Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Online Data Privacy Statement

 Scope of Privacy Statement:

This Online Data Privacy Statement (“Privacy Statement”) applies to information that Houston City College (the “College”) collects when you visit its website (www.hccs.edu) and other websites that the College owns or controls (together, the “Site(s)”). This Statement describes how this information is processed, as well as the choices that are available to you regarding the use of the information you provide.

The College strives to ensure the privacy of personal information by employing extensive security measures. As a public institution, the College is bound by the Texas Public Information Act and information collected from the College website may be subject to release. See Board Policy Series GC for specific information about the Texas Public Information Act.

Unless otherwise indicated on a specific Site, the College is the data controller for all information directly collected under this Privacy Statement. Certain third-party embedded services used on the Site may act as independent controllers with respect to their own privacy policies. Contact information for the College’s Privacy Officer is listed at the end of this Privacy Statement.

Personal Information We Collect and Process:

When you access or use the Sites or interact with us, we may collect and process the following types of information about you: (Not all categories are collected from all users.)

• “Personal Information” is any information that we can reasonably use to identify you. This includes, but is not limited to: name, address, email address, Social Security number and any combination of data that could be used to identify you such as your birth date, zip code and gender. If you are located in the European Economic Area (“EEA”), Personal Information includes all Personal Data as defined under EEA laws.
• “Sensitive Personal Information”includes special categories of Personal Information (g., racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, genetic data, biometric data, data concerning health, and data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation) for which applicable law provides enhanced protections. The College does not request or require Sensitive Personal Information unless legally mandated or strictly necessary to provide a requested service.
• Student Information - The College complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”), which prohibits the release of personally identifiable information contained in student education records without student permission. See Board Policy FL for exceptions, a description of the types of information that may be released as directory information, the directory information opt-out process, and the procedure for amending a student record.

In most cases, the Personal Information and Sensitive Personal Information that we collect, why we collect it, and our legal basis for processing it.

Cookie Statement:

This Cookie Statement applies to the cookies we use when you visit the College’s main websites (www.hccs.edu) and any other websites that we own or control and link to or refer to this Cookie Statement (together, the “Sites”).

This Cookie Statement provides you with more information about cookies, what types of cookies we use, and how we use them. Our Sites use cookies with the intention of providing you with a user experience that best suits your needs, while concurrently allowing us to improve the design and functionality of our Sites. Cookies can be adjusted or disabled, and this statement provides you with instructions to do so.

Cookies:

A cookie is a file designed to contain a small amount of user and website information stored on a user’s computer. The file interacts with the user and the website to provide a webpage tailored to the user through its awareness of information held within the file.

Cookies also have the ability to carry all or parts of the information stored within the file to other websites that the user may visit or to third parties.

Types of Cookies:

• Session,
• Permanent,
• Third-party,
• Analytics,
• Preferences,
• Security, and

Please see the chart below for a full description of each type of cookie.

Our Use of Cookies:

 We use third-party, session, and persistent cookies and similar technology to collect aggregate (non-personal) information about Sites' usage by all of our visitors and to help us remember you and your preferences when you revisit the Sites. These cookies may stay on your browser in the future until they expire or you delete them. We also use technology to remember you the next time you log in. Some of these cookies are erased when you close your browser window, and some persist for a period of time. Further general information about cookies and how they work is available at www.allaboutcookies.org.

We may allow selected third parties to place cookies through the Sites to provide us with better insights into the use of the Sites or user demographics or to provide relevant advertising to you. These third parties may collect information about a user’s online activities over time and across different websites when he or she uses our Sites. The College does not always control third-party tracking technologies and is not responsible for their practice. Users should review the privacy policies of external vendors.

The cookies used on our Sites may include, but are not limited to, the following:

 Adjusting Cookie Settings:

You can change your cookie settings by reviewing your internet browser’s cookie options. The links below to popular browsers may help you understand your cookie options better. Typically, such information can be found under the browser’s ‘Help’, ‘Preferences’, or ‘Options’ menus. Information about how you can opt out of Google's use of cookies can be obtained by visiting Google's Ads Settings and how you can opt-out of a third-party vendor's use of cookies by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page.

