Privacy Policy

This policy outlines the information gathered when visiting the Institute’s website, and explains how that information is used. This policy applies only to direct access to this website – URL starting http://www.mihe.ac.uk.

The Markfield Institute of Higher Education (MIHE) is committed to preserving your privacy. This policy outlines how we use and protect the information obtained from those visiting and using our website. By using the Institute’s website you consent to the collection, retention and use of your personal information in accordance with the terms of this policy.

The policy explains how we comply with the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), and the DPA (Data Protection Act – pre GDPR enforcement). It explains areas of this website that may affect your privacy and personal details, how we process, collect, manage and store those details and how your rights under the GDPR and DPA adhered to. Our contact information is provided if you have any questions.

The DPA and GDPR May 2018

The MIHE and this website complies to the DPA (Data Protection Act 1998) and already complies to the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) which comes into affect from May 2018. We will update this policy accordingly after the completion of the UK’s exit from the European Union.

Security

At several points on the Institute’s website you can submit personal information. The information provided will be treated in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

We employ security measures to protect your information from access by unauthorised persons and against unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction or damage. Please note the transmission of information via the internet is never completely secure. Although we do our best to protect personal data, we cannot guarantee the security of personal or other data transmitted to our website. Any transmission is made at your own risk. Once we have received your information, we apply strict procedures and security features to prevent unauthorised access.

Online transactions

All payment transactions will be encrypted. Areas of the website that process online transactions make use of – and transfer data to – third party software and service providers. All third-party software and service providers that we use are compliant with the relevant Payment Card Industry standards.

Data collected and Cookies

MIHE’s website uses cookies, which are pieces of information that are issued to your computer or other internet-enabled device when you visit the website. Cookies are stored by your browser and hard drive and are used to distinguish you from other visitors to the site.

MIHE’s website contains links to and from third-party sites. This policy only covers use of cookies on this site. You should consult privacy and cookie policies on third-party sites before you submit any personal data. The Institute is not responsible for any cookies that may be set by third party websites that are linked to pages on www.mihe.ac.uk

In common with most web sites, the MIHE site automatically logs certain information about every request made (details shown below). This information is used for system administration, for bug tracking, and for producing usage statistics. The logged information may be kept for up to two years.

We may collect and process the following data about you:

• Information that you provide by filling in forms provided on the MIHE website for a specific purpose. By supplying this information you are consenting to the Institute holding and using it for the purposes for which it was provided;
• How you use the website and any other information you post, email, or otherwise send to us;
• Your responses to surveys which we ask you to complete for research purposes.

The following data is automatically collected for each request:

• Name or network address of the computer making the request;
• Date and time of connection;
• Status code of the request (success or failure etc.);
• Number of data bytes sent in response;
• HTTP request, which contains the identification of the document requested;
• Contents of the HTTP Referrer header supplied by the browser;
• Content of the HTTP User-Agent header supplied by the browser.

Logging of additional data may be enabled temporarily from time to time for specific purposes.

In addition, the computers on which the website is hosted keep records of attempts (authorised and unauthorised) to use them for purposes other than access to the web server. This data typically includes:

• Name or network address of the computer making the connection;
• Date and time of the attempt;
• Service to which access was attempted, and;
• May include details of what was done or was attempted to be done.

We use a number of tools that monitor visitor behaviour on our website to help us improve our information and services. The tool we use most consistently is Google Analytics. Anonymous data about your visit is collected and amalgamated with that of other visitors so we can better understand how people use the MIHE website. You can opt out of providing us with this information if you wish, with no impact on your experience of using this website.

Contact and Communication With us

Users contacting this us through this website do so at their own discretion and provide any such personal details requested at their own risk. Your personal information is kept private and stored securely until a time it is no longer required or has no use.

Disclosure and uses of personal information

We use information held about you in the following ways:

• To ensure that content from our website is presented in the most effective manner for you and your computer or device, by gathering aggregate information about users’ usage to analyse the effectiveness and popularity of this website;
• To allow you to participate in interactive features of our service when you choose to do so.

We will not share, sell or distribute any of the information you provide to us without your consent. However, the Institute may disclose your personal information to third parties in the following circumstances:

• If we have obtained your consent to do so;
• When required or authorised by law, court order, regulatory or governmental authority to disclose your personal data;
• If required to protect the rights, property or safety of the Institute, its’ members or others.

Relevant subsets of this data may be passed to computer security teams as part of investigations of computer misuse involving this site or other computing equipment in the Institute.

Downloads and Media Files

Any downloadable documents, files or media made available on this website are provided to users at their own risk. While all precautions have been undertaken to ensure only genuine downloads are available users are advised to verify their authenticity using third party anti-virus software or similar applications.

We accept no responsibility for third party downloads and downloads provided by external third party websites and advise users to verify their authenticity using third party anti-virus software or similar applications.

Email Mailing List & Marketing Messages

We operate an email mailing list program, used to inform subscribers about our courses, activities and publications. Users can subscribe through an online automated process where they have given their explicit permission. Subscriber personal details are collected, processed, managed and stored in accordance with the regulations. Subscribers can unsubscribe at any time through an automated online service, or if not available, other means as detailed in the footer of sent marketing messages (or unsubscribe from all Mailchimp lists).

External Website Links & Third Parties

Although we only look to include quality, safe and relevant external links, users are advised to adopt a policy of caution before clicking any external web links mentioned throughout this website.

Changes to our privacy policy

We may amend this policy periodically. Notifications of any substantial changes to privacy policy are prominently displayed on our website.