we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to respecting the privacy of our users and to protecting the information you provide to us. This online privacy policy applies to information about you obtained through www.cswe.org (the “Website”). It describes how we may collect, use, and disclose such information; the choices available to you regarding our use of your information; how we safeguard the information we collect; and how to contact us with any questions regarding our privacy practices.
By accessing or otherwise using the Website, you agree to the collection, use, disclosure practices and other activities as described in this policy.
Information We Collect
Information You Provide to CSWE
In order to provide you with particular services, we may ask you to provide certain information to us. Personal information that you submit through our Website may include your name, email address, postal address, and phone number. Some forms on the Website may require you to provide certain information in order to submit the form. You may elect to not provide this information, but doing so may prevent you from using or accessing those features.
We may also ask you to provide information relating to your gender identity, ethnicity, disability status, or sexual orientation. You are not required to provide this information, but may do so voluntarily. Unless you specify otherwise, this information is only accessible to Council staff and governance groups, and is only used for internal purposes.
We request this personal information from you so that we can serve you better, and so that we can provide you with customized services. For example, we may ask you to provide certain personal information when you sign up for a CSWE meeting or activity, when you apply to become a CSWE member, or when you subscribe to a CSWE publication. You may also be required to provide personal information when you submit your resume for a complimentary review.
In order to access some of our services or participate in membership programs, you may be required to provide us with payment information, including credit card number, billing address, and information necessary to complete a purchase.
You may also provide us with information when you send us messages or inquiries. Please note that any personal information provided to CSWE in an e-mail message will be used only for the purpose of responding to your message.
Information Automatically Collected
CSWE may also collect certain information about you when you access or use the Website (“Usage Information”). Usage information may include your device identifier, IP address, browser type, operating system, geographic location, and other information regarding your use of the Website.
We may obtain this Usage information through the following means:
- Log information: Log information is data about your use of the Website, such as IP address, browser type, Internet service provider, operating system, date/time stamps, and related data. Log information may be stored in log files.
- Information collected by cookies and other tracking technologies: Cookies, web beacons or “tracking pixels,” embedded scripts, location-identifying technologies, device recognition solutions, and other tracking technologies (“Tracking Technologies”) may be used to collect information about your interactions with the Website. Brief descriptions of these Tracking Technologies are provided below.
Cookies are small text files that may be stored on your computer, smart phone, or tablet when you access the Website. This information can be read by the Website when you return to this site. CSWE uses cookies to speed up your future visits by storing preferences and log-in information you provide, and to support a better experience through tailored content. In addition, cookies provide statistical and other information to CSWE about how the Website is used in order for CSWE to monitor access and use of the site, assess the effectiveness of particular content, and suggest areas for improvement.
While these cookies alone do not allow us to personally identify visitors to the website, information collected by cookies may be used to streamline communications with our clients and customers by facilitating targeted content consistent with users’ email preferences and this privacy policy.
Cookies may remain on your hard drive for an extended period of time. The Website may associate some or all of these cookies with your device(s). If you use your browser’s method of blocking or removing cookies, some but not all types of cookies may be deleted and/or blocked and as a result, some features of the Website may not be available. For more information about cookies, visit: http://www.aboutcookies.org/. Click here to review our Cookie Policy.
Web Beacons (“Tracking Pixels”)
Web beacons are small graphic images, also known as “internet tags” or “clear gifs,” embedded in web pages. Web beacons may be used, without limitation, to count the number of visitors to the Website, to monitor how users navigate the Website, and to count content views.
Embedded Scripts
An embedded script is programming code designed to collect information about your interactions with the Website. It is temporarily downloaded onto your computer from our web server, or from a third party with which we work, and is active only while you are connected to the Website. It is deleted or deactivated once you are no longer connected.
Device Recognition Technologies
Technologies, including application of statistical probability to data sets, as well as linking a common unique identifier to different device use (e.g., Facebook ID), which attempt to recognize or make assumptions about users and devices (e.g., that a user of multiple devices is the same user or household).
Location-Identifying Technologies
GPS (global positioning systems) software, geo-filtering and other location-aware technologies locate (sometimes precisely) you for purposes such as verifying your location and delivering or restricting content based on your location. Our Service content may be personalized based on various information we may have about you to try to provide you with more location-relevant content.
Some information regarding your use of the Website and certain third party services may be collected by Tracking Technologies across time and services. CSWE and third parties may use this information to assist you with account log-ins.
