Our Program Mission

The mission of Drexel University’s Privacy Program is to uphold and safeguard the privacy and confidentiality of the personal information entrusted to us by members of the Drexel community such as our students, faculty and professional staff, as well as research participants and patients.

We understand that privacy is not just a legal requirement but a pivotal aspect of personal dignity and autonomy. We are committed to upholding the principles of fairness, transparency and respect for individual rights in our data processing activities.

Drexel's Privacy Program is designed to ensure that personal information is handled in a manner that is ethical, compliant with applicable laws, regulations, policies and procedures, and aligned with the expectations of our community.

A major goal of the program is to respect the rights of individuals regarding the collection, handling, use, disclosure and processing of their personal information, while allowing the flow of information in support of the University’s academic, research and healthcare missions. We achieve this goal by ensuring our compliance with the various, and sometimes competing, federal, state, local and international laws, rules and regulations aimed at protecting citizens, consumers, patients and other individual groups from threats to their personal information, including but not limited to identity theft, improper access, and unauthorized disclosure.

The Privacy Program’s scope extends to all facets of the University’s operations the involve the collection, storage, processing and exchange of personal information.

We welcome your questions, feedback and involvement as we work together to protect privacy and foster a safe and respectful environment for everyone. Remember, It’s Okay to Ask!

Our Privacy Principles

Drexel's Privacy Program is built upon a framework of internationally recognized principles known as the Fair Information Practice Principles (FIPPs). These principles, which guide our approach to privacy and data protection, include:

• Transparency: We are open about our data practices and policies, ensuring that individuals understand how their personal information is used.
• Participation: We respect your right to access, correct, and control your personal information.
• Purpose Specification: We clearly define the purposes for which we collect and use personal information.
• Collection Limitation and Data Minimization: We collect only the information necessary for the purposes specified and ensure it is used only for those purposes.
• Use Limitation: We use personal information only for the purposes for which it was collected unless we have obtained your express consent for other uses.
• Data Quality and Data Integrity: We strive to maintain accurate, complete, and timely data.
• Security: We protect personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction.
• Accountability and Auditing: We are accountable for adhering to these principles and regularly audit our practices to ensure compliance.

Review the Privacy Program Plan