Privacy Policy
The Downing MCR website processes and collects data as might be expected from a website of its type. Your IP address, email address and Raven username, as well as additional data you might submit to us, may all make you personally identifiable.
Data processed and collected by the Downing MCR website falls into three main categories:
- Standard web server logs
- Authentication information from the University Raven system
- Information you submit to the website through its various interactive features.
These categories are dealt with in order below.
Web Server Logs
The Downing MCR website is hosted on the SRCF server, which also hosts many other websites. Like almost all web servers, this computer keeps logs of web pages accessed, along with the date and time of the page request, and the IP address from which the request appeared to originate. If you have logged in to the website, the log will also contain your Raven username (see below). Normally, these logs would be readable by anyone with a user account on the SRCF machine. However, we have requested that the logs for this site be made unreadable to everyone except the SRCF system administrators and the Downing MCR website administrators. These logs are only used for routine checks on the smooth running of the web server, and will not be passed on to anyone else.
Please note that, in accordance with their terms of service, the SRCF administrators reserve the right to "view any data stored on, or passing through, the machines under their control for the purposes of ensuring its correct operation, security and compliance with these terms of service and relevant UK legislation.".
Web server logs are nominally kept for one year, but may exist for longer in system backups.
Raven Authentication Information
When and if you choose to log into the Downing MCR website using the Raven login feature, the website asks the Raven server to verify your identity and return the result to us. If the login is successful, your Raven username (which is your CRSID, the first part of your Hermes email address) is passed to us with each page request. This username is stored in our web server access logs (see above). Your Raven username may also be stored with data you submit through interactive features, such as when you submit a news article or a calendar event. In cases like this, where you are submitting information for public display, your Raven username may be displayed to the public, thus identifying the author of the article created.
For more details of how Raven processes data, please consult the Raven privacy policy.
Data Submitted With Interactive Features
There are numerous opportunities on the Downing MCR website to take an active part in shaping the content of the site. For example, you are offered the ability to submit news articles for display on the front page of the website, or to submit events for our calendar. When you do this, the data you submit is recorded in our database along with the IP address from which you appeared to be submitting the data. If you are logged in using Raven, which is required in order to use many interactive features, your Raven username will usually be stored with the record in our database.
The MCR Communications Officer, along with the SRCF system administrators, have the ability to read any of the data stored in the database. In addition to this, an automatic email is sent by the website to the MCR Communications Officer when, for example, a news article is posted. This email contains a subset of the data stored in the database, and is sent so that the Communications Officer can keep a watchful eye on the running of the site.
For some interactive features, such as when signing up for events, your data will need be passed to other parties. For example, if you use the website to sign up for formal, your details will need to be passed on to the college catering department. Where such sharing of information is necessary, the fact will be displayed clearly with the submission form, and the information will not be shared with anyone else.
In some cases, it may be necessary to contact you using contact details you submit to us, such as your email address. Please note that it is possible to work out your email address from your Raven username, as mentioned above. For example, we might contact you to clarify a news article or calendar event you have submitted. In addition, if you use the MCR Mailing List subscription form, we will add your email address to our mailing list for MCR-related news. You can ask to be removed from this list at any time.
Archives of historical calendar events and news articles are kept indefinitely.
Additional
We will provide any information to the authorities if we are required to do so by law.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the MCR Communications Officer, Robert Sparkes
Not logged in.
Login using Raven
Logging in will allow you to post news articles on the front page, and more.
Useful Links
Graduate Union Website
Official College Website
Downing JCR Website
Central University Website
Sign up here to join the opt-in MCR mailing list:
Search site:
Please email comments and corrections to the MCR Communications Officer, Rob.