• Cookie settings in Chrome
• Cookie settings in Firefox
• Cookie settings in Internet Explorer
• Cookie settings in Safari – iOS
• Cookie settings in Safari – macOS

Interest-Based Advertisements:

Some of our Sites engage in online interest-based advertising to enhance your experience and show you advertisements that might interest you. Like many organizations, our advertising partners and we display tailored interest-based advertising using information you make available to us when you interact with our Sites. Interest-based ads, also sometimes referred to as personalized or targeted ads, are displayed to you based on information from activities such as searching on our Sites or visiting websites that contain our content or ads. We do this using a variety of digital marketing networks and ad exchanges, and we use a range of advertising technologies like web beacons, pixels, ad tags, cookies, and mobile identifiers.

To learn more about interest-based ads or to opt out of receiving third-party interest-based ads, please visit optout.aboutads.info or www.youronlinechoices.eu. These advertisements simply won't be customized to your preferences. Additionally, keep in mind that deleting browser cookies may erase any cookie settings you've previously chosen.  Also, note that deleting browser cookies can remove the cookie preferences you have made, so you may need to opt out again in the future.

Blocking Cookies:

Should you choose to decline or block cookies by adjusting your browser settings, including cookies essential to the Sites, please note that all or parts of our Sites may not be functional or accessible to you. Our Sites automatically send cookies when you visit, unless you have changed your browser's cookie settings to block them. Please review the information provided in this Cookie Statement on adjusting cookie settings for the browser of your choice.

Sharing your Personal Information:

We share your information internally to facilitate and manage the purposes listed above. This includes third parties whom the College engages to process your Personal Information on our behalf for the purposes stated above, such as vendors who help us with marketing, application processing, and web hosting. The College may also share your personal data with government and law enforcement agencies or regulators to: 1) comply with a legal process, subpoena, order, or other legal or regulatory requirement applicable to us; 2) enforce our terms of use or other policies; or 3) pursue available legal remedies or defend against legal claims. The College may also share your personal data with other third parties you may have requested to receive your Personal Information, to the extent permitted by this and other applicable College policies and applicable laws and regulations. We will not sell any personal information to third parties for their use in direct marketing, advertising, or promotion of their products or services.

International Transfer of Personal Information:

If you live or provide us information from outside the United States, data protection laws in the United States may differ from those in your home country. Therefore, if you are a user from outside of the United States, by providing us with your Personal Information, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to the United States, processed on servers in the United States, and handled in accordance with the applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) if you are located within the EEA. Sometimes, your Personal Information might be sent to other countries, possibly even back to your country of residence.  Regardless, we will take all reasonable steps to protect your privacy in accordance with applicable law and College policy. 

Information Security:

We take the security of your personal information seriously. Our minimum security standards can be found at Board Policy CS.

Marketing:

Personal Information you submit, such as your name, address, and other contact information, may be collected by us for internal marketing and development purposes as well as to respond to your inquiry, complete a transaction for you, or fulfill other forms of customer service. You can choose not to receive marketing from us by “unsubscribing” using the instructions in any marketing email you receive from us or contacting the sender and requesting to be removed from further marketing emails. The College does not sell personal information for monetary consideration.

EEA Data Subject Rights:

If you are an individual located in the EEA only, you will have the following rights about your Personal Data:

1. Right of access - You may request details of your Personal Information that we hold. We will confirm whether we are processing your Personal Information and we will disclose supplementary information including the categories of Personal Information, the sources from which it originated, the purpose and legal basis for the processing, the expected retention period, and the safeguards regarding Personal Information transfers to non-EEA countries, subject to the limitations set out in applicable statutes, regulations, and other law
2. Right of correction - We will comply with your request to correct and update inaccurate Personal Information promptly.
3. Right to be forgotten - At your request, we will delete your Personal Information promptly if:
• it is no longer necessary to retain your Personal Information;
• you withdraw the consent which formed the basis of your Personal Information processing;
• you object to the processing of your Personal Information, and there are no overriding legitimate grounds or other legal basis for such processing;
• the Personal Information was processed illegally; or
• the Personal Information must be deleted for us to comply with our legal obligations.

We will inform any third parties with whom we might have shared your Personal Information of your deletion request.

We will decline your request for deletion if the processing of your Personal Information is necessary:

• to comply with our legal obligations;
• to defend or pursue legal action;
• to detect and monitor fraud; or
• for the performance of a task in the public interest.

