EARTH University Website Privacy Statement
Dated December 12, 2018 and Revised May 8, 2025
EARTH University and EARTH University Foundation (collectively “EARTH”) respects the privacy of our online visitors. Our privacy practices are described below to inform you how we collect, use and share personal and device information that we obtain from users of the EARTH University website. This Privacy Statement only applies to the EARTH website.
Should you have any questions regarding this Privacy Statement, please send an email to webmaster@earth.ac.cr
This Privacy Statement covers the following topics:
- What we collect
- What we do with the information we gather
- Security and confidentiality
- Access and Correction
- Cookies
- European Union Users-Transfer of Certain Information to the United States of America
- Changes to Privacy Statement
What we collect
We may collect the following information:
1.“Personal Information” – that is, information such as your full name, job title, company, postal address, email address, telephone number, and credit card or other payment information (if making a gift);
2.“Device Information” – that is, information about you or your activities, (such as your Internet Protocol Address, browser characteristics, device characteristics, operating system, language preferences, referring URLs, information on actions taken on our website, and dates and times of website visits) through which we do not attempt to identify you but through which it may be possible to identify you; and/or
3.Information related to donor, student, or alumni surveys, promotions and/or offers which may be Personal Information and/or Device Information (e.g., preferences, demographics, interests, etc.).
We collect Personal Information from our online visitors only when voluntarily offered when those visitors log in to certain parts of the website. We may also collect Device Information from visitors to or users of the EARTH website.
What we do with the information we gather
We use the Personal Information that we gather and that you provide in order to perform and monitor performance of any enrollment application or gift you make to EARTH, or for communications. This includes using the information: (i) to understand your preferences, provide you with a better service, and respond to your inquiries; (ii) for internal recordkeeping; (iii) for internal analysis; and (iv) to administer applications for enrollment, donor information, or alumni communications for which you provided Personal Information.
It is not possible for us to evaluate your enrollment application, or process your donation unless you provide this Personal Information.
You must provide your consent in order to receive communications (i.e. newsletters) or communications outside of those involving enrollment or gifts. You may withdraw your consent at any time in accordance with the EARTH University Privacy Policy.
We use the Device Information for our legitimate interests, such to allow our website to operate, to improve our products and services, and to measure the number of visitors to the EARTH website and the areas of the website that are of most interest to our visitors.
We may share your Personal Information with another entity or with unrelated third parties (including contractors who provide services to us) to assist with any of the uses of Personal and Device Information described herein. For example, we may share and/or provide your Device Information with/to third parties that assist with the operation, administration, or maintenance of our website.
Other Third Parties: EARTH may be required to disclose certain Personal Data to other third parties: (i) As a matter of law (ii) to protect EARTH University’s or EARTH University Foundation’s legal rights; (iii) to Law Enforcement Authorities in accordance with the relevant legislation in the different European Economic Area Member States.
How long do you keep Device Information?
We retain Device Information to the extent it used to assist with the operation administration or maintenance of our website.
Security
EARTH University is committed to taking appropriate technical, physical and organizational measures to protect Personal Data against unauthorized access, unlawful processing, accidental loss or damage and unauthorized destruction.
Equipment and Information Security
To protect personal information from unauthorized access by third parties other than EARTH, all electronic personal data collected through the website is stored in systems supported by secure and up-to-date network architectures, including firewalls and intrusion detection devices. This information is hosted on cloud server farms, where daily data backups are performed, as well as full backups of the infrastructure and databases.
Access security
EARTH is committed to safeguarding the integrity of personal information and preventing unauthorized access to information maintained in EARTH University’s databases. These measures are designed and intended to prevent corruption of data, block unknown and unauthorized access to our computerized system and information, and to provide reasonable protection of Personal Information in EARTH University’s possession. Users are limited to data required to perform their job function. Security features of our software and developed processes are used to protect personal information from loss, misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction.
Access and Correction
You can request access to Personal Information we hold about you and also ask, if you are not a current customer, to be removed from our database. If the Personal Information we hold about you is incorrect, we will change it upon your request. Please email your request to webmaster@earth.ac.cr. Please state “Request/Remove/Change Personal Data” in the subject line of your email.
Cookies
When you visit the EARTH website, we may use “cookies” and similar technologies to help us recognize and serve you better. Cookies are small files that contain information sent by a website that is saved on your computer’s hard drive. A list of all cookies used on this website by category is set out below. You may delete cookies from your computer or set your browser to reject cookies.
“Strictly Necessary” Cookies
These cookies are essential in order to enable you to move around the website and use its features. Without these cookies, services you have asked for cannot be provided.
“Performance” Cookies
These cookies collect information about how visitors use a website, for instance which pages visitors go to most often, and if they get error messages from web pages. These cookies don’t collect information that identifies a visitor. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. It is only used to improve how a website works.
“Functionality” Cookies
These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make (such as your user name, language or the region you are in) and provide enhanced, more personal features. These cookies can also be used to remember changes you have made to text size, fonts and other parts of web pages that you can customize. They may also be used to provide services you have asked for such as watching a video or commenting on a blog. The information these cookies collect is anonymous and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.
“Targeting or Advertising” Cookies
These cookies are used to deliver adverts more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement as well as help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. They are usually placed by advertising networks with the website operator’s permission. They remember that you have visited a website and this information is shared with other organizations such as advertisers. Quite often targeting or advertising cookies will be linked to site functionality provided by the other organization.
European Union Users - Transfer of Certain Information Related to Donations to the United States
The EARTH University Foundation is a legal entity located in the United States of America. When you make a donation through the EARTH University website, the Personal Information you provide with the donation is transferred to the United States of America. The European Commission has determined that the United States of America (“United States”) does not provide an adequate level of protection in accordance with the Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Counsel of 27 April 2016 (the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”). This means that the United States does not require the same level of information security or the same prohibitions on primary or secondary uses of Personal Information as European Union member states. Additionally the United States does not have a National Data Protection Authority and your ability for legal recourse for violation of this Privacy Statement may be severely limited (as opposed to the recourse mechanisms provided under European Union Law). We cannot process your donation unless such transfer occurs. When you make a gift you acknowledge that you understand the risks involved and are hereby expressly consenting to this privacy policy and the transfer of personal and/or device data to the United States.
Changes to Privacy Statement
Please note that this Privacy Statement may change from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes to this Privacy Statement by posting a link on the home page of our websites that says “Revised Privacy Statement.” We will also indicate a revised Effective Date at the top of this Privacy Policy and the changes in the Privacy Statement will not be effective until 30 days after first posting the revised version. Please check this Privacy Statement regularly.