Privacy Policy and GDPR Update
May 2018
As the United Kingdom has been covered by the General Data Protection Regulation from 25 May 2018, we would like to take this opportunity to let you know about how the Harvard Club of the United Kingdom (“HCUK” or “the Club”) deals with your personal information.
What information do we hold?
We hold information that you provided on your application form and Direct Debit Instruction, and any contact or payment information you have provided us with or updated since then. We also hold a record of your financial transactions with the Club, and records of any correspondence you have had with the Club, including participations in surveys, where you have given us your name. The Club’s information database is managed by the Harvard Alumni Association (“HAA”). Any Harvard alumni wishing to update their information should reference the website here: https://alumni.harvard.edu/help/site-access/registration.
How will we use your information?
We use this information to manage your membership. This includes sending you any communication required to manage your membership (for example, if you are moving from one membership category to another, or if you fail to make a payment), and sending you the annual Financial Statements, and any important changes to our terms, such as membership fees.
We also send out news emails, and emails about any events related to your interests where you have previously indicated that interest to us. These emails are optional – there is a link at the bottom of each email that allows you to opt of emails, or you may contact membership@hcuk.org. You may opt out at any time. Please refer to the Privacy Policy below for further information.
We will send you emails related to HCUK events that you have signed up to attend, to the address of record on your membership, or to those emails that you provided at the time of registering for the event.
We may contact you if you indicated interest to volunteer with the club (interviewing, for example).
We will never share your information with other members, other clubs or any other third party, with the following exceptions:
- If you take up a position on a Club committee or Shared Interest Group (SIG), your email address will be shared with other members of that committee. If you take up a position as Chairman of a Club committee, your email will be provided on request to any member who wishes to write to you on the subject of your committee and your name may be made available on the Club’s website as a contact person, subject to your consent.
- If you ask us to send out a newsletter communication, such as an advertisement, where you provide your contact details for inclusion in the email.
- If you register for an event co-hosted with another organisation or club, to the extent necessary for the logistics of that event (security clearance and guest lists, for example).
Access to your information and correction
You have the right to request a copy of the information that we hold about you. If you would like a copy of some or all of your personal information, or if you have any concerns as to how we may store and utilise your personal information, please contact us on membership@hcuk.org.
HCUK Privacy Policy
INTRODUCTION
- Any personal information which is collected, gathered or processed by HCUK will be subject to the terms of this Privacy Policy.
- By becoming a member of HCUK, you consent to the collection, use and transfer of your information under the terms of this Policy.
DATA PROTECTION
- HCUK is committed to preserving the privacy of all HCUK members. HCUK takes your privacy seriously.
- We take reasonable care to comply with the requirements of the UK Data Protection Act 1998 (“the Act”) relating to the personal information you supply on the Club Website.
- For the purpose of the Act, the data controller is The Harvard Alumni Association, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Please refer to the HAA’s privacy statement here: https://alumni.harvard.edu/privacy.
INFORMATION THAT HCUK COLLECTS FROM YOU
- HCUK collects personal information from members of HCUK who register for membership using the Club Website, or request their membership to be processed by the Club Administrator. This includes your name, e-mail address and any other identifying numbers within HCUK or the HAA’s Alumni Magnet database.
- Instructions on how to register for member access to the Club Website may be obtained from membership@hcuk.org. Non-members cannot register.
- In other cases, no personally identifiable information will be collected from you, unless you contact HCUK.
- Any changes of personal information should be logged with the HAA, by contacting alumni_magnet@harvard.edu.
HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION
- HCUK uses the information we collect from registered members in order to communicate with you with respect to Club communications.
- Your personal information will only be used by HCUK for purposes consistent with the aims of the HCUK.
- Personal information obtained from users of the Club Website (whether members or not) who contact HCUK will only be used for the purposes of communicating with them about the subject on which they have contacted HCUK.
SECURITY
- The Club Website and financial transaction systems are managed by Harvard University. Any questions of this nature should be directed to the Harvard Alumni Association. However, as no data transmissions over the internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure, we cannot take responsibility for any unauthorised access or loss of personal information that is beyond our control.
- Please remember that other methods of internet communication, such as emails and messages sent via a website, are not secure unless they are encrypted. We take no responsibility for any unauthorised access or loss of personal information that is beyond our control.
COOKIES
- The Club Website may use cookies. A “cookie” is a piece of software which is attached to the hard drive of your computer and remembers information about the configuration of your computer. HCUK may use this information to enhance the Club Website’s performance in a number of ways including providing a secure way for HCUK to verify your identity during your visit to the Club Website. HCUK may use the aggregated demographics and interests data collected by Google, alongside data collected via Google Analytics regarding what content visitors are accessing, provide more engaging content and to improve the visitor experience.
- The cookies do not collect any personally identifiable information and HCUK does not facilitate the merging of personally identifiable information collected such as membership information, with non-personally identifiable information in any way. The Club may use information for internal marketing analysis, for example, to assess trends amongst website visitors or to measure the amount of traffic to the website.
- You can disable cookies by turning them off on your web browser. Most browsers are defaulted to accept and maintain cookies and you can set your browser to notify you when you receive a cookie, giving you the chance to decide whether to accept it or not. You can opt out of contributing information to Google’s demographic and interest reporting in Google Analytics, and customise the way Google displays personalised adverts, by updating your Google Ads Settings. You can opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics altogether by using the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on. For further information on how to disable cookies, please refer to www.about-cookies.org. However, you should bear in mind that if you exercise this option, the performance of the Club Website may not be optimal.
WHAT INFORMATION DOES THE HCUK SHARE?
HCUK does not share any information other than in compliance with the law. HCUK will release personal information required so to do by law or by any regulations and other rules (including auditing requirements) to which HCUK is subject.
LINKS TO THIRD PARTIES’ WEBSITES
We may provide links to other websites. Before supplying any personal information to any other website, we recommend that you check that website’s Privacy Policy. We do not accept responsibility for the protection of any data supplied to other websites.
CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
HCUK may change this policy from time to time. If HCUK makes any substantial changes, the Club will notify you by posting a prominent announcement on the Club Website.
YOUR RIGHTS
You have the right to ask for a copy of the information held by HCUK in the Club’s records. You have the right also to require HCUK to correct any inaccuracies in your information. Contact the HCUK Website Administrator (membership@hcuk.org) for further details.
INFORMATION
If you have any queries concerning your personal information or any questions on the HCUK’s use of the information, please contact the HCUK Website Administrator (membership@hcuk.org).