Privacy Policy
Effective Date: May 1, 2026 | Last Updated: May 6, 2026
The University of South Florida College of Education ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of individuals who voluntarily enroll in our SMS notification service. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information in connection with that service.
1. Information We Collect
When you register for SMS notifications, we collect the following information:
- First and last name
- USF email address
- U.S. mobile phone number
- Institutional role (Student, Faculty/Admin, Staff, or Other)
- Campus affiliation (Tampa, St. Petersburg, or Sarasota-Manatee)
- Date and time of consent
2. How We Use Your Information
The information you provide is used solely for the following purposes:
- Sending SMS/text message notifications related to academic advising, registration deadlines, certification and testing reminders, college events, and student support resources
- Maintaining a record of your consent to receive SMS communications in compliance with applicable law
- Processing opt-out requests and maintaining do-not-contact records
We will not use your mobile phone number or personal information for any purpose other than those listed above.
3. Information Sharing and Disclosure
We do not sell, rent, trade, or otherwise share your mobile phone number or personal information with third parties for marketing or commercial purposes. Your information may be disclosed only in the following limited circumstances:
- Service providers: We use Twilio, Inc. as our SMS messaging platform. Twilio processes message delivery on our behalf and is bound by its own privacy policy and data protection terms.
- Legal compliance: We may disclose information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request.
- University operations: Authorized USF College of Education personnel may access contact records for the purpose of administering the SMS notification program.
4. Data Retention
We retain your contact information for as long as you remain enrolled in the SMS notification service or as required by applicable university record-retention policies. Upon opt-out, your mobile number is flagged as unsubscribed and will not receive further messages. You may request deletion of your record by contacting us directly.
5. Your Rights and Choices
- Opt-out: You may unsubscribe from SMS notifications at any time by replying STOP to any message. You will receive a single confirmation and no further messages will be sent.
- Help: Reply HELP to any message for assistance, or contact us by email.
- Access and correction: You may request access to or correction of your personal information by contacting us at unal@usf.edu.
- Voluntary participation: Consent to receive SMS messages is entirely voluntary and is not a condition of enrollment or participation in any USF College of Education program or service.
6. Security
We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
7. Children's Privacy
This SMS service is intended for currently enrolled or affiliated USF students, faculty, and staff. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under the age of 13.
8. Changes to This Policy
We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy at any time. Changes will be posted on this page with a revised effective date. Continued enrollment in the SMS service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
9. Contact Us
If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or the SMS notification service, please contact:
University of South Florida — College of EducationAttn: AI Lab Communications
Email: unal@usf.edu
Website: usf.edu/education