Privacy Statement

Hinds Community College demonstrates a firm commitment to your privacy. Below is an explanation of how we gather, use, and protect your information.

We Don't Sell Your Contact Information

While using this site, you may choose to submit personal information through email or on-line forms. We will use this data to process your requests. But we will not intentionally sell, share, or distribute your personal information to third parties, except as required by law or college policy.

Statistical Logs Kept

The College uses reporting programs to collect data about visitor traffic to our site. We do not attempt to personally identify visitors. Instead we collect data to analyze in aggregate to determine trends and improve our sites. Here are some examples of the types of data we routinely collect:

• IP Address of computer
• Operating System
• Browser type
• Referring web page
• Date, time & duration of visit

Cookies Used to Preserve Data

Some Hinds sites require the use of cookies (bits of data passed by your browser to our site). For instance, the My.Hinds portal uses cookies (active only during your session) to remember password and menu settings. You are not required to use My.Hinds. This tool is provided for your convenience. If you prefer not to receive cookies, you can turn them off in your browser or set your browser to ask you before accepting new cookies.

Security Programs Running

We have put in place appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and help prevent unauthorized access, to assist in maintaining data security, and to assist in correctly using the information we collect online. We do not intentionally release personal information gleaned from these programs to others, except as required by law.

Security Precautions You Should Take

Although we make every effort to secure our networks, the College cannot guarantee privacy of online communications. Use discretion in providing information in online classes, chat rooms, or other open forums on the Web. If you use My.Hinds or Blackboard to access personal records, be sure to "lock up" when you leave by exiting the site AND closing your browser. Otherwise, the next person to use the computer may see your information.

Alternate Ways to Submit Information

You have a choice about whether to provide personal information online. For other options, contact us and learn how you can provide information by phone, mail, fax or in person.

Other Sites Have Different Policies

This site contains links to other independently managed Hinds sites. Some may use information for purposes other than stated above; be sure to read their separate privacy statements. Hinds sites also contain links to sites outside the college; these sites may have their own privacy statement - or none at all. We urge you to exercise caution when providing personal data to any site. Check their policies and contact them if you have questions.

Protecting Children's Privacy

We encourage parents to explore our website with their children. If we learn that a child under age 13 has provided personally identifiable information to our sites, we will promptly remove this from our files. For more on children's privacy rights, read about about the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act at the FTC's website.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA)

Hinds Community College declares all of its students dependent and places the responsibility on the students to prove that they are not dependent. Unless there is a written request to the contrary, the following information will be made available to parents, spouses, prospective employers, government security agencies, previous schools and colleges attended. Campus organizations which require minimum scholastic averages for membership, and organizations and/or societies awarding financial assistance (grants, scholarships, and loans): name, address, dates of attendance, major field of study, and the type of degree(s) granted and the date conferred.

The purpose of this notification is to inform eligible students of Hinds Community College about the College's policy concerning the privacy rights of students under the stated Act. Specifically the notification (1) informs students of their rights under the Act, (2) defines Directory Information and the conditions for its release.

1. Subject to limitations specified in the Act, eligible students are assured the following rights pertaining to their educational records:
   1. The right to inspect and review the records, to request reasonable explanations and interpretations of them, and to obtain copies of them at their own expense, the actual charges not to exceed the cost to the College for reproducing them.
   2. The right to seek correction of the records through a request to amend them or through a formal hearing.
   3. The right to control the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the records.
2. The following information about eligible students will be treated as Directory Information:
   1. Name, home and local address, and phone number.
   2. Classification (Fr., Soph., etc.), major field of study, dates of attendance, full or part-time student, full or part-time employment, awards, degrees and honors and dates granted, photographic images, and previous schools attended.
   3. Participation in College and /or civic sponsored activities and sports and vital statistics recorded for participants in such activities, such as height and weight.
3. Directory Information is treated as general information and will be released upon request unless a written request that it not be released is received by the Admissions and Records Office, Raymond, MS 39154, within thirty (30) days from the beginning of any period of registration.

Everything Subject To Change

College policies are subject to change (see Disclaimer). We encourage you to check back for updates from time to time. If you have additional questions about this privacy statement or any Hinds policy or publication, we invite you to contact us.