Online Privacy Policy

(revised / effective September 3, 2026)

1. Scope

This Online Privacy Policy is designed to assist you in understanding how Villanova University, including our agents, service providers, or other third parties acting on our behalf (“Villanova,” “University,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) collects, uses, discloses, and safeguards your information. This Online Privacy Policy applies to all visitors of Villanova’s websites, mobile applications, and other online resources (collectively the “Site”).

Villanova generally acts as the controller of Personal Data when it determines how and why the information is processed. We collect and use Personal Data through our websites, mobile applications, online services, and other digital resources to support our institutional mission, provide and improve our services (“Services”), and as otherwise permitted by applicable law. Personal Data is information that is linked or reasonably linkable to an identified or identifiable individual, such as your name and Social Security Number, as well as financial, health, and other information about you that is nonpublic.

This Online Privacy Policy describes Villanova’s practices regarding Personal Data collected through our websites, mobile applications, and other online resources, including how we collect, use, disclose, and protect Personal Data and the privacy choices and rights that may be available to you. Where consent is required by applicable law, Villanova will provide an appropriate mechanism for you to provide or withdraw that consent. By using our Site, you agree to our practices described in this Online Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to these practices, please immediately discontinue any use of our Site.

2. Contact Information

University Technology Services
800 E. Lancaster Ave.
Villanova, PA 19085
Phone: 610-519-4400
Email: privacy@villanova.edu

3. Personal Data That Villanova Collects

When you visit our Site or utilize Villanova’s online resources, we may ask you to voluntarily supply a variety of Personal Data from you when you use our Services. The following Personal Data may be necessary for the University to provide Services to you, including but not limited to:

  • Name and Date of Birth
  • Social Security Number (SSN) (limited uses only, as outlined in the following section)
  • Address, city, state, postal code, and country of residence
  • University-specific identifiers
  • Campus address and telephone number
  • Home, cellular, and other contact telephone number(s)
  • Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) information
  • Emergency contact information (names, phone numbers, and email addresses)
  • Academic credentials
  • Academic, leisure, or other interests

3.1 Digital Personal Data We Collect

We may also collect digital Personal Data such as unique device identifiers, randomly assigned unique identifiers in cookies, mobile device names, timestamp, IP addresses, and other similar data.

For example, 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 Services, URLs requested, file names sent or received, search strings, and errors generated. We collect this information to assist us in maintaining and managing our systems, diagnosing problems, assisting you with a help request, and informing investigations.

4. How Villanova Collects Personal Data

We collect Personal Data as follows:

  • When you use our Services
  • When you voluntarily provide it to us
  • When you register and set up an account
  • When you communicate with us
  • When you contact us offline or submit information to us offline
  • When you provide it through our Site
  • From publicly available sources
  • From third parties

5. Data Collection Technologies

We use data collection technologies to collect information about your use of our Services. Third parties, widgets, and hosted solutions that we use on our Site may use the following technologies for features, services, advertising, analytics, or research:

Online Surveys

Villanova and members of the Villanova research community employ the use of online surveys, which may be conducted via the University’s Site; however, this Online Privacy Policy will not apply to the information collected via such online surveys. The privacy of any information collected in connection with such online surveys will be governed by the privacy policies and practices (including any terms regarding confidentiality and disclosure of information) provided in connection with such online surveys or included in related informed consent forms or documents.

6. How Villanova Uses This Personal Data

We collect Personal Data as necessary to fulfill our business, legal, and contractual obligations and/or provide Services to you; to deliver and better tailor the features, performance, and support of our Services and Site; and to offer you additional information about our Services, personalized to you, your role, and interests at Villanova.

7. How Long Is Personal Data Stored?

In accordance with our data retention schedule, Villanova will retain your information no longer than necessary to carry out our institutional mission, improve our Site and Services, and otherwise as permitted by applicable law.

8. Disclosures of Personal Data

Villanova may disclose Personal Data as necessary to provide Services, support its institutional mission and operations, comply with legal obligations, protect the University and others, at your direction or with your consent, and as otherwise permitted or required by applicable law.

For example, the University receives test scores from testing agencies and will send transcripts to persons or institutions outside the University. This is done only at the request of users (persons to whom the information applies). Except as otherwise stated in this Online Privacy Policy, we do not sell, rent, or disclose your Personal Data to third parties. We may disclose your Personal Data to:

  • departments within the University;
  • third parties involved in assisting the University in providing Services, including but not limited to employee background checks, administrative services, and technical services;
  • local, state, and/or Federal agencies, pursuant to valid legal process; and
  • other parties as we deem reasonably necessary in order to protect and defend our rights or the rights or safety of third parties

8.1 How Personal Data Is Disclosed Within Villanova

We use your Personal Data primarily to enable delivery, personalization, and improvement of Services at Villanova. Personal Data may be disclosed to other departments and business units at the University to the extent necessary to deliver and improve Services offered or to comply with applicable legal, regulatory, contractual, or other requirements.