Apart from collecting Usage Information, we do not automatically collect information from users who are visiting public areas of the Website and who do not affirmatively provide us with more information. This basic Usage Information is used exclusively for internal tracking of site usage.
Information Obtained from Third Parties
We also may obtain information about you from service providers, business partners, or other third parties. For example, if we engage an outside vendor to handle registration and other logistics for meetings or events, that vendor will send registrant details to CSWE.
How We Share Your Information
Marketing
In certain instances, we may share some of the personal information collected through our website for marketing purposes. CSWE may share such personal information with its affiliates, and with others who may wish to use this information for their own marketing purposes. For example, we may share your information with the vendor coordinating our Annual Program meeting for marketing and registration purposes. We also make our mailing lists available for purchase by third parties. The information we share or otherwise make available is generally limited to name, email address, membership type, and other basic information. When you provide us with these details for membership purposes, you may opt out of third-party mailings by checking a box on the form.
If you do not want your information released, sold to, or otherwise shared with any third parties, you may specifically instruct CSWE not to do so. You may contact us with any instructions or questions regarding our information sharing practices by emailing [email protected].
Third Party Providers
CSWE may also share information about you (including, without limitation, personal information we collect) for any purposes not inconsistent with this privacy policy, or our statements at the point of collection, and not prohibited by applicable law. In general, we use your information to provide you access to the Website and its services, to optimize and improve the Website, to tailor features to your preferences, to communicate with you, and to offer you information, opportunities, promotions, and increased functionality. In order to do these things, we may disclose your personal information to third parties that we use to provide some of the services on or through the Website. For example, we may use third parties to help us analyze site visitor and associated Usage Information, to facilitate customer service, to conduct email campaigns, and to help us optimize the Website. We may also share payment card and other necessary information with an outside payment processor.
Service providers are not permitted to use personal information received from us, except as necessary to provide the relevant services to CSWE.
Other Necessary Circumstances
We may also disclose your personal information if we believe, in our sole discretion, that such disclosure is necessary and/or appropriate in the following circumstances:
- To comply with relevant laws or to respond to subpoenas or court orders served on us;
- To respond to requests from government agencies, including law enforcement authorities;
- In connection with an investigation of fraud, intellectual property infringements, or other activity that is or may be illegal, or which may expose us, our service or content providers, or you to possible legal liability;
- If we believe your actions are inconsistent with our terms of use, user agreements, applicable terms or policies; or
- To protect the rights, property, life, health, security, or safety of CSWE, the Website, Website users, or any third party.
Links to Third-Party Sites
This Website contains links to other websites, including those of third party organizations which are separate from CSWE. CSWE is not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or data collection practices of those sites. We encourage you to read the applicable terms and privacy policies before using those linked sites.
Social Features and User Generated Content
Certain features of the Website permit you to initiate interactions between the Website and third party services, such as social networks (“Social Features”). Social Features include features that allow you to click to and access our Facebook page, and from there, to “like” or “share” our content located on the Facebook platform. We may also have features that otherwise connect the Website to a third-party service (e.g., to push or pull information to or from the Website). If you use Social Features, and potentially other third-party services, information you post or otherwise provide access to may be publicly displayed by the third-party service you use. Both CSWE and the third party may have access to certain information about you and your use of the Website and the third-party service.
The Website also hosts discussion forums and email lists, which users may elect to join and/or participate in. The purpose of these forums is to facilitate discussion among our users and allow them to share advice, knowledge, and other relevant information. Through your participation, you may submit messages, text, illustrations, files, personal information, or other materials or information (“User-Generated Content” or “UGC”). We or others may store, display, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use UGC, and may or may not attribute it to you. Others may also have access to UGC and may have the ability to share it with third parties. If you choose to submit UGC to any public area of the forums or lists, your UGC will be considered “public” and will be accessible by anyone, including CSWE.
Please note that CSWE does not control who will have access to the information that you choose to make available to others, and cannot ensure that parties who have access to such information will respect your privacy or keep it secure. We are not responsible for the privacy or security of any information that you make publicly available on the forums and email lists or what others do with information you share with them on such platforms. We are not responsible for the accuracy, use or misuse of any User-Generated Content that you disclose or receive from third parties through the forums or email lists.
Advertising and Analytics
We may serve advertisements on the Website and/or on third-party services. We do not, however, use your personal information to target these ads.
