Wisconsin has an "Open Records Law" that allows any member of the public to inspect most records maintained by the State. Both Wisconsin and Federal law identify select records that are confidential or that may be disclosed only for limited purposes.1
During your visit to the Wisconsin Educational Approval Program (EAP) Internet site, information that is not readily identifiable to an individual is automatically collected and stored. This information is used to improve our web services but is open to inspection under the public records law. For more detail on our privacy policy, please see the expanded statement following.
If you do nothing during your visit to the EAP Internet site but browse or download information, we automatically collect and store the following information about your visit:
We use the information we automatically collect or store to improve the content of our web services and to help us understand how people are using our services. EAP analyzes our web site logs to continually improve the value of the materials available on our site. Our web site logs are not personally identifiable, and we make no attempt to link them with the individuals that browse the EAP Internet site.
If during your visit to the EAP Internet site you participate in a survey or send an e-mail, the following additional information will be collected:
The information collected is not limited to text characters and may include audio, video, and graphic information formats you send us. The information is retained in accordance with Wisconsin Open Records Law.
We use your email to respond appropriately. This may be to respond to you, to address issues you identify, to further improve our web site, or to forward the email to another agency for appropriate action. Survey information is used for the purpose designated.
"Personal information" is information about an individual that is readily identifiable to that specific individual. Personal information includes personal identifiers such as an individual's name, address, and phone number. A domain name or Internet Protocol address is not considered personal information.
We collect no personal information about you unless you voluntarily participate in an activity that asks for information (i.e., sending an e-mail or participating in a survey). If you choose not to participate in these activities, your choice will in no way affect your ability to use any other feature of the EAP Internet site.
If personal information is requested on the web site or volunteered by the user, state law may protect it. However, this information is a public record once you provide it, and may be subject to public inspection and copying if not protected by federal or state law.
Users are cautioned that the collection of personal information requested from or volunteered by children on-line or by email will be treated the same as information given by an adult and may be subject to public access.
In the State of Wisconsin, laws exist to ensure that government is open and that the public has a right to access appropriate records and information possessed by state government. At the same time, there are exceptions to the public's right to access public records that serve various needs: the privacy of individuals is included among these exceptions. Exceptions are provided by both state and federal laws.
We strive to protect personally identifiable information by collecting only information necessary to deliver our services. All information collected at this site becomes public record that may be subject to inspection and copying by the public, unless an exemption in law exists.
In the event of a conflict between this Privacy Notice and the Wisconsin Open Records Law or other law governing the disclosure of records, the Wisconsin Open Records Law or other applicable law will control.
You can review any personal information we collect about you. You may recommend changes to your personal information you believe in error by submitting a written request that credibly shows the error. If you believe that your personal information is being used for a purpose other than what was intended when submitted, you may contact us. In all cases, we will take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting access or making corrections. See the How to contact us section.
Although it may do so in the future, the EAP Internet site is currently not using cookies. When it uses cookies, the EAP Internet site will use only session cookies. The information on these cookies will be retained only while your session is active.
The EAP Internet site has links to other web sites. These include links to web sites operated by other government agencies, nonprofit organizations and private businesses. When you link to another site, you are no longer on the EAP Internet site and this Privacy Notice will not apply. When you link to another web site, you are subject to the privacy policy of that new site.
To offer comments about the EAP Internet site, or to comment about the information presented in this Privacy Notice, please contact the EAP Webmaster.
1Please refer to Wisconsin EAP Administrative Code 7.05 - Access to records. The board shall maintain and make available records in its possession in accordance with retention and disposition authorization procedures established by the public records board and the federal family educational rights and privacy act (FERPA) of 1974 under 34 CFR Part 99.