Clear about what we collect—and why.

Information we collect

We collect information you provide when you join a circle, create an account, apply to host, create a circle, contact us, or otherwise use CircleEd. Depending on how you participate, this may include:

• Your name, professional email address, job title, institution or organization, and optional profile information.
• Circle registrations, saved circles, attendance history, cancellations, and waitlist activity.
• Host applications, topic interests, proposed conversations, administrative review notes, and hosting status.
• Questions, discussion context, feedback, and communications you choose to share with us.
• Basic technical information such as browser type, device information, IP address, and activity needed to operate and secure the service.

How we use information

We use personal information to operate CircleEd and deliver the experience you request. This includes:

• Verifying professional email addresses and helping maintain a relevant higher-ed community.
• Registering you for circles and sending confirmations, calendar invitations, reminders, updates, and private meeting links.
• Creating and maintaining member profiles and enabling approved hosts to create and manage circles.
• Reviewing host applications and proposed circles, preventing misuse, and enforcing community standards.
• Responding to questions, improving CircleEd, understanding service usage, and protecting the security of our community.

We do not sell personal information or use attendee information for third-party advertising.

What other participants and hosts can see

CircleEd is designed to help professionals meet one another without making private contact details public.

• Other participants may see your name, job title, institution or organization, profile photo, and professional bio if you provide them.
• The host may see the same profile details, your registration status, and any question or discussion context you submit for that circle.
• Your email address is not displayed to other participants. Hosts should receive it only when necessary to operate their circle or respond to a service issue.
• Participation does not authorize anyone to add you to marketing lists or contact you for unsolicited sales.

How we share information

We share information only as reasonably needed to operate CircleEd, comply with the law, or protect the community. Recipients may include:

• Service providers that support email delivery, calendar invitations, video meetings, hosting, analytics, customer support, and security.
• Approved hosts, but only the participant information needed to prepare for and run their circles.
• Professional advisers, authorities, or other parties when required by law or reasonably necessary to protect rights, safety, and service integrity.
• A successor organization if CircleEd is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, or sale of assets.

Service providers may process information only for the services they provide to CircleEd and under appropriate contractual restrictions.

Calendar invitations and video meetings

When you join a circle, we may send a calendar invitation containing a private meeting link. CircleEd sessions may use Zoom or another video-meeting provider, whose own privacy terms apply when you use that service.

Private meeting links should not be forwarded. CircleEd sessions are not recorded by default. Hosts and participants may not record, photograph, quote, or capture a session without the clear permission of everyone involved.

Cookies and service data

CircleEd may use essential cookies or similar technologies to keep you signed in, remember preferences, prevent fraud, and maintain service security. If we introduce nonessential analytics or advertising technologies, we will provide any notices and choices required by applicable law.

How long we keep information

We retain information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described here, including operating the service, maintaining appropriate records, resolving disputes, preventing abuse, and meeting legal obligations.

Retention periods may vary by record type. For example, account information may remain while an account is active; host-review records may be retained to document decisions and identify duplicate or abusive applications; and technical logs may be kept for shorter security and diagnostic periods. We may retain de-identified or aggregated information that no longer identifies you.

How we protect information

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information. No online service can guarantee absolute security, so please use a strong, unique password and notify us if you believe your account or a private meeting link has been compromised.

Your choices and privacy rights

You may update your profile, cancel a circle registration, unsubscribe from optional communications, or request help accessing, correcting, or deleting your information. Some information may be retained where required by law or needed for security, fraud prevention, dispute resolution, or legitimate recordkeeping.

Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights regarding access, correction, deletion, portability, restriction, objection, or appeal. We will verify requests before acting on them and will not discriminate against you for exercising an applicable privacy right.

Children’s privacy

CircleEd is a professional community intended for adults working in or with higher education. It is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as CircleEd evolves. We will post the revised version here, update the effective date, and provide additional notice when a change materially affects how personal information is used.