Privacy & Cookies

Privacy Policy

This policy describes how we collect and use your personal data during your use of the School of Geography and the Environment's website (www.geog.ox.ac.uk) (the 'website') in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and related UK data protection legislation.

Please note that this policy applies specifically to the School of Geography and the Environment's website (www.geog.ox.ac.uk). Websites associated with the SoGE, such as research project websites, may carry their own privacy policy or provide additional information relating to their activities, which will supersede or supplement this privacy policy.

Who is using your personal data

The University of Oxford1 is the "data controller" for the information that you provide to us when visiting this website. This means that we decide how to use it and are responsible for looking after it in accordance with the GDPR.

Access to your personal data within the University will be provided to those staff who need to view it as part of their work in connection with the operation of this website. It will also be shared with the third parties described below.

Please read the following carefully to understand our views and practices regarding your personal data and how we will treat it. We may update this policy at any time.

Glossary

Where we refer in this policy to your 'personal data', we mean any recorded information that is about you and from which you can be identified. It does not include data where your identity has been removed (anonymous data).

Where we refer to the 'processing' of your personal data, we mean anything that we do with that information, including collection, use, storage, disclosure or retention.

Types of data we collect about you

We will automatically collect, store, and use the following categories of data when you browse and search our website, if you have consented to our use of cookies:

  • technical information, for example, the type of device (and its unique device identifier) you use to access our website, the Internet protocol (IP) address used to connect your device to the Internet, your login information, browser type and version, time zone setting, browser plug-in types and versions, operating system, mobile network information and platform; and
  • information about your visit to our website including the full Uniform Resource Locators (URL), clickstream to, through and from the website (including date and time), pages you viewed, page response times, download errors, length of visits to certain pages, page interaction information (such as scrolling, clicks, and mouse-overs), and methods used to browse away from the page.

On some parts of this website, you may be asked to provide some limited personal information in order to enable the provision of certain services (e.g. subscribing to mailing lists, registering for events, etc). In each case we will make it clear through an associated Privacy / Collection Notice why we are requesting your personal data, what it will be used for, and how we will process it. The Privacy / Collection Notice should also provide you with contact details if you have any queries about the respective online form. Alternatively you may address any queries to the SoGE Webmaster (webmaster@geog.ox.ac.uk).

How we use your data

We process your data for purposes arising from your use of the website, for example, to ensure that we understand who uses our website and how our website is used and to improve our website and ensure it is secure. This processing occurs because it is necessary to meet our legitimate interests in operating and improving the website, analysing its use, and ensuring its security.

We will only use your data for the purposes for which we collected it, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another related reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose. If we need to use your data for an unrelated purpose, we will seek your consent to use it for that new purpose.

Sharing your data with third parties

We may share your data with third parties who provide services on our behalf, such as those who help us to operate the website. All our third-party service providers are required to take appropriate security measures to protect your data in line with our policies. We do not allow them to use your data for their own purposes. We permit them to process your data only for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions.

We may also share your personal data with third parties if we are under a duty to disclose or share your personal data in order to comply with any legal obligation, or in order to enforce or apply our website terms of use or to protect the rights, property or safety of our website, our users, and others.

Where your data is shared with third parties, we will seek to share the minimum amount necessary.

Where we store or use your data

We may store data collected by the website manually or electronically. The data is stored on our secure servers and/or in our premises within the UK.

There may be occasions when we transfer your data outside the European Economic Area (EEA), for example, when we communicate with you using a cloud based service provider that operates outside the EEA such as MailChimp and Eventbrite. Such transfers will only take place if one of the following applies:

  • the country receiving the data is considered by the EU to provide an adequate level of data protection;
  • the organisation receiving the data is covered by an arrangement recognised by the EU as providing an adequate standard of data protection e.g. transfers to companies that are certified under the EU US Privacy Shield;
  • the transfer is governed by approved contractual clauses;
  • the transfer has your consent;
  • the transfer is necessary for the performance of a contract with you or to take steps requested by you prior to entering into that contract; or
  • the transfer is necessary for the performance of a contract with another person, which is in your interests.

Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we will do our best to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee the security of data transmitted to the website and any transmission is at your own risk.

Third party websites

Our website contains links to and from various third party websites. If you follow a link to any of these websites, please note that these websites have their own privacy policies and that we do not accept any responsibility or liability for these policies. Please check these policies before you submit any personal data to these websites.

Retaining your data

We will only retain your data for as long as we need it to fulfil our purposes, including any relating to legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

Your rights

Under certain circumstances, by law you have the right to:

  • Request access to your data (commonly known as a "subject access request"). This enables you to receive a copy of your data and to check that we are lawfully processing it.
  • Request correction of your data. This enables you to ask us to correct any incomplete or inaccurate information we hold about you.
  • Request erasure of your data. This enables you to ask us to delete or remove your data under certain circumstances, for example, if you consider that there is no good reason for us continuing to process it. You also have the right to ask us to delete or remove your data where you have exercised your right to object to processing (see below).
  • Object to processing of your data where we are relying on our legitimate interests (or those of a third party) and there is something about your particular situation which makes you want to object to processing on this ground.
  • Request the restriction of processing of your data. This enables you to ask us to suspend the processing of your data, for example if you want us to establish its accuracy or the reason for processing it.
  • Request the transfer of your data to another party.

