Privacy Policy

ChemVantage protects its users' privacy to the maximum extent that allows the site to function as designed.

Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

Except for LMS administrators and people who contact ChemVantage directly (e.g., to establish an account, provide feedback or request access to the ChemVantage item bank), ChemVantage does not store any user PII. ChemVantage does not process, collect or store any user credit card or financial information whatsoever.

Digital Tracking

ChemVantage does not use cookies, web analytics, web beacons, pixel tags or any other type of digital tracking devices. We do not store information about IP addresses, locations, or browser information of our users. We do not display any advertisements or enter into any service agreements with third party advertisers.

User IDs

During each user's session, ChemVantage issues a secure token that is linked to an opaque user ID to ensure both privacy and security. For LTI users, this ID is provided by the learning management system (LMS). LTI is a secure messaging and communications standard developed by 1EdTech (formerly IMS Global Learning Solutions). LTI connects students and instructors with educational service providers. ChemVantage is a certified LTI provider. Users who enter ChemVantage through our home page are assigned a random ID number and are informed that they are participating as anonymous users.

Data and Information Collected

ChemVantage collects and stores data and information about the quizzes, homework assignments and practice exams that are downloaded by our users, including customized assignments, individual responses to question items, assignment scores and timestamps. All data and information transmitted to or from ChemVantage are protected by TLS/SSL encryption while in transit, and are stored in encrypted form on Google Cloud Datastore servers while at rest. All user data are solely owned by the user and may be deleted upon request to admin@chemvantage.org.

How We Use Data and Information that We Collect

For LTI users, individual user scores, data and information are available to the user, the instructor (as identified by the LMS) and to the LMS administrators. User scores may be reported by ChemVantage directly back to the LMS grade book via the LTI Outcomes Service if this service is supported by the LMS. For all users, including anonymous users entering the site through our home page, we use scores, responses and user comments/feedback to improve the quality of individual question items in the site as well as site navigation and user experience. We also use timestamps to automatically delete user data and LMS accounts after one year of inactivity.

Information That We Share

We will access, use, preserve, and/or disclose user information if we reasonably believe it necessary to satisfy a valid and legally enforceable warrant, subpoena, court order, law or regulation, or other judicial or administrative order. Otherwise, ChemVantage does not and will not share any user data or information with anyone except the user's LMS and with instructors and administrators who are identified by the LMS through the LTI interface.

Google reCAPTCHA

ChemVantage uses the Google reCAPTCHA tool on its LTI registration page to detect bots and prevent spam and abuse. To register your LMS with ChemVantage you must accept the Google reCAPTCHA Terms of Service and the Google API Terms of service. This is not required of users who are accessing ChemVantage resources through the LTI interface (i.e., students and instructors) or users who enter ChemVantage through the home page anonymously.