Privacy Policy

WSCA respects the privacy of visitors to its Web site and its member companies. WSCA strongly believes that if electronic commerce and online activities are to flourish, consumers must be assured that information provided online is used responsibly and appropriately. To protect online privacy, WSCA has implemented the following policy.

What Information Does WSCA Collect?

Most data WSCA collects are not personal but business related to help WSCA better serve its members. WSCA does, however, collect members home addresses and phone numbers, allowing the association to communicate with its members during the summer months when many are not available at their work addresses.

From the General Public Using Unrestricted WSCA Files

WSCA does not collect any personal information from users browsing its Web site. Users to the public areas of WSCA's Web site browse anonymously. Only aggregate data -- such as the number of hits per page -- are collected. Aggregate data are only used for internal and marketing purposes and do not provide any personally identifying information.

From WSCA Members, Conference Registrants, and Other Customers

To gain access to some of the members-only or subscription-based areas of WSCA's Web site, users are asked to provide some limited information. These data are submitted voluntarily. WSCA asks users to provide their name, job title, school or organization, work and home address, work and home phone, fax and e-mail, and users may choose to provide WSCA with their credit card accounts to make payments. Similar information may be submitted to WSCA through membership applications, conference or seminar registration, publication orders and subscriptions.

A Note About Children

WSCA encourages its younger visitors to get their parents' permission before providing any information to WSCA. Although the nature of the Internet makes it impossible for WSCA to know the age of its visitors, keep in mind that WSCA does not collect any personal information about people of any age who visit the unrestricted areas of its Web site. Moreover, it is unlikely that WSCA will inadvertently collect personal information voluntarily submitted, as through conference registrations or order forms, because WSCA requires the name of an employer or a credit card account number - information that should exclude all but the most precocious minor.

Use of Cookies

What are cookies? Cookies are pieces of information that a Web site transfers to an individual's hard drive for record-keeping purposes. Cookies make Web-surfing easier for you by saving your passwords, purchases, and preferences while you're at our site. The use of cookies is an industry standard -- you'll find them at most major Web sites. By showing how and when users access the site, cookies help us see which areas are popular and which are not. Many improvements and updates to the site are based on such data as total number of visitors and pages viewed. This information is most easily tracked with cookies. If you accept the first tracking cookie from the site, you won't be offered as many afterwards.

Examples of How WSCA Uses Cookies

• A cookie lets the computers remember that you've registered, which allows us to speed up your future activities at our sites.
• Similarly, WSCA uses a temporary cookie to track which products you've chosen to purchase while shopping. The cookie expires once you're done shopping. Letting it do the record-keeping saves you the trouble of entering information over and over again during a single visit. If you decline this cookie, you may have difficulty ordering your selections.

How WSCA Does Not Use Cookies

• WSCA never uses cookies to retrieve information from your computer that was not originally sent in a cookie.
• Except as described below, WSCA does not use information transferred through cookies for any promotional or marketing purposes, nor is that information shared with any third parties whatsoever.
• WSCA does not use cookies to identify specific individuals, except in such cases as online shopping (see above) and contest registration (where a cookie allows you to enter a contest every day without registering again each time).
• You may occasionally get cookies from our advertisers. WSCA does not control these cookies, and these cookies are not subject to the WSCA cookies policy. The use of advertising cookies sent by third-party servers is standard in the Internet industry.

Most browsers are initially set to accept cookies. If you'd prefer, you can set yours to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent. However, it is possible that some parts of the site, like the shopping areas, will not function properly if you do so.

How Does WSCA Use Data Collected?

WSCA uses other information voluntarily submitted by members, conference registrants, and other customers in the following ways:

WSCA Member Services and Products

Generally, WSCA uses data it collects to improve its own Web content; to respond to visitors' interests, needs and preferences; to develop new products and services; and to provide individuals and their companies with information about complimentary WSCA products, services, promotions or special offers.

Disclosures to Third Parties

WSCA also makes limited member contact information available through the online Membership Directory to members visiting its Internet site and to those who register for its conferences. On occasion, WSCA may also provide limited data to third parties that offer products and services. These limited data include names, job titles, organizations and primary addresses, but do not include phone numbers, fax numbers or e-mail addresses. Users may request WSCA to refrain from disclosing the data it collects to third parties on the membership application form, conference registration form or any other form on which they are providing information. Alternatively, users may contact WSCA to express their preferences.

Credit Card Account Information

WSCA does not disclose credit card account information provided by its members and customers. When members and customers choose to pay using their credit cards, WSCA submits the information needed to secure payment to the appropriate clearinghouse.

How Does WSCA Ensure Compliance with its Privacy Policy?

WSCA is committed to making sure that its privacy policy is understood and respected by all of its employees. WSCA has taken the following steps to ensure compliance. All WSCA employees who collect or disclose information about members and customers are required to attend a training seminar to ensure that they understand the privacy policy and how this policy affects an individual's job responsibilities. In addition, regular network audits ensure that only WSCA employees who have a business need to access personally identifying information have such network privileges.

Access to WSCA network resources is limited to WSCA employees and interns. Access to data collected from visitors to its Web site is granted on an as-needed basis and is limited to full-time WSCA employees.

How Does WSCA Handle Concerns or Complaints?

WSCA believes that individuals should have the right to review their personal information to ensure its accuracy. If you wish to review your data, please contact WSCA. Members that are concerned about the treatment of their personal data should contact WSCA's executive director.