Privacy Policy

Columbia University School of the Arts (SOA, or the School) is committed to protecting your privacy.

Information you provide to the School

In certain areas of our website, we may ask for personally identifiable information such as name, email address, phone number, etc. Examples include event and mailing list sign-ups. The School will never share personally identifiable information you provide unless one or more of the following conditions apply:   

  • We have your consent to share the information.
  • We are sharing such information in response to subpoenas, court orders, or legal processes.

Information gathered automatically

Unless you take steps to browse the Internet anonymously, or opt-out, Columbia University School of the Arts, like most institutions and organizations on the Internet, tracks web browsing patterns to inform our understanding of how our site is being used. SOA uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc.

Google Analytics uses cookies to help us analyze how users interact with our website. Generic information is collected through the use of “cookies,” which are text files placed on your computer, to evaluate usage patterns so that we can improve both content and distribution. The generic information collected is based on an IP address, which is the location of a computer or network, and is not linked to your specific email address in any of the reports or other material compiled by the School. We will not associate your IP address and web usage data with any other information held by the University that can specifically identify you unless required to do so by law.

This information will be transmitted to and stored by Google on its servers. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity, and providing other services relating to Internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf. Google also will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google.

By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.

You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser; however, doing so may prevent you from benefiting from the full functionality of the site.

Please visit the following pages for more information on Google Analytics terms of use and Google’s privacy practices.

Special Analytics Features

We have enabled several Google Analytics features that give us important information about how our users engage with our content. We are required to disclose to our users that we have enabled these features, and by using the site, you acknowledge that these data are being collected.

Demographic and Interests Data

This feature allows us to collect demographic data (e.g., age, country, gender, language spoken), data about our users’ interests (e.g., gardening, film studies, Broadway musicals), and information about the effectiveness of our advertising programs. This helps us refine our messaging to make visits to our website more relevant and productive. We analyze these in the aggregate only; individually identifiable data are not captured.

Remarketing with Google Analytics

This feature recognizes information about a given returning user and can be used to surface relevant content appropriate to their relationship with the School. For example, remarketing would allow us to provide messages in a Google search about an upcoming application deadline to a user who has already visited our Admissions page or started an application.

Google Display Network Impression Reporting

This feature allows us to track how frequently paid advertising we place leads to a visit to our site and ultimately to some goal such as a sign-up or an application start. This helps us manage the money we spend on such messages so we are as efficient and economical as possible.

Opting out

Users can set preferences for how Google advertises to them using the Google Ad Settings page. Alternatively, you can opt out by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative Opt Out page or by using the Google Analytics Opt Out Browser add on. Here is a link with Google Analytics' currently available opt-outs for the web.

External links

Our site contains links to external websites not owned by or officially affiliated with the School in any way. The School is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such websites.

Changes to this policy

When we make changes to this policy, the changes will be highlighted on the top of this page for three months.

Contact information

If you have any questions about this privacy statement or the practices of this website, you may contact:

Columbia University School of the Arts
Office of Communications
929.276.2565
[email protected]