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The MSU Museum is starting an 18-month renovation project on July 1, 2024. During the temporary building closure, the Museum will continue facilitating and creating experiences at the nexus of the arts, sciences, cultures, and technologies.

Museum is closed

Policies and Acknowledgements

Privacy Policy

This online privacy statement is intended to inform you of the ways in which this website (“Site”) collects information, the uses to which that information will be put, and the ways in which we protect information you choose to provide us.

Please note that other Michigan State University websites may adopt different privacy practices as their specific needs require.

Use of this Site is subject to all applicable state and federal laws, as well as general University policies.

Information Collected

This Site collects two general types of information: (a) information you voluntarily provide to us, which may include personal information (such as your name, address, e-mail address, etc.), and (b) information we collect automatically when you visit this Site through cookies, third party tracking technologies and server logs.

Information Voluntarily Provided by You

This Site will only collect personal information that you knowingly and voluntarily provide by, for example, responding to surveys, completing membership forms, sending e-mails, etc. It is this Site’s general practice to use personal information only for the purposes for which it was requested and any additional uses specifically stated on the Site. However, information collected through this Site may be subject to the University’s obligation to respond to subpoenas, court orders, discovery requests, and requests for public records under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act. Further, the disclosure of information collected through this Site is subject to the provisions of the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act.

The University may also access or permit access to information collected through this Site in accordance with and subject to the limitations of the University’s Acceptable Use Policy for Information Technology Resources.

Although this Site has security measures in place to protect personal information provided to us by users, users should also take steps to protect personal information by, for example, closing all web browsers after using the Site. Information disclosed in chat rooms, news groups, forums, message boards and similar contexts may become public. Users should therefore exercise caution before disclosing personal information in such contexts.

When you engage in financial transactions at our Site, you may be asked for a credit card number. Unless otherwise noted on the Site, credit card transactions are encrypted and the server that processes your credit card information is secure. Such information may also be saved in an encrypted format or in internal systems that are protected by a firewall system. This Site complies with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard.

Information We Collect Automatically

This Site collects information automatically through the use of cookies, third party tracking technologies and server logs. This information does not include any personal information. We use this information primarily to monitor the use of this Site and to make improvements. We may share this data with partners in order to enhance the functionality of this Site.

Cookies

“Cookies” are small text files used to collect information about website activity. No personal information is collected through our use of cookies. This Site uses cookies for two main purposes: (a) to carry information about your current session at this Site from one web page to the next, which also allows you to automatically login to other Michigan State University websites, and (b) to identify you on this Site on return visits.

You have the option of disabling or not accepting cookies by changing the preferences on your browser. If you opt to disable cookies, you will still be able to use certain sections of our Site. However, you will not be able to use any parts of this Site that requires a login (e.g. accessing secured content, posting to message boards, etc).

Third Party Tracking Technology

This Site uses Google Analytics and Google Custom Search.

This Site uses a tracking technology called Google Analytics to obtain Site usage information such as users’ Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, Internet domain and host names, browser software, and the date and time that the Site is visited. Data obtained through Google Analytics does not include and is not linked to any personal information. Data from Google Analytics allows us to monitor the use of this Site, understand how users find our Site, and improve the Site’s function and content.

Site usage data collected through Google Analytics is not shared with other Google products and tools. Our use of Google Analytics is in compliance with Google’s Terms of Service and the MSU Access to Student Information Guidelines. Google provides more information about Google’s privacy practices and information on how to opt-out of Google Analytics tracking of your web browsing.

You may also wish to review the MSU Access to Student Information Guidelines.

Server Logs

Our web servers routinely generate logs that contain the following types of information each time the Site is used:

  • The date, time and length of your visit.
  • The path taken through our Site and the browser being used.
  • The list of files downloaded and the amount of time spent viewing video or audio files.
  • The IP Address of the computer accessing our Site.
  • Any errors encountered.

This information is used primarily to monitor the functioning and integrity of the Site and other MSU websites.

Links

This Site may contain links to other sites. Please be aware that we do not control or claim any responsibility for the privacy practices or content of such other sites. We encourage users to read the privacy statements of each website they visit.

Changes to Privacy Statement

If we make changes to our privacy statement, we will indicate this on our home page.

Disclaimer

Neither Michigan State University, nor any of its units, programs, employees, agents or individual trustees, shall be liable for any improper or incorrect use of information obtained through the use of this Site.

Consent

By using this Site you consent to the terms of this privacy statement.

Questions and feedback

Your questions, comments and concerns are always welcome. Please send us your feedback regarding the privacy statement or any other issues.

Site Accessibility

Accessibility in the context of disability is using universal design to create programs, services, and activities which can be utilized by all individuals, regardless of disability. To access is to enter into, participate in, and engage with the Michigan State University experience.

Michigan State University is committed to providing accessible digital materials for persons with disabilities.

The MSU Web Accessibility Policy defines the accessibility requirements for university websites and web-delivered content. The current Technical Guidelines require that pages meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 at Conformance Level AA.

Content that Michigan State has created that is not fully accessible to individuals with disabilities can be reported to the Digital Content & Accessibility team through the inaccessible digital content report form.

Reports can be made anonymously or with an email and/or MSU NetID attached. Reports that include contact information may be easier for the Digital Content & Accessibility Team to follow up on and resolve the problem.

University policy prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities with respect to the benefits of and access to programs, services, and activities. Any person who believes he or she has been improperly denied the benefit of, or access to a program, service, or activity may submit a grievance. Complaint forms are available from the Office of the ADA Coordinator for Grievances. Please note that a decision by the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities may be appealed to the Deputy ADA Coordinator for Grievances.

Land Acknowledgement

We collectively acknowledge that Michigan State University occupies the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary Lands of the Anishinaabeg -Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi peoples. In particular, the University resides on Land ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw. We recognize, support, and advocate for the sovereignty of Michigan’s twelve federally-recognized Indian nations, for historic Indigenous communities in Michigan, for Indigenous individuals and communities who live here now, and for those who were forcibly removed from their Homelands. By offering this Land Acknowledgement, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty and will work to hold Michigan State University more accountable to the needs of American Indian and Indigenous peoples.

Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Compliance

In 1990 the United States Congress passed the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA; Public Law No. 101-601, 25 U.S.C. §§ 3001-3013). The MSU Museum is in full compliance with the provisions of NAGPRA and will continue to be diligent both to the spirit and letter of the law.

NAGPRA compliance at Michigan State University is overseen by the Provost’s Office and the Office of Research Regulatory Support. The NAGPRA Program Manager (Dr. Jessica Yann) facilitates compliance work for the entire University, including the Michigan State University Museum. This includes providing inventories and summaries to Federally Recognized Tribes, hosting consultations, and facilitating repatriation. You can learn more about the University’s efforts at nagpra.msu.edu, including viewing our NAGPRA Policy, current NAGPRA Advisory Committee, information on current and completed NAGPRA cases, or to submit an Information Request.