Privacy Rights and Responsibilities
Wilmette Institute is committed to maintaining the privacy of all Personally Identifiable Information (PII) it collects from its students. All Students have the right to ask Wilmette Institute what pieces of personally identifiable information it holds and to ask that the information be removed from its databases. All students also have a responsibility to play their part in maintaining the privacy of information supplied to them in the course forums. While course materials are generally free for students to use (with appropriate credit) in preparing and enhancing devotional materials, presentations to local communities, and art projects, forum discussions should be kept completely private. Other students’ ideas, comments, questions, etc., should never be shared outside the course platform without explicit consent.
Wilmette Institute maintains strict confidentiality and security of records in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), in addition to other federal and state laws.
Wilmette Institute student data is contained in three main places.
Populi Student Information System
Populi is a comprehensive cloud-based platform for higher education institutions, offering integrated solutions for student information management, learning management, and administrative functions. Wilmette Institute’s Populi account houses academic and demographic information on all Wilmette Institute certificate students. Populi’s data security measures.
Moodle Learning Management System
Moodle was first released as an open-source platform in 2001. It is a widely used educational software and the most customizable and trusted learning management system. The Institute’s Moodle website is hosted and supported by Moodle US. Moodle privacy notice.
Each Wilmette Institute student is issued an account or “profile” in Moodle. Moodle displays the student’s name, institutional email address, and location (no street address or zip code) from Populi in their profile. This information is shared by default with all participants in the students’ courses. The student may choose whether or not to post their photograph and other personal information in their profile and whether or not to share their email address with students in the wider Wilmette Institute online learning community.
Moodle Forums and Moodle Messaging: As students participate in courses, they may share additional personal information in the course forums (open to all students in the course) and through the Moodle messaging system to individual faculty members and students. Students may also email the faculty privately outside of Moodle. By participating in the forums, students commit to adhering to our communication etiquette guidelines and fostering a welcoming environment that values and respects diverse perspectives. Breaches of privacy and etiquette within Moodle or suspicious/unlawful transmission of Moodle data outside of Moodle should be reported immediately to the Office of the Director.
Google Workspace and online application form
Google Workspace is a suite of cloud-based collaboration and productivity tools, including Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, and more, designed to facilitate communication and teamwork in a professional setting. Google Workspace for Education privacy notice.
Certificate students initiate their application through a Google Form survey; successful candidates proceed to a Zoom interview, with the Google form gathering supplementary details such as date of birth, a scan of their driver’s license, or other photo identification. The Institute securely stores the data collected, including the application process and related surveys, within its Google Workspace, accessible exclusively to Wilmette Institute staff. Publicly available survey data and student statistics are presented in overall statistical summaries, ensuring that any released anecdotal information remains unlinked to personally identifiable details without the explicit consent of the survey respondent.
Student information may be exchanged via email among students and shared with Wilmette Institute staff and faculty; all staff, faculty, and students must utilize WI institutional email addresses (@wilmetteinstitute.org) and are obligated to implement fundamental security measures to safeguard the privacy of their email accounts.
Also, see Wilmette Institute’s Records Retention Policy.
Faculty and Staff Roles in Maintaining Privacy
Wilmette Institute’s faculty-to-student ratio (15:1) allows our faculty to provide high-quality follow-up for each student. Wilmette Institute faculty and staff members are responsible for maintaining the privacy of any personally identifiable information transmitted to them by students. This includes but is not limited to:
- Responsible password use for email accounts,
- Immediately reporting suspected privacy breaches Wilmette Institute’s Director,
- Advising students about their privacy rights and responsibilities.
In extreme cases, deletion of a student’s forum post or posts by faculty or staff may be warranted. The student who created the post(s) should always be made aware of the deletion and the reason for deleting the post(s). Repeated infractions of privacy rights should be reported to the Director as grounds for suspension from the learning platform.
Last revision: 11/6/2024