Privacy Statement
Privacy Statement
This statement discloses the privacy practices for Wake Forest University, including the web domains operated by Wake Forest University (generally those ending in “.wfu.edu”) and other sites and applications contained on these web domains.
As used in this statement, the terms “Wake Forest,” “the University,” “we,” “our,” and “us” refer to Wake Forest University, a North Carolina nonprofit corporation. “you” and “your” refer to the individual accessing the web pages owned and controlled by the University.
Advocate Health and the Wake Forest University School of Medicine maintain a separate Notice of Privacy Practices, which may be accessed at: https://atriumhealth.org/for-patients-visitors/privacy/english
Wake Forest University Athletics maintains a separate web domain (https://godeacs.com/) operated by Learfield (dba “SIDEARM Sports”). The SIDEARM Sports privacy policy may be accessed at: https://sidearmsports.com/sports/2022/12/7/privacy-policy/
Where is information gathered about you?
Your information is collected on an opt-in basis when you submit information to the University using applications, online forms, or when you make a payment or gift to the University. We collect Personal Information that you voluntarily give us when you visit our websites or associated applications, or when we engage with you through other operations of the University, such as marketing, fundraising, and IT.
Examples of this information include:
- Name, title, age, and date of birth
- Contact information including address, email address, and telephone number(s)
- Attendance at University events
- Records of communications between you and the University
- Information related to your engagement with and financial support for the University, including giving capacity and history
- Other information pertinent to your specific interests and activities at Wake Forest
- Information to assist us in maintaining or managing our systems, diagnosing problems, assisting you with a help request, or performing investigations
- Information gathered in connection with facility use, monitoring and investigations, such as video footage, ID badge records, driver’s license, and license plate numbers.
- Information you choose to provide to us when you complete any “free text” boxes in our forms (for example, support requests, blogs, or forums).
We also automatically collect information from you when you access or use our web domains and wfu.edu (see next section, “Device information collected by us”).
Device information collected by us
We may automatically collect information about the computer, mobile device or other device you use to access wfu.edu, such as IP address, geolocation information, unique device identifiers, browser type, browser language or other information of this nature. IP addresses may be linked to other personally identifiable information.
Non-personal information collected by us is shared with companies we partner with for applications used for site functionality or to inform how our site is used, including Google (e.g. Analytics, Demographics and Interest Reporting, Webmaster Tools, Site Search). This information sharing also includes third-party applications used in University operations (e.g., Salesforce, Slate, Canvas).
By using the wfu.edu website and associated sites and applications, you are consenting to the processing of the data about your visit by these companies in the manner and for the purposes that we describe.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Cookies are small files that are stored on your computer (unless you block them) that can collect a range of information about your visit to our sites. We use cookies to operate our websites, understand and save your preferences for future visits, and compile data on site traffic and interactions so we can offer better site experiences and tools in the future. These cookies and related tracking technologies may be used to track users’ browsing habits and interactions. We may contract with third-party service providers to assist us in better understanding our site visitors, but these providers are not permitted to use the information collected on our behalf except to help us conduct and improve our business.
Cookies may also be set by an organization other than wfu.edu. These “third-party cookies” may originate from websites such as YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, or other social media services for which wfu.edu has implemented “plug-ins”. Since the cookie policies of these sites change over time, you should determine their policies by visiting the privacy policy pages of these sites directly. You may disable cookies through your browser settings, though doing so may prevent you from accessing full website functionality.
If you would like to learn more about cookies generally, you can obtain information from the following website: http://www.allaboutcookies.org/.
Links to third-party websites
We may provide hyperlinks to third-party websites as a convenience to users. The University and wfu.edu do not control third-party websites and are not responsible for the contents of any linked-to, third-party websites or their privacy practices.
What do we use your information for?