Depending on the circumstances and the nature of your request it may not be possible for us to do what you have asked, for example, where there is a statutory or contractual requirement for us to process your data and it would not be possible to fulfil our legal obligations if we were to stop. Further information on your rights is available from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

If you want to exercise any of the rights described above or are dissatisfied with the way we have used your information, you should contact us at webmaster@geog.ox.ac.uk in the first instance. You may also contact the University's Information Compliance Team at data.protection@admin.ox.ac.uk. The same email address may be used to contact the University's Data Protection Officer. We will seek to deal with your request without undue delay, and in any event in accordance with the requirements of the GDPR. Please note that we may keep a record of your communications to help us resolve any issues which you raise.

If you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the ICO at https://ico.org.uk/concerns/

Cookies

Our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our website. For detailed information on the cookies we use and the purposes for which we use them see our Cookie policy.

Changes to this policy

Any changes we may make to our privacy policy in the future will be posted on this page. Please check back frequently to see any updates or changes to our privacy policy. This webpage was last updated: 4 July 2022.

Contact

If you wish to raise any queries or concerns about this privacy policy please contact the SoGE Webmaster by email at webmaster@geog.ox.ac.uk or by post at School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY.

[1] The University's legal title is the Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford.


Cookies

How we use cookies

Our website uses "cookies". A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we place on your computer or mobile device if you agree. These cookies allow us to distinguish you from other users of our website, which helps us to improve your experience when you browse our website and also allow us to improve our website.

Types of cookies we use

We may use the following types of cookies:

  • strictly necessary cookies - these are essential in to enable you to move around the websites and use their features. Without these cookies the services you have asked for, such as registering for an account, cannot be provided.
  • performance cookies - these cookies collect information about how visitors use a website, for instance which pages visitors go to most often. We use this information to improve our websites and to aid us in investigating problems raised by visitors. These cookies do not collect information that identifies a visitor.
  • functionality cookies - these cookies allow the website to remember choices you make and provide more personal features. For instance, a functional cookie can be used to remember the volume level you prefer to use when watching videos on our websites. The information these cookies collect may be anonymised and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.
  • targeting cookies - these cookies are used to deliver adverts more relevant to you and your interests. They collect information about your browsing habits. Targeting cookies are linked to services provided by third parties, such as 'like' and 'share' buttons and advertisements. We use targeting cookies to send third parties information on your visit so that they can make their advertising more relevant to you when you visit their websites.

Most web browsers allow some control of most cookies through the browser settings. To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them, please visit AboutCookies.org.

Specific cookies we use

Cookies may be set either by the SoGE website ("first party cookies"), or by a third party website ("third party cookies"). The tables below identify the cookies we use and explain the purposes for which they are used.

However, we continue to collect information about third-party cookies and the tables below are based on the work completed to date. Accordingly, we may update the information contained in this section from time to time. Additionally, some cookies may be set from time to time by feeds from third party websites that we make available on our websites.

Name Set By Purpose More Info
_ga
_gat
_gid
Google Analytics First Party Cookies. These cookies are used to collect information about how visitors use our website. We use the information to compile reports and to help us improve the website. The cookies collect information in an anonymous form, including the number of visitors to the website, where visitors have come to the website from and the pages they visited. Overview of Google Analytics privacy
webauth_at
shibstate
Local Oxford Authentication
  
First Party Cookies. We may restrict access to certain parts of our website using local Oxford authentication systems (Webauth or Shibboleth). If you choose to access these restricted parts of our website these cookies may be set. The cookies are used to maintain session state (that is, to remember whether you have logged in or not) as part of our authentication process. They are considered essential for the service and do not persist after the session has ended.

Webauth Authentication System


Shibboleth Service

NID
PREF
khcookie
Google Maps Third Party Cookies. These cookies are used by Google to track how many people are using their maps. Google Analytics Privacy
use_hitbox
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE
YouTube Third Party Cookies. YouTube may still set cookies on the user's computer once the visitor clicks on the YouTube video player, but YouTube will not store personally-identifiable cookie information for playbacks of embedded videos using the privacy-enhanced mode. Google Privacy
guest_id
personalization_id
lang
pid
metrics_token
Twitter Third Party Cookies. We have the Twitter for Websites widget in place on the website which makes use of cookies. May include personalized suggestions and advertising cookies. Twitter Privacy

 

Google Analytics

Please note that this website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. ("Google"), to help analyse how this website is used. Google Analytics uses cookies, which are text files placed on your computer. The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. We use this information for the purpose of evaluating the use of this website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators, and providing other services relating to website activity and 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 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. For more information please see the Google Analytics website. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites visit Google Analytics Opt-out.

Contact

If you wish to raise any queries or concerns about the use of cookies on this website please contact the SoGE Webmaster by email at or by post at School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY.

Changes to our Cookies policy

Any changes we may make to our Cookies policy in the future will be posted on this page. This webpage was last updated: 4 July 2022.

A new version of the SoGE website was launched in November 2023 - our cookies policy will be updated as soon as possible.