Privacy Policy
Laurus University (“we”, “us”, or “our”) is committed to safeguarding the privacy and personal data of our website visitors, students, applicants, and all individuals who engage with our services online. This Privacy Policy outlines our practices regarding the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of personal information through our online platform located at https://laurusuniversity.com (“Website”). We are committed to complying with all applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and to upholding the highest standards of user privacy and transparency when processing personal information.
1. Scope of This Privacy Policy and Data Controller Role
This Privacy Policy applies to all individuals who access or use the Website or otherwise provide personal data to Laurus University. For purposes of applicable data protection laws, Laurus University acts as the data controller in relation to the processing of your personal data, determining the purposes and means of how your information is processed via our Website and systems.
2. Categories of Personal Data We Process
We process various categories of personal data in connection with your interactions on laurusuniversity.com. This data may fall within the following categories:
2.1 Usage Data
We collect information about how visitors interact with our Website, including but not limited to IP addresses, browser types, device types, session durations, visited pages, date/time stamps, referring URLs, and general Website activity. This data helps us improve performance, security, and user experience.
2.2 Account Data
When you create an account or enroll in programs with Laurus University, we may collect your name, mailing address, email address, telephone number, and other identifiers necessary for authentication and account access.
2.3 Profile Data
Profile information may include your academic interests, course enrollments, user preferences, demographic traits, learning behavior, and engagement with university materials.
2.4 Communication Data
We store communications submitted through contact forms, emails to [email protected], support requests, chat interactions, and other inquiries initiated by you, including records of our correspondence and actions taken.
2.5 Technical Data
Technical information relating to the devices and systems you use to access the Website, such as device type, operating system, screen resolution, browser version, unique device identifiers, and system performance metrics.
2.6 Transaction Data
When making purchases or payments (e.g., admissions fees, tuition), we process billing addresses, partial payment information (processed via secure third-party providers), delivery and transaction histories, and tuition plan details.
2.7 Preference Data
We collect your marketing communication preferences, expressed interests in academic programs, participation in surveys, consent status, content personalization data, and opt-in/out history.
3. Legal Bases for Processing Personal Data
We rely on the following legal grounds under GDPR and other applicable legislation for processing your personal data:
– Contractual necessity: for processing account data and transactions when you enroll or enter into agreements with Laurus University.
– Legitimate interests: for Website performance monitoring, fraud prevention, internal analytics, and customer support.
– Consent: for sending marketing communications, enabling certain cookies, and other optional data uses. Consent can be withdrawn at any time.
– Legal obligation: to comply with applicable laws and law enforcement requests.
For California residents, we may collect and process your data in a manner consistent with CCPA, including providing notice at collection and honoring “Do Not Sell My Personal Information” requests where applicable.
4. Your Privacy Rights
Subject to local data protection laws and applicable exemptions, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:
– Right of Access: You may request confirmation of whether we hold personal data about you and, if so, access a copy.
– Right to Rectification: You may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
– Right to Erasure: You may request deletion of your personal data, subject to legal retention obligations.
– Right to Restriction: You may request limitations on the processing of certain data.
– Right to Data Portability: You may request to receive your personal data in a structured, machine-readable format for transmission to another data controller.
– California Rights (CCPA): If you are a California resident, you may also have the right to request disclosure of information collected, opt out of data selling (if applicable), and be free from discrimination for exercising your rights.
All requests may be submitted by contacting us at [email protected]. We reserve the right to verify your identity before processing any rights request.
5. Security Measures
We implement a variety of technical and organizational safeguards to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your personal data. These measures include but are not limited to:
– Industry-standard encryption of sensitive data during transmission and storage;
– Role-based access controls and multi-factor authentication for accessing systems;
– Routine data backups and disaster recovery protocols;
– Regular staff training on privacy and data protection obligations;
– Ongoing monitoring to detect unauthorized access or threats.
6. International Data Transfers
Because we operate globally, your personal data may be transferred to and maintained on servers or systems outside your jurisdiction, including regions that may not provide the same level of data protection. When such transfers occur, we implement appropriate safeguards, such as standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission or equivalent mechanisms required by law, to ensure the protection of your data.
7. Data Retention
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected or as required to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations. Retention periods vary based on data type:
– Account Data: Retained until account deletion or for up to 6 years following last activity.
– Transaction Data: Retained for financial auditing for up to 7 years.
– Communication Data: Retained for up to 3 years for internal reference.
– Preference and Profile Data: Retained until consent is withdrawn or the data becomes outdated.
– Technical and Usage Data: Retained in anonymized or aggregated form for analytics purposes.
8. Cookie Policy
Our Website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies for several purposes:
– Essential Cookies: Required for core site functionality, including secure login and user session management.
– Functional Cookies: Used to remember user preferences and enable enhanced features such as stored language settings.
– Analytics Cookies: Used to understand visitor interactions and optimize Website performance (e.g., Google Analytics).
– Performance Cookies: Enable insights into Website efficiency and troubleshoot loading or usage issues.
9. Cookie Management and Legal Compliance
We respect your right to manage your cookie preferences. Upon visiting our Website, you will be presented with a cookie banner that provides the option to:
– Accept or reject non-essential cookies;
– Access further details about each cookie type;
– Withdraw or modify cookie preferences at any time through your browser settings or the cookie settings link available on the Website.
We comply with GDPR by obtaining consent for non-essential cookies before activation and honor CCPA’s “Do Not Sell My Personal Information” standard, although we do not sell personal data in the conventional sense.
10. Children’s Privacy Notice
Our Website and services are not directed toward children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals below this age threshold without verified parental consent. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a child under 13 without appropriate authorization, we will promptly delete that information from our records.
11. Changes to This Policy
We reserve the right to update or revise this Privacy Policy as needed to reflect changes in operational, legal, or technological requirements. If we make material changes to how we use your personal data, we will notify you by posting a prominent notice on laurusuniversity.com or by contacting you directly where required by law.
12. Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal information by Laurus University, please contact us at:
Conclusion
Laurus University endeavors to remain fully compliant with all applicable data privacy laws, including GDPR and CCPA. We are committed to transparency, accountability, and putting your privacy first in every aspect of our digital operations. If you believe your data privacy rights have been infringed, or if you require further clarification, we encourage you to contact us through the email address provided above.