1. Right to restrict processing of your Personal Information - At your request, we will limit the processing of your Personal Information if:
• you dispute the accuracy of your Personal Information;
• your Personal Information was processed unlawfully and you request a limitation on processing, rather than the deletion of your Personal Information;
• we no longer need to process your Personal Information, but you require your Personal Information in connection with a legal claim; or
• you object to the processing pending verification as to whether an overriding legitimate ground or other legal basis for such processing exists.
2. Right to notice related to correction, deletion, and limitation on processing - Insofar as it is practicable, we will notify you of any correction, deletion, and/or limitation on the processing of your Personal Information.
3. Right to data portability - At your request, we will provide you free of charge with your Personal Information in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, if: (i) you provided us with Personal Information; (ii) the processing of your Personal Information is based on your consent or required for the performance of a contract; or (iii) the processing is carried out by automated means.
4. Right to object - Where we process your Personal Information based upon our legitimate interest, then you have the right to object to this processing. However, we may decline your request if another legal basis for such processing exists.
5. Right not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing - You have the right to request not to be subject to decisions that are based solely on the automated processing of your Personal Information.
6. Right to withdraw consent - You have the right to withdraw any consent you may have previously given us at any time. If you withdraw your consent, this will not affect the lawfulness of our collecting, using, and sharing of your Personal Information up to the point in time that you withdraw your consent. Even if you withdraw your consent, we may still use the information that has been fully anonymized and does not personally identify you, or if another legal basis enables us to continue processing and using your data.
7. Right to complain to a supervisory authority - If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to complain to or seek advice from a supervisory authority and/or bring a claim against us in any court of competent jurisdiction. If you wish to contact us in connection with the exercise of your rights listed above, please email us at privacyofficer@hccs.edu. We will respond to your written request without unreasonable delay and in accordance with any deadlines imposed by law. Unless we notify you at the time of our response, we will not charge you any fee in connection with the exercise of your rights.

 Access and Choice:

Houston City College students can manage privacy settings for their directory information in MyEagle. Faculty, staff, and other College affiliates can manage their privacy settings in PeopleSoft Employee Self Service.

You can choose not to receive emails from us by “unsubscribing” using the instructions in any email you receive from us. This will not stop us from sending emails about your account or your transactions with us.

Document Retention:

We keep your Personal Information for as long as needed to fulfill the particular purpose for which it was collected. We may also retain your records if legally required or to fulfill a legitimate interest.

SMS/Text Messaging Privacy (Student Messaging & Communications):

The College may use Student Messaging & Communications (“SMC”) channels to send time-sensitive and service-related messages (for example: registration, financial aid, advising, deadlines, and campus alerts).

Text messaging is intended to supplement other official channels. The College will obtain appropriate consent (opt-in) before sending non-emergency informational or promotional text messages. Emergency alerts may be sent as permitted by law and institutional procedure.

Opt-in methods may include: selecting “Yes” to receive texts in the student portal/profile settings; submitting a form that clearly discloses message types and frequency; or sending a keyword to a Houston City College short code or number where supported.

Opt-out: You may opt out of non-emergency SMS at any time by replying STOP (or equivalent) or by using the preference center in the portal/app, where available. Opt-out requests will be honored promptly. If you opt out, you may miss non-emergency reminders; required/emergency notices may still be delivered through other channels (email, portal notifications, phone, or public alerts).

When you opt in to SMS, we may process your mobile phone number, message content, delivery status, and associated metadata (such as timestamps). Where required by GDPR, we rely on your consent for non-emergency SMS, and you may withdraw that consent at any time using the opt-out methods described above.

We may use third-party service providers to deliver SMS messages on our behalf. These providers will process personal information only under our instructions and for the purposes described in this Privacy Statement.

GDPR Note for SMS Communications (EEA):

If you are located in the EEA, SMS opt-in/opt-out choices form part of your consent and communications preferences. You may also exercise applicable data subject rights described in the “EEA Data Subject Rights” section of this Notice, including the right to withdraw consent and the right to object where processing is based on legitimate interests.

Updates to the Privacy Statement:

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Statement at any time. Before making changes to the Privacy Statement, we will provide you with notice, which shall be available at Hccs.edu, before the effective date of any notice. Your continued use of the Sites after any change in this Privacy Statement will constitute your acceptance of such change.

The College endeavors to maintain accurate and up to date information in this Privacy Statement; however, the College makes no representations or warranties of any kind regarding the completeness, accuracy, reliability, or availability of the information provided. Nothing herein creates any contractual rights or obligations. In the event of conflict between this Statement and applicable law (including FERPA, the Texas Public Information Act, and GDPR where applicable), the controlling law will govern.

Contact information:

For more information on how we collect and process your Personal Information, or if you have any complaints, please contact privacyofficer@hccs.edu.

Effective Date:

The effective date of this Privacy Statement is March 5, 2026.