We may use information you provide to send you information or respond to inquiries, and/or other requests or questions. We will not sell your information to third-parties, but may provide it to certain entities in circumstances in which we believe that doing so is necessary or appropriate, such as to: satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or governmental request; detect, prevent or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues; or protect the rights, property or safety of us, our users or others.
We use your IP address to help diagnose problems with our servers, and to administer our website by identifying which parts of our site are most heavily used and which portion of our audience comes from within the Wake Forest network.
Additionally, we may use or disclose your personal information to enforce our terms of use and conditions.
Email subscriptions & Use of Email
Many organizations and departments represented within wfu.edu allow you to subscribe to their content via email. If you no longer wish to receive this email, follow the “unsubscribe” instructions located near the bottom of each email. You may also contact to request removal from future emails.
If you send us email messages, you should be aware that information disclosed in email may not be secure or encrypted and may therefore be available to others. We will not share, sell, rent, swap or authorize any third party to use your email address for commercial purposes without your permission.
Use of your phone number
If consent is given via opt-in, Wake Forest may send automated text and voicemail messages to your phone. Your phone number may be shared with third parties to facilitate automated messaging from Wake Forest, but we will otherwise not share, sell, rent, or authorize any third party to use your phone number for commercial purposes without your permission. You may opt out at any time by replying STOP to any text or voice message. You may also contact to request removal from future text messages or automated phone calls.
E-commerce & Refunds
Several areas of our website feature web forms for facilitating financial transactions; information input in these forms is used only for the purposes described in that transaction unless stated otherwise.
Specific refund policies apply to various University related programs depending on the event. Please read the terms provided at the time of purchase or transaction. Online gifts made to the University can generally be canceled within 72 hours of submission for a full refund.
Open forums and Unmonitored Content
We may offer chat rooms, blogs, message boards, or similar open forums. The protections described in this Privacy Statement do not apply when you provide information in connection with your use of these open forums. Any information you share in an open forum should be treated as public information and may be seen or collected by anyone.
You may also find within the Wake Forest domain websites over which the University has no editorial control. Such sites include, but are not limited to, the Web pages of individual faculty members or students, student organizations and other organizations not formally part of the University.
Although the University encourages compliance with all University policies and practices at such websites, the University serves only as a neutral provider of Internet-related services to them.
Information security and protection
To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the appropriate use of information, we have taken commercially reasonable steps to protect the information. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or of electronic storage is 100% secure.
Users should also consult Wake Forest’s Policy on Responsible and Ethical Use of Computing Resources.
Children Under 13
Wake Forest University does not knowingly solicit or collect personal information from children under the age of 13, and this website is not intended for use by children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information about a child under 13 through our websites, please contact , and we will endeavor to delete the information.
Your Data Rights and Access
Wake Forest University is committed to protecting your privacy and maintaining the security of your information. We follow established privacy principles and industry best practices to ensure that your data is handled responsibly, transparently, and securely throughout its lifecycle.
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information held by the University. We aim to process these requests in a timely and transparent manner.
To make a request to access your information, or otherwise exercise your data rights, please click below:
Additionally, depending on your specific relationship with the University and the nature of the data involved, you may have rights protected under federal regulations, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA). These laws provide specific protections and frameworks for how we manage, secure, and disclose your educational, health, and financial information.
For student education records, the University has a separate policy on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). This policy explains the rights of students and the rules the University follows when handling student information.
International Privacy Law (including GDPR)
Wake Forest University’s websites are primarily operated in the United States. By using University web domains, sites, or applications, you are agreeing to have any data transferred to and processed in the United States.
International privacy laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Economic Area (EEA) and the United Kingdom, generally do not apply to our US-based processing of personal information.
In instances where international privacy laws (including GDPR) do apply to the processing of your personal information, the University will comply with all applicable requirements.
Changes to this statement
This statement may be amended from time to time, with or without advance notice, and any such changes will be posted on this page.
This statement was last updated on August 24, 2026.
Questions about this statement
If you have any questions about this privacy statement, the practices of this site, or your personal information, you can contact: .