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Identity, Privacy, and Security
Richland Community College works to assure the security and privacy of students, faculty, and staff. Information provided to the College, as well as information provided by the college, is protected by federal, state, and local laws, as well as College Board Policy. While this is not an exhaustive list, the College and individuals who interact with it are bound by the following laws, policies, and procedures.
Information that We Collect
We collect personal information from you in a variety of ways, including when you provide it to us directly. This includes, but is not limited to, your:
- Name
- Home address
- Personal email address
- Mobile phone number
- Educational history
- Educational goals
- Federal financial aid status
- Any information provided when interacting with communication from the college (i.e. opting in or out of communications)
How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to operate, maintain, and provide you with the features and functionality of our services, and to communicate directly with you. Depending on your communication preferences, this may include:
- Determining academic course placement
- Registering or granting academic course credit from other educational institutions or industry partners
- Processing financial aid awards
- Sending operational or transactional alerts (e.g., course change notifications, billing notifications)
United States Postal Service Messaging
Communications involving the awarding of degrees or certificates, student billing, or student disciplinary actions are communicated via written correspondence sent through the United States Postal Service to the mailing address provided at the time or application or course registration.
Email Messaging
As noted on the student application and other informational intake forms, by providing your personal email address to the college, you consent to receive communication related to your position as a student or employee of the college, as well as promotional or marketing material. You can revoke your consent to receiving promotional or marketing material at any time by following the opt-out instructions provided in the email message.
SMS/Text Messaging
The College utilizes Twilio as its primary messaging service to communicate academic and financial notifications to students via text message. For the purposes of this service, Twilio acts as our service provider and data processor.
- Consent: You must provide consent to receive automated SMS/text messaging from the College. Consent is not a condition of any purchase or contract for services. Message frequency varies.
- Opt-Out: You can revoke your consent at any time. Text STOP to any message you receive from us. You will receive a confirmation that you have been unsubscribed.
- Help: For assistance, please contact the Student Success Department at help@richland.edu, or 217-875-7211
- Carriers: Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. Standard message and data rates may apply.
Third-Party Sharing and Disclosure
The College does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. The Family Educational Privacy Rights Act prohibits the college from sharing your information with third parties, except in specific cases as defined in Board Policy, or in the following limited circumstances:
- Service Providers: We may share information with trusted third-party service providers, such as financial refund servicing providers, or communications providers such as Twilio or Motorola, who perform services on behalf of the college.
- Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law.
Data Security and Retention
The College uses reasonable and appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, loss, or misuse. Measures taken ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.
Family Educational Privacy Rights Act (FERPA)
FERPA defines the structure by which the college collects, stores, and shares information. During interactions with students, employees, and community members, the College will routinely collect information as needed connect you to, and provide you with, College services.
Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act
The College maintains and limits the use of biometric data in accordance with the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, as amended
Board Policy 4.15.6: Academic Integrity
All students are expected to maintain academic integrity in their academic work and honesty in all dealings with the College as defined in Board Policy 4.5.16
Board Policy 5.8.1: Responsible Use of Information Technology
Students, employees, and visitors are required to adhere to Board Policy 5.9.1 when utilizing or interacting with technology systems at the college. The College reserves the right to remove or disconnect access for users or external systems that fail to adhere to this policy.
As noted in the College’s Written Information Security Policy, individuals who are provided a College NetID username & password are prohibited from sharing their password with anyone else. Providing your password or account access to anyone else will be considered a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy (Board Policy 4.15.6)
Responsible Use of Classroom Content
Individuals may not share classroom content outside of the academic learning environment without permission or cause as defined in the Responsible Use of Classroom Content procedure.
Copyright
All individuals are bound to adhere to copyright and intellectual property provisions as defined in Board Policy 5.10 and Board Policy 5.17