Privacy Policy
The African Virtual University's Privacy Policy
Welcome to the African Virtual University ("AVU"). AVU has adopted this privacy policy to describe what and how we collect and use information from our web site. Please review it carefully. This site also contains links to other sites. AVU is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such other web sites.
Scope of Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy applies to your use of all of the sites and services owned or operated by AVU, including www.avu.org and any other site that AVU may own or operate in the future (collectively, the "AVU Sites"). Unless otherwise stated, all references to the AVU Sites in this Privacy Policy include all such sites. Except as specifically described below, this Privacy Policy does not apply to your use of any affiliated or unaffiliated third party sites to which any of the AVU Sites may link, including those of third party content providers and vendors who provide educational and e-commerce products and services, such as courses, marketed or distributed by AVU. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third party before you reveal personally identifiable information to them while visiting their sites, or by obtaining any products or services from them, whether directly or through AVU.
Information Collection and Use
General Policy:
AVU is the sole owner of the information collected on the AVU Sites, except that third-party content providers and vendors who provide educational products and services distributed by AVU may co-own information provided to them for certain purposes. AVU will not sell, share, rent or otherwise disclose personally identifiable information collected on the AVU Sites, except to affiliated third-party content providers and vendors (and to companies that facilitate transactions with these third parties), and to other third parties who may wish to notify you about their products and services.
AVU collects and uses certain personally identifiable information that is necessary to facilitate your use of the AVU Sites. AVU may also ask you to submit additional information about yourself, and may use the required and additional information for its own and third parties' marketing and promotional purposes. For example, AVU may send you e-mails to introduce new content, products or services that we think might be of interest to you.
AVU collects information from its users at several different points on the AVU Sites.
Registration:
To use the AVU email system and certain interactive features of the AVU Sites, such as the AVU forum or the personal development tool, users must first register. During registration you are required to provide certain contact information, such as a member name, password and e-mail address. This information may be used to contact you about the services on the AVU Sites in which you express an interest or for other reasons relating to the services on the AVU site. We encourage (but do not require) users to provide certain additional information that we request at the time of registration, so that we can provide a more personalized experience on the AVU Sites.
Supplementary Information:
AVU may supplement the information it receives directly from users with information AVU receives from third parties.
Interactive Features:
If you offer personal information online on the AVU Sites through any interactive feature, such as a forum, message board, chat room, annotation feature, or similar service, third parties will have access to, and may collect and use, that information. Although AVU strives to protect its users' privacy, AVU cannot guarantee the security of information you post through these interactive features. You disclose such information at your own risk. Persons under 15 may not contribute to any interactive feature on the AVU Sites.
Communications With AVU:
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please send us an e-mail at webmaster@avu.org. If you send us an e-mail with questions or comments to our e-mail addresses, we may use your personal information to respond to your questions or comments. We may also share your information with a third party we designate to assist with our response. We may file your comments for future reference, or we may discard the information after we have reviewed it.
Surveys:
The AVU Sites may request information from users through surveys. Participation is voluntary, and users may choose whether to disclose this information. Information requested may include contact, demographic or other information. Survey information may be used to monitor or improve the use and satisfaction of this site. The information may also be used for marketing and promotional purposes, and to notify you of new content related to your interests. Contact information may be used to notify users of survey results.
Cookies:
A cookie is a piece of data stored on a user's own hard drive containing information about the user. AVU employs cookies to recognize you and your access privileges on the AVU Sites. These cookies keep track of member names and passwords, and personalize the AVU Sites for users. You can set your browser to notify you when you receive cookies, and you may decline to accept them. If you choose not to accept cookies from the AVU Sites, some parts may function less efficiently. For example, you will not be recognized on the site unless you explicitly log in.
Log Files:
We use IP addresses to analyze trends, administer the sites, track users' movements, and gather broad demographic and geographical information for aggregate use. In addition, we do collect information such as your browser type and operating system. This information is not linked to personally identifiable information.
Sharing of Aggregate Information:
We may share aggregated demographic information with third parties, such as current and potential content providers and advertisers. Aggregate information is not linked to any personal information that can identify any individual person.
Exceptions:
In certain circumstances, and as exceptions to this Privacy Policy, we will, without notice to you, release specific information about you or your account to comply with any valid legal process such as a search warrant, subpoena, statute or court order, or in other special cases, such as, for example, an attempted breach of the security of the AVU Sites, or a physical threat to you or others.
Choice/Opt?
If you are just browsing on the AVU's sites, we do not collect any personal information regarding your use of the site. Registering on our site is optional. If you choose not to register or provide personal information, you can still use the AVU's web site. However, you will not be able to use the AVU email, interactive features and any other service that requires registration.
Updates and Changes to Privacy Policy
We reserve the right, at any time and without notice, to add to, change, update or modify this Privacy Policy, simply by posting such change, update or modification on the Site. Any such change, update or modification will be effective immediately upon posting on the Site.
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