Data protection notice

By accessing the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts website, you declare that you have understood and acknowledged the legal information stated below.

Scope

This data protection notice applies to all websites of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) including its microsites. The protection of personal information is important to the HSLU. We comply with the applicable provisions of Swiss data protection legislation.

No liability is assumed for compliance with the data protection provisions by websites of third parties to which the HSLU websites refer and link.

Access information

When HSLU websites are invoked, access information such as IP address, date and time, browser request and generally transmitted information on the operating system and browser, etc. are recorded and stored in server log files. This information is collected anonymously and cannot be traced back to you. We use the information for statistical purposes and to ensure the proper functioning of our websites. We store the server log files until they are automatically deleted after twelve months at the latest.

Cookies

Cookies are used on the HSLU websites to facilitate the correct functioning and optimal use of the websites and to measure the effectiveness of web searches. Some of the cookies we use are automatically deleted when the browser being used is closed. Other cookies remain on your end device and enable us to recognise your browser the next time you visit. Your browser’s preferences settings allow you to deactivate cookies in whole or in part. Such deactivation, however, may limit the functionality of our HSLU websites.

Input forms and email

The HSLU websites contain various input forms (enquiry forms, web registrations, subscriptions to various newsletters, etc.) with which you can voluntarily provide us with personal information. The same applies if personal information is transmitted not via the input form, but via the email address provided for this purpose on the respective HSLU website. The nature of the personal information collected can be seen from the respective input forms.

A secure connection featuring TLS encryption is automatically invoked when using the input forms. The effect of TLS encryption is to render data transmitted online illegible by third parties. Information communicated to us by email, on the other hand, is transmitted unencrypted. It can be viewed and modified by third parties. The transmission of confidential or personal information by email is at the sender’s risk.

Personal information voluntarily made available to us is used only for the intended purpose and is not shared outside the HSLU or made accessible to third parties, with the exception of sending the newsletter (see “Newsletter” below). Services subscribed can be unsubscribed at any time

To subscribe to a newsletter, your email address is required. Additional, optional input fields help us design our email dispatches to better meet our visitors’ individual needs. In addition to your email address and any voluntary information, your IP address, the date of subscription and the date of acknowledgement are also stored when you subscribe.

The newsletter is sent using systems provided by German company Inxmail GmbH (hereinafter referred to as “Inxmail”) and, in part and for a limited transition period, MailChimp, a service provided by the Rocket Science Group LLC, USA (hereinafter referred to as “MailChimp”).

Data provided by newsletter recipients as well as click data from the emails are being processed on servers operated by the service provider in question in either Germany (Inxmail) or in the US (mailchimp). We need this information for the dispatch and for the overall evaluation of our emailings. Furthermore, the service providers are able to use this information to optimise or improve their own services, e.g. for the technical optimisation of the dispatch. The providers are prohibited from using data from our newsletter subscribers for any other purpose or to make it available or pass them on to third parties.

The systems offer various analysis options on how the newsletters are opened and used by the subscribers. We process this data to adapt to the reading habits of our target groups and with it, for quality assurance and improvement purposes.

You can unsubscribe from newsletters or change recipient information at any time using the link provided in the newsletter emails.

Amendments for the Inxmail solution

Unic AG (CH Bern) operates the system on behalf of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

Consent related to “allow personalisation”

There is an option available to “allow personalisation” to the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. Consent for this can be given or revoked in the emails concerned or in the recipient profile at any time.
Only if express consent has been given previously is the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts able to analyse emails specific to the individual.

Amendments for the Mailchimp solution

TThe Rocket Science Group LLC (US) operates the system on behalf of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts.
MMailChimp uses cookies, web beacons and flash player codes to collect information about your access to the newsletter, as well as your browser type, operating system and similar information. Furthermore, MailChimp uses the Google Analytics tool and may include it in its newsletters. The privacy policy of MailChimp can be found here.

Web analysis

Google Analytics

The HSLU uses features of the Google Analytics web analysis service of the US American provider Google LLC or Google Limited Ireland (hereinafter referred to as “Google”) to improve its web presence and user experience, as well as for the statistical evaluation of visitor accesses to its websites. Google Analytics places cookies on your end device to enable your use of the HSLU websites to be analysed. We enable the IP Anonymisation feature on our HSLU websites. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transmitted to a Google server in the USA and truncated there.

According to the company’s own information, Google will never merge the transmitted IP address with other Google data.

You can prevent the transmission to Google of data generated by the cookies relating to your use of the website, as well as the processing of this data by Google, by downloading and installing a browser plugin as described: here.
Doing so, however, may limit the functionality of our HSLU websites.

Google Ads (formerly AdWords) Conversion Tracking

The HSLU uses “Google Ads” on its websites, and Conversion Tracking within the context of Google Ads. This involves Google Adwords storing a cookie on your device when you click on a Google advertisement. These cookies expire after 30 days and are not used for personal identification.

