Privacy Policy
MCPHS University (“MCPHS”) has created this privacy policy to inform visitors to our website and subscribers to our email and text messaging services about our privacy practices. The following describes how we gather and share information in connection with this website and our email and text messaging services.
By interacting with this website, you are consenting to our collection, storage, and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
Who are we?
MCPHS is an accredited, not-for-profit institution of higher education that offers a wide range of healthcare programs at our campuses in Boston, MA, Worcester, MA, and Manchester, NH, as well as online.
How do we collect information from you?
As described below, some of your personally identifiable information will be used by MCPHS for the purpose of contacting you about information that you have requested. By submitting communications through the website (including, but not limited to, registering or applying for a program or requesting information), by subscribing to our email services, or by subscribing to our text messaging service, you expressly consent to MCPHS University’s storage, use and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Privacy Statement, including marketing efforts by MCPHS and by our agents whose job it is to communicate with our students, potential students, alumni and friends.
Communications to, from, and through this website and to and from us via email or text message are not confidential. No confidential, fiduciary, contractually implied, or other relationship is created between you and MCPHS University as a result of your submitting communications through this website, and/or to and from us via email or text message.
What information does MCPHS collect?
We collect personally identifiable information that you voluntarily choose to disclose, and aggregate information that is automatically collected when you visit the website or communicate with us via email or text message.
“Personally identifiable information” refers to information that tells us specifically who you are. It is collected when you choose to request information about MCPHS through our website or communicate with us via email or text message. This information can include your name, address, phone number, current email address, social media tags (such as Facebook or Twitter usernames), programs of interest, and other information you choose to provide. If you choose to correspond with us through email or text message, we may retain your email address and/or phone number and messages, together with our responses.
Your web browser automatically sends us the type of computing device and operating system you are using. We may also collect and maintain the IP (internet protocol) address used by your computing device. In addition, we may collect the dates and times you access the myMCPHS portal and associated services, URLs requested, file names sent or received, search strings, and errors generated. We may also collect and store other information to assist us in maintaining or managing our systems, assisting you with a help request, or informing investigations. We may also share information:
- with departments within MCPHS,
- with individuals and organizations involved in assisting MCPHS in providing services, and
- in response to lawful orders issued by, local, state and/or Federal agencies.
How do we use the personal information that you provide to us?
In general, we use your personal information to contact you regarding educational opportunities and products offered by MCPHS University. We may store your information for the purpose of administering our business activities, providing customer service, and making other products and services available to our students, potential students, alumni and friends. Occasionally, we may (but are not obligated to) use the information we collect to notify you about important changes to the website and new programs we think you will find valuable.
We will hold your personal information on our systems for as long as is necessary for the relevant activity, for as long as is set out in any applicable contract you hold with us, or for as long as is otherwise required by law. We review our retention periods for personal information on a regular basis.
Who has access to your information?
To the extent necessary to deliver and improve services, we may share personal information with others outside MCPHS such as third-party providers, vendors, and others acting on behalf of MCPHS. However, we do not share the personal information of residents of the European Union whose personal information is subject to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) with third parties. When we use third-party service providers, we disclose only the personal information that is necessary to deliver the services and we have a contract in place that requires them to keep your information secure and not to use it for their own direct marketing purposes. MCPHS does not sell personal information. MCPHS complies with lawful orders for production of records pursuant to law enforcement investigations, and supplies information as may be required by local, state and Federal agencies. We cannot and do not make any representations about the practices and policies of such third parties, and they are not subject to this Privacy Statement.
Your choices
You have a choice about whether or not you wish to receive information from us. If you do not want to receive direct marketing communications from us about our programs and events, then you can select your choices by checking the appropriate boxes on the form on which we collect your information.
We will not contact you for marketing purposes by email, phone, or text message unless you have given your prior consent. We will not contact you for marketing purposes by mail if you have indicated that you do not wish to be contacted. You can change your marketing preferences at any time by contacting us as set forth below.
Opt-In/Opt-Out
When visitors to our website submit communications through the website, they have the opportunity to opt-in to receiving communications from us at the point where we request information about them. By so opting in, by otherwise communicating with MCPHS University via email or text, by subscribing to our email services, or by subscribing to our text messaging service, you expressly consent to MCPHS University’s storage, use and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Privacy Statement. If you wish to opt out of receiving communications from us, and/or from having us store, use and disclose your personal information, please contact us as set forth below.
If you send us email, we may share your email address and message content with others inside MCPHS, and with persons and organizations outside MCPHS who may be called on to assist in processing your inquiry or serving your needs. MCPHS occasionally sends email communications to parties who have shown interest in receiving communications from us to inform them of news, events, and information that may be relevant to them. If you wish to opt out of receiving emails, please contact us as set forth below.
If you send us email messages, you should be aware that information disclosed in email may not be secure or encrypted and thus may be available to others. We suggest that you exercise caution when deciding to disclose any personal or confidential information in email. We will use your email address to respond directly to your questions or comments.
Text Messaging
By opting in to receive text messages from us on your wireless telephone, you consent to receiving text messages at that telephone number, including Short Message Service (SMS) messages. By opting in, you accept and agree to be bound by this Privacy Statement and the MCPHS SMS-specific Terms and Conditions. If you require assistance in opting out of text messages, please contact us as set forth below.
How do we protect your information?
We utilize encryption/security software to safeguard the confidentiality of personal information we collect. This software provides a limited degree of protection against unauthorized access or disclosure, as well as accidental loss, alteration or destruction.
Profiling
We may analyze your personal information to create a profile of your interests and preferences so that we can contact you with information relevant to you. We may use additional information about you when it is available from external sources to help us do this effectively.
Use of “cookies”
MCPHS uses cookies and pixels, or transparent GIF files, to help manage online advertising. GIF files enable ad servers, which store advertising content and deliver it onto digital platforms, to recognize the unique cookies on your Web browser, which in turn enables us to learn which advertisements are most effective in bringing users to our website. Cookies are placed by us, or by companies with whom we work to manage our advertising. Similarly, retargeting is a form of online targeted advertising by which online advertising is targeted to consumers based on their previous Internet actions. Retargeting tags online users by including a pixel within the target webpage or email, which sets a cookie in the user's browser. Once the cookie is set, the advertiser is able to show display ads to that user elsewhere on the internet via an ad exchange. In any case, with cookies, the information that we collect and share is anonymous and not personally identifiable. It does not contain your name, address, telephone number, email address, or social media tag. Most browsers are initially set up to accept cookies, but you can reset your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. Additionally, you may choose to opt out of Google advertising here or visit the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) opt-out page. Refusing cookies or opting out of Google advertising will not limit your ability to use this website.
Third party links
Occasionally, at our discretion, we may include links on our website to third-party sites that have separate and independent privacy policies. We therefore have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these linked sites. Nonetheless, we seek to protect the integrity of our site and welcome any feedback about sites to which we provide links.
Contacting Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Statement, how we deal with your personal information, or your dealings with this website, you can contact us by email at Help.Desk@mcphs.edu or by phone at 617.732.2170.
Changes to the Privacy Policy
The MCPHS University Privacy Polkicy is subject to change at any time. We encourage you to regularly review the Privacy Policy for any changes.