Privacy Policy

Southern Virginia University is committed to protecting your privacy as you visit our websites. This privacy policy details what information we collect, how it is collected, how we use that information, and how you can request to have it updated or erased.


Information that We Collect


We collect certain types of information from visitors of our website so we can improve our website to meet your needs and expectations. Some of this information is collected automatically while other information is provided by site users.

Non-personal Identifying Information

Information collected automatically includes limited, non-personal identifying information your browser makes available when visiting websites. This information helps us assess the effectiveness of our websites. This information may include such data as the following:

  • Your Internet Protocol address
  • Your browser type
  • Your computer’s operating system
  • Your Internet domain
  • URLs of the websites from which you came to our website
  • The pages on our website that you visit
  • Your country, territory, or region

Personal Information that You Submit

Southern Virginia also collects information that you manually provide when you fill out online forms on our website or use a login-required service. Information collected through application or other inquiry forms will be used to contact you by phone, mail, or email. Information collected in forms to purchase merchandise, pay fees, or donate to the university will be used for billing purposes and to contact you if necessary.

Southern Virginia will not sell, rent, or share this personal information to any outside organization. Collective information about site users is used in marketing, advertising, and other relationships with third parties, but never individuals’ information. Southern Virginia will abide by all applicable laws regarding the protection of privacy or the release of personal information. If you would like information you have submitted to this website to be altered or erased, please contact the Communications office of Southern Virginia University at 540-261-8441 or communications@svu.edu.


Use of Cookies for Advertising and Analytics


As you browse the Southern Virginia website, “cookies” will be placed on your computer so that we can understand what you are interested in. These “cookies” are small text files that your web browser places on your computer’s hard drive to store your preferences.

Our display advertising partner, AdRoll, uses cookies to enable us to present you with retargeting advertising on other sites based on your previous interaction with our website. The techniques our partners employ do not collect personal information such as your name, email address, postal address or telephone number. You can visit this page to opt out of AdRoll and their partners’ targeted advertising.

Southern Virginia also uses Google Analytics to help analyze how users use the site. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect non-personal identifying information. This information about the use of our site is transmitted to Google and is used to evaluate visitors’ use of our website and compile statistical reports in order to help us improve the site.


Communications over the Student Portal


Personal information entered into forms on the student portal, mysvu, will be protected and kept private according to legal requirements and the policies described above. However, mysvu also provides forums, message boards, and other platforms for users to communicate with professors, staff, or other students. The content of these communications can be viewed by mysvu site administrators. In the context of a group or course, administrators may include group leaders (often other students) or professors respectively.

Users should not have an expectation of privacy when using these platforms. Users are responsible for their communications and should avoid sending or publishing anything inappropriate or contrary to the code of conduct. Administrators may delete any communications they feel may be inappropriate. If students violate the law or university rules — or confess to having done so — over these platforms, their communications can be used to discipline or expel them.


Changes to this Policy


Southern Virginia reserves the right to amend this policy at any time without notice. Check this page regularly for updated privacy policy information.