If you visit our HSLU websites while the cookie is active, Google and the HSLU log that you clicked on the ad and were directed to that website. The information collected using the conversion cookie is used to generate statistics for AdWords customers who use Conversion Tracking. This will tell us the total number of users who have clicked on the Google ad and visited a website equipped with a conversion tracking tag. However, the HSLU does not receive any information that personally identifies users.

You can generally prevent the use of cookies by prohibiting the storage of cookies in your browser.

LinkedIn Conversion Tracking

To be able to measure the effectiveness of its ad campaigns, the HSLU uses the “LinkedIn Insight Tag” tool by Ireland-based LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company (hereinafter referred to as “LinkedIn”), a full subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation, on its websites. This tool saves a cookie on your device that allows for, among other things, the following data to be recorded: IP address, device and browser properties and page results (e.g. page views). This data is encrypted and anonymised within seven days. The anonymised data is deleted after 90 days. LinkedIn does not share any personal data with the HSLU, but shares anonymised reports about the website’s target group and about the success rate of HSLU ads. Learn more about LinkedIn’s data protection policy.

LinkedIn members can control the use of their personal data for advertising purposes in their account settings. To deactivate the Insight tag on our website (even if you do not have a LinkedIn user account), click here.

Fusedeck

In order to enhance its ad campaigns, the HSLU uses the “Fusedeck” tracking solution by Swiss company Capture Media AG (hereinafter referred to as “Capture”) on its websites. To this end, a script has been installed on certain HSLU websites which allows for the user analysis of the websites in question. However, the HSLU does not receive any information that personally identifies users.

According to Capture, the information is stored in anonymised form. This means users cannot be personally identified. You can block data processing by Capture by downloading and installing a cookie available on https://privacy.fusedeck.net/en/mDsfPRU2UZ/opt. The cookie only works for the HSLU websites, the browser and the device used. Find Capture’s data protection notice here.

Xandr

In order to enhance its ad campaigns, the HSLU uses the tracking solutions by the US company Xandr Inc. (hereinafter referred to as “Xandr”) on its websites. To this end, a script has been installed on certain HSLU websites which allows for Xandr to analyse how you use these websites. However, the HSLU does not receive any information that personally identifies users. According to Xandr, the information is stored in an anonymised fashion so that the users cannot be personally identified.

You can block data processing through Xandr by downloading an “opt-out” cookie here. You can find the data protection notice of Xandr here.

Hotjar Heatmaps

To enhance its web presence, the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) uses the “heatmaps” feature of Maltese provider Hotjar Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Hotjar”). By recording movements and clicks of computer mice and other input devices, Hotjar collects information about user behaviour on the HSLU’s websites. Hotjar uses cookies for this purpose, which are being saved on your device. By their own account, Hotjar only records your IP address in anonymised form.

Hotjar also states that it does not use the information generated through cookies and other technologies (user behaviour, screen resolution, country of origin) to identify individual users, but stores it in pseudonymised user profiles instead. The HSLU does not receive any information that personally identifies users. Find Hotjar’s data protection notice here (“end-user” segment).

You can disable data editing by Hotjar here.

Remarketing

Google Remarketing

The HSLU uses Google’s Remarketing feature on its websites. This feature enables the HSLU to target users of its website with advertising by displaying personalised, interest-related ads when you visit other websites on the Google Display Network. Google uses cookies to perform the analysis of website usage on which the creation of interest-related advertisements is based. That is how Google can track your previous visit to our websites. According to the company’s own information, Google does not merge the data collected in the course of Remarketing with your personal information, which nevertheless is stored by Google.

You can disable Google’s Remarketing feature by clicking on https://www.google.com/settings/ads/plugin and downloading and installing the plugin provided there. Alternatively, you can disable the use of cookies by third party providers by invoking http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/ and implementing the information on the opt-out provided.

Information on Google Remarketing and Google’s privacy policy may be found here.

Adform

The HSLU websites use retargeting technology from Adform of Denmark. This enables us to target users who are already interested in the HSLU websites with advertising which appears on the websites of our partners. Retargeting involves displaying advertising media on the basis of a cookie-based analysis of previous user behaviour. The temporary cookie expires after 60 days.

If you do not want Adform to show you interest-related ads, you may opt out of its data collection and storage here.

Adform’s privacy policy can be found here.

Facebook Remarketing

The HSLU makes use of the Custom Audiences remarketing feature from Facebook Inc., USA or Facebook Ireland Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Facebook”) on its websites. This feature enables the HSLU to target users of its websites with advertising by delivering personalised, interest-related Facebook ads to users of the websites when they visit the Facebook social network. The feature is facilitated by Facebook’s remarketing tag implemented on the HSLU websites.

These tags establish a direct link to the Facebook servers when you visit an HSLU website and tell the servers which of our websites you are visiting. Facebook merges this information with your personal Facebook user account. Further information on Facebook’s collection and use of information, your rights in this regard, and how to protect your privacy is contained in Facebook’s Privacy Policy here.
IIf you do not want Facebook to merge the information collected with your Facebook user account, you can disable the Custom Audiences remarketing feature here. You must be logged in to Facebook to do so.

