If you have questions or comments about the agency’s privacy policy, please send e-mail to Janus Buss, Director -- Public Information or call the MSU Office of Public Information at 940-397-4353.

Information Collected

Server Logs/Log Analysis Tools
MSU utilizes server logs and log analysis tools to create summary statistics about the use of the Web site. The summary statistics are used for purposes such as assessing what information is of most interest to users, determining technical design specifications, and identifying system performance or problem areas. The following information is collected for this analysis:

User/client hostname - The hostname (or IP address, if DNS is disabled) of the user/client requesting access.
HTTP header, "user-agent" - The user-agent information includes the type of browser used, the browser version, and the operating system it is running on.
HTTP header, "referer" - The referer specifies the page from which the user/client accessed the current page.
System date - The date and time of the user/client request.
Full request - The exact request the user/client made.
Status - The status code the server returned to the user/client.
Content length - The content length, in bytes, of the document sent to the user/client.
Method - The request method used.
Universal Resource Identifier (URI) - The location of a resource on the server.
Query string of the URI - Anything after the question mark in a URI.
Protocol - The transport protocol and version used.

For site management functions, information is collected for analysis and statistical purposes. This information is not reported or used in any manner that would reveal personally identifiable information, and will not be released to any outside parties unless required to do so under applicable law.

For site security purposes and to ensure that the site remains available to all users, the Department uses software to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. Except for authorized law enforcement investigations, no other attempts are made to identify individual users or their usage habits. Raw data logs are used for no other purposes. Unauthorized attempts to upload information or change information on this site are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under the Texas Penal Code Chapters 33 (Computer Crimes) or 33A (Telecommunications Crimes).

Cookies
A cookie is an extremely small text file that resides on the user’s hard drive, created at the request of the Web server to track specific information.

Pages on the MSU Web site do not use cookies.

E-mail
Personally identifiable information contained in a question or comment sent to MSU in an e-mail message or in an online form submitted to MSU will only be used by MSU to respond to the request and to analyze trends. MSU may redirect the message to another government agency or person who is in a better position to answer the question.

Web-based forms
MSU uses Web-based forms.  Personally identifiable information collected from these forms has a specified use (e.g., registration, survey response, etc.) and the information is used by MSU only for that purpose.

Use/Release of Information

All information collected from the MSU Web site, including the summary server log information, e-mails sent to the Web site, and information collected from Web-based forms, is subject to the Texas Public Information Act.

Additional information regarding privacy policies can be found in the draft Privacy Policy Guidelines at http://www.state.tx.us/Standards/srrpub11-privacy-policy.htm. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission also provides information for educating consumers and businesses about the importance of personal information privacy at http://www.ftc.gov/privacy/.