We may use Google Analytics, Informz web tracking, or similar tools to help us analyze and assess user interaction with the Website. These analytics services may use cookies and other Tracking Technologies. Information collected or generated by these services (e.g., your IP address and other Usage Information) may be transmitted to and stored by these service providers, who may in turn use this information for purposes such as evaluating your use of the Website, compiling statistical reports on the Website’s activity, and providing other services relating to Website activity and other Internet usage.
Your Choices
Email Communications
Should you receive a promotional email from CSWE, you may opt out of receiving additional promotional email communications from us by following the unsubscribe instructions at the bottom of our emails. You may also contact us directly at [email protected]. Please note that even if you opt out of receiving promotional communications from us, we may continue to send you non-promotional emails, such as those relating to your orders or product inquiries.
Reviewing and Updating your Personal Information
You may review and/or request changes to your personal information collected through the Website by contacting our membership department at [email protected]/ +1.703.683.8080, or by accessing your personal information via your account at https://www.cswe.org/account/user-info/.
Tracking Technologies
Regular cookies may generally be disabled or removed using tools available as part of most commercial browsers, and in some instances may be blocked in the future by configuring certain browser settings. Browsers offer different functionalities and options, so these may need to be set separately. Tools from commercial browsers may also not be effective with regard to Flash cookies (also known as locally shared objects), HTML5 cookies, or other Tracking Technologies. For information on disabling Flash cookies, please visit here. Please be aware that if you disable or remove these technologies, some aspects of the Website’s functionality may be limited.
Your browser settings may also allow you to transmit a “Do Not Track” signal when you visit various websites. Like many websites, this Website is not configured to respond to “Do Not Track” signals received from browsers. To learn more about “Do Not Track” signals, please click here.
Analytics and Interest-Based Advertising
You may exercise certain choices regarding the use of Google Analytics cookies by visiting this page, or downloading the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
Security
CSWE takes reasonable measures to protect your information from loss, theft, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. We utilize firewalls, encryption technology, and other security tools to ensure your personal information remains protected. However, CSWE cannot guarantee “perfect security” and cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to us or others through this Website. Such information is transmitted at your own risk.
Children’s Privacy Rights
This Website is not intended for, nor targeted to, children under 13. We do not knowingly or intentionally collect information from children under 13. If we learn that we have received information directly from a child who is under the age of 13, we will delete the information in accordance with applicable law.
California Privacy Rights
California law permits users in California to request certain details about how their “personal information” (as defined in California Civil Code Section 1798.83) is shared with third parties for direct marketing purposes. We may from time to time elect to share certain “personal information” about you with third parties for those third parties’ direct marketing purposes. California users may, under certain circumstances, request and obtain certain information regarding our disclosure, if any, of personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. If this applies, you may obtain the categories of personal information shared and the names and addresses of all third parties that received personal information for their direct marketing purposes during the immediately prior calendar year (e.g. requests made in 2019 will receive information about 2018 sharing activities).
To make such a request, please provide sufficient information for us to determine whether this applies to you, attest to the fact that you are a California resident, and provide a current California address for our response. You may make this request by contacting [email protected], or by mail sent to Council on Social Work Education, 333 John Carlyle Street, Suite 400, Alexandria, VA 22314, (Attention: Eddie Y. Wong, IT Director). Your inquiry must specify “California Privacy Rights Request” in the subject line of the email or the first line of the letter, and must include your name, street address, city, state, and ZIP code. Please note that we are only required to respond to one request per California resident each year, and are not required to respond to requests made by means other than through this email or physical mailing address.
International Users
If you are visiting the Website from outside the United States, please be aware that CSWE is based in the U.S. and the information we collect will be transferred to, processed, and stored on our servers in the United States. The data protection laws and regulations applicable to your personal data transferred to the United States may be different from the laws in your country of residence.
CSWE reserves the right to change this privacy policy at any time. The revised policy will be effective at the time of posting to the Website. The terms and conditions of this privacy policy are incorporated by reference into this Website’s Terms of Use, and are subject to those terms, conditions, and limitations stated therein.
Questions and Concerns
If you have questions regarding this policy, or if you believe that CSWE has handled your personal information in a manner that does not comply with this policy, please notify us by email at [email protected], or by mail at:
Eddie Y. Wong
IT Director
Council on Social Work Education
333 John Carlyle Street
Suite 400
Alexandria, VA 22314