LinkedIn Remarketing

On its websites, the HSLU uses the “website retargeting” remarketing feature of US-based LinkedIn Corporation (hereinafter referred to as “LinkedIn”), which is a fully owned subsidiary of Microsoft. This feature enables the HSLU to target users of its websites with advertising by delivering personalised, interest-related ads when they visit the LinkedIn social network.

The feature is facilitated by LinkedIn’s remarketing tag implemented on the HSLU websites. This tag establishes a direct link to the LinkedIn servers when users visit an HSLU website and tells the servers which of our websites they have visited. LinkedIn merges this information with your personal LinkedIn user account. For more information about LinkedIn’s data protection policy, click on this link.

If you do not wish for LinkedIn to directly merge the information gathered with your LinkedIn user account, you may deactivate the re-marketing feature here (even if you do not have a LinkedIn account or if you are not currently logged into one).

Fusedeck

The HSLU uses the “Fusedeck” remarketing solution by Swiss company Capture Media AG (hereinafter referred to as “Capture”) on its websites. With this solution, the HSLU can specifically target the users of its websites with ads by placing personalised, interest-based ads for them on other websites. To this end, a script has been installed on certain HSLU websites that enables Capture to register their users. However, the HSLU does not receive any information that personally identifies users.

Xandr

The HSLU uses Xandr’s remarketing solution on its websites. With this solution, the HSLU can specifically address you with ads by placing personalised, interest-based ads for you on other websites. To this end, a script has been installed on certain HSLU websites that enables Xandr to register your visit. However, the HSLU does not receive any information that personally identifies users. According to Xandr, the information is stored in an anonymised fashion so that the users cannot be personally identified.

You can block data processing through Xandr, by downloading an “opt-out” cookie here. You can find the data protection notice of Xandr here.

Surveys

Hotjar Surveys

To enhance its web presence and its ad campaigns, the HSLU uses Hotjar’s “surveys” feature on its websites. Using this feature, the HSLU is able to display anonymous surveys for you on its websites. Hotjar uses cookies for this purpose, which are being saved on your device. By their own account, Hotjar only records your IP address in anonymised form.

Hotjar also states that it will not use the information you deliberately enter in the surveys to identify individual users, but stores it in a pseudonymised user profile instead. The HSLU does not receive any information that personally identifies users. Find Hotjar’s data protection notice here (“end-user” segment).

You can disable data editing by Hotjar here.

Social Plugins

The HSLU uses social plugins (hereinafter referred to as “Plugins”) from various social networks (hereinafter referred to as “operator”) for its websites. These can be identified by their logo or designation. Invoking an HSLU website that contains one of these plugins informs its operator that you have invoked that website. If you are signed in to one of the services at the same time, the operator can assign your visit to the HSLU website to your profile in the respective service. If you interact with the plugins, e.g. by clicking on the Like button in Facebook or leaving a comment, the corresponding information is transmitted directly to the operator and stored there.

The purpose and scope of the data collection, the further processing and use of the data by the operators, your rights in this regard and the setting options for safeguarding your privacy can be found in the operators’ Privacy Policies. The HSLU uses the following plugins in its HSLU websites:

Facebook: Find the link to Facebook’s privacy policy here.
Instagram: Find the link to Instagrams’s privacy policy here
Twitter: Find the link to Twitter’s privacy policy here.
LinkedIn: Find the link to LinkedIn’s privacy policy here.
Xing: Find the link to Xing’s privacy policy here.
YouTube: Find the link to YouTube’s privacy policy here.
Flickr: Find the link to Flickr’s privacy policy here.
SoundCloud: Find the link to SoundCloud’s privacy policy here.
Vimeo: Find the link to Vimeo’s privacy policy here.
WhatsApp: if you invoke the HSLU websites from your smartphone, you can share posts via Whatsapp. Tapping the WhatsApp button allows you to send a message with the link to the post via WhatsApp to your personal WhatsApp contacts. Tapping the button transmits the content of your message and the HSLU website you have invoked to WhatsApp. Find the link to WhatsApp’s privacy policy here.

To prevent operators merging the information collected via our websites with your profile in the respective service, sign out of the corresponding service before visiting the HSLU websites. You can also use add-ons for your browser to completely stop the plugins from loading, e.g. with the “NoScript” script blocker.

Google Maps

The HSLU websites use Google Maps API from Google to visually display geographic information. When a user invokes Google Maps, Google also collects, processes and uses data on the way the map features are used. Further information on how Google processes information may be found here.

Google reCAPTCHA

The HSLU websites deploy Google reCAPTCHA from Google to safeguard against bots and spam. Google uses cookies to do this and collects the data thus generated. Further information on how Google processes information may be found here.

Right to information

You can contact us at the following address for information on the personal data collected about you and to correct, supplement, delete or block your personal data:

Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts
Werftestrasse 4
CH – 6002 Lucerne

+41 41 228 42 42
info@hslu.ch

Changes to the data protection notice

The HSLU reserves the right to update its information on data protection at any time without prior notice. The current version of the data protection notice – as published on this website – applies.