8.2 How Personal Data Is Disclosed Outside Villanova

We may disclose your Personal Data with others outside of the University, such as third-party providers, vendors, and others acting on behalf of the University, for a variety of purposes; for example, to the extent necessary to deliver, improve, and tailor Services to you. The University may disclose Personal Data pursuant to valid legal processes; to detect, prevent, or investigate fraud, misuse, or security incidents; or to protect the safety or rights of the University and other third parties; at your direction or with your consent; or as otherwise permitted or required by applicable law.

9. Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies

Like many other organizations, we use cookies and other tracking technologies (such as pixels and web beacons) (collectively, “Cookies”) on our Sites. “Cookies” are small files of information that are stored by your web browser software on your computer hard drive, mobile, or other devices (e.g., smartphones or tablets).

We use Cookies to:

  • Estimate audience size and usage patterns;
  • Understand and save your preferences for future visits, allowing us to customize the Site and Services to your individual needs;
  • Advertise new content and Services that relate to your interests;
  • Keep track of advertisements and search engine results;
  • Compile aggregate data about Site traffic and Site interactions to resolve issues and offer better Site experiences and tools in the future;
  • Recognize when you return to the Site; and
  • For other legitimate business purposes.

We set some Cookies ourselves and others are set by third parties. We use Cookies set by other entities to provide us with useful information to help us improve our Site and Services, to conduct advertising, and to analyze the effectiveness of advertising.

We may use the following types of Cookies:

Essential Cookies

These Cookies are necessary for the Site to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for Services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in, or filling out forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these Cookies, but some parts of the Site may not work as intended.

Preferences Cookies

Preference Cookies enable our Site to remember information that changes the way the Site behaves or looks, like your preferred language or the region that you are in. These Cookies enable the Site to provide enhanced functionality and personalization. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these Cookies, then some or all of the Site or Services may not function properly.

Statistics Cookies

Statistic Cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our Site by collecting and reporting information anonymously. These Cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our Site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the Site. If you do not allow these Cookies, we will not know when you have visited our Site and will not be able to monitor its performance.

Marketing Cookies

These Cookies may be set through our Site to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant advertisements on other websites. If you do not allow these Cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

In addition to the Cookies described above, the University has relationships with authorized third-party providers whose services are accessed through the mynova.villanova.edu portal or other web services. To facilitate your access to these services, the University may automatically send one or more of your Cookies to the third-party site or service so that you may access third-party services without re-entering your Villanova user ID and password, or other required information, each time.

When you first visit our Site, you will be presented with a banner that offers you choices about whether to accept or reject Cookies or tracking technologies of different types. If you wish to manage your Cookies, you can do so by clicking the icon in the lower left-hand corner of the Site and selecting “Change your consent.”

The Site may recognize opt-out preference signals, such as the Global Privacy Control (“GPC”) signal. If you are using a browser setting or plug-in that sends an opt-out preference signal to each website you visit, we may treat that as a valid request to opt out. To download and use a browser supporting the GPC browser signal, visit Global Privacy Control. If you choose to use the GPC signal, you will need to turn it on for each supported browser or browser extension you use.

Cookies can also be blocked by changing your Internet browser settings to refuse all or some Cookies. If you choose to block all Cookies (including essential Cookies), you may not be able to access all or parts of the Site. You can find out more about Cookies and how to manage them by visiting https://www.allaboutcookies.org/All About Cookies.

You can understand which entities have currently enabled Cookies for your browser or mobile device and how to opt-out of some of those Cookies by accessing the Network Advertising Initiative’s website or the Digital Advertising Alliance’s website. For more information on mobile specific opt-out choices, visit the Network Advertising Initiative’s Mobile Choices website. Please note that these opt-out mechanisms are specific to the device or browser on which they are exercised. Therefore, you will need to opt out on every browser and device that you use.

10. How Villanova Protects Your Personal Data

Villanova University maintains a multi-disciplinary approach to privacy, aimed to address the many aspects of information protection, including both security and privacy programs. We maintain administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect Personal Data against unauthorized access, acquisition, use, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These safeguards are designed to be appropriate to the nature of the Personal Data and the risks associated with its processing. However, no security measure or method of transmission or storage can guarantee absolute security.

11. Solicitation of Information from Children

Villanova does not knowingly solicit or collect Personal Data from users under the age of 13 years, nor do we knowingly send users under the age of 13 requests for Personal Data. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information about your child, please contact us, and we will attempt to delete the information.

12. Privacy Questions

Please do not hesitate to contact us at the phone number or email address provided above if you have any questions or concerns regarding the processing of your data. We would appreciate the opportunity to receive and address your concerns.

13. Approval and Revisions

We may update this Online Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or other factors. Updates will be posted on our Site and reflected by the “Last